Great forums! I am in the market for a new half ton and like the look of the 2004 FX4's but they can really go off road?

The skid plates look cheesy, the one in the front has a big hole in the middle of it. The skid plates in my old truck took a lot of hits right where the hole is. Does anyone know of an after market supplier of plates?

The front end dips down. Any ideas on raising it without an expensive lift? Anyone tweek the torsoin bars?

Help me decide between the FX4, Titan, or Tundra. I am a hunter and fisherman in California and not afraid to get me truck scratched up..

 

I recently took my FX4 offroad for the first time...youa re right, the factory skid plates are more of a city-slickers type thing, they are functional but not to the extreme some 1/4" thick iron plates would be....there are aftermarket places you can get some good plates....i did some pretty technical rock climbing (see gallery) and i had no problems....i would consider getting a small lift and some 33s or 34s for a few more inches of diff clearance however if you want to offroad frequently and not have to worry about tire placement in rocky areas...Daystar as well as Autospring make a 2 1/2" leveling kit for the 04 for a little over $100, allow you to put 33s easy on without rubbing..go over to the 04 F150 forum and do a quick search on daystar or autospring leveling kits and you'll find tons of info..alot of guys have installed them...i was very impressed however with the stock FX4's composure in the meaty areas..the 4x4 system was very solid as well, no strange noises or slipping, and low range was perfect for the trail i was on, almost felt like i had factory lockers anyway, ....the 04-05s are very smooth and have a very solid feel to them...go drive one....you wont consider anything else....

 

I will be looking into the daystar....then skidplates. Do you know if the dealers will install the daystar? If so then it should not effect the warranty. What do you think?

 

get your self a toyota or a old rusty blazer, something you can run hard and not worry if you scratch it. my 04 f-150 4wd is good off road, but to a point. ground clearanace sucks. The fx4 is just a 150 with different shocks and 18 in tires, truck for truck they are the same. for true off road use someting old with a big lift kit, never have to wash it.

 

Lonnie, all FX4s dont have 18" wheels...its an option..the FX4 has skid plates, off-road tuned shocks, a Limited Slip differential, 3.73 gears, fender flares, as well as BFG tires from the factory....

Raven...the leveling kit just brings the front of the truck up about 2 3/4 inches...making it within an inch of the rear...it wont void the warranty...the mod has to be the obvious cause of the problem...if they cant prove the leveling kit caused the problem, it wont void it...most of the guys who have installed the kit have done it themselves...very simple, its just a spacer that bolts to the top of the spring...also, the Daystar requires you to compress the springs, the Autospring does not, that is why many prefer the Autospring...supposedly the Daystar will stiffen the ride a little because of the tightening of the spring....

 

I ended up going with the XLT for this mainly this reason. The FX4 was basically the same exact truck as the XLT loaded (mine has the 5.4L 3.73LS all that) but it doesnt have the bad skid plates and shocks. I knew the stocker (FX4 or not) was not all that capable due to the low clearance and terrible front rake. I planned on lifting the truck from the get go so I didnt want to spend the extra money for skid plates, shocks and wheels that had to be torn off immediately with the lift.
When I did take my stock XLT offroad (same clearance as the FX4) it bottomed out a lot. There was another 2004 owner out there who did a lot more offroading with his and complained about the same issues. If you do end up going with an 04 and really want to take it offroad and make it a lot more capable you have to go with the lift. The daystar will help with that front end rake, but if you have the money get a 6 inch lift to put it at a height you will feel more capable with. Unfortunately I havent found any serious spots yet to test mine, but I am very happy with the handling, look and assumed capability.
Last week I had the chance to park next to a stock FX4 and I couldnt believe the difference. When side by side you really see that the FX4 should have come off the line with a nice lift rather than cheapo skid plates and shocks. Dont get me wrong the upgrades on interior are great, but that doesnt make it more offroad capable.
If you are soley concerned with offroading, then get something with a shorter wheelbase and great stock clearance like a Tacoma, but if you want fullsize you gotta get this girl off her belly to make it work the right way.
Hope this helps...

 

damn eddy, you have one of the most beautiful trucks i've seen on this forum. if mine ever comes close to what yours looks like i'll be happy. good job man!

 

I really appreciate the compliment, thank you. Good luck with your truck, be sure to keep everyone here posted with all your mods and offroading excursions.

 

I looked at the Ranger, Tacoma, Titan, Sportrac before getting the 150 Fx4.

The main problem with the Tacoma is that theres really no room inside, especially if you have long legs like me. This is the same for the Ranger.

I would've liked to have seen a more off road version of the sportrac, higher clearance and better suspension. Still not as much room in the back as the 150 though.

The Tundra has good clearance though.

When you have dinged your skid plates, where have you been offroading? Do you mean going on gravel/dirt roads? I go on these a lot, I hope this truck stands up well. Lots of great places to go in SoCal.

 

If I were to have purchased an F150 for REAL off-road use.. it would have been a cheaper XLT, Regular cab, short box w/ no options. Then comes the lift, wheels, tires, intake, exhaust, tuner, seat covers, rubber mats, etc....

However, the 'without expensive lift' tell me the above just ain't gonna happen in your case. If money is an option but you still need something off-road... get a used truck to modify.

Of all the models your looking at, they all suck off road. Period. However, the Ford offers the biggest aftermarket following for when you are ready to truely make it off-road capable.

Good luck!

 

Your best bet for a pickup thats offroad capable with little work is the Tacoma. I think this year it was rated number 1 again. But yeah the interior sucks and is wayyyy to cramped.
The Tundra isnt all that great really. A little work to your F150 and you are in the same place.

Of course our truck with a lift and 35s is pretty damn capable, but the long wheelbase limits what you can climb over without drylanding yourself. Of course nothing is going to beat a Jeep offroad since thats what they are made for, but you sacrifice a lot for that ability. I gave my truck the 6" for the ability to take it offroad but I am constantly having to turn down trails because the truck is too wide and long. I love to offroad but this isnt the one I would want scratches and dings down the side of. I am more into the mud and open wheeling trails.
Anyways.
Our truck is Ford Tough, you just need to give it some offroad functionality besides the LS. 35s and a 6 inch lift easily make you better than most trucks out there for offroad and you crush the so called offroad Hummer.

Skid plates are gonna get dinged if you are heavy offroader, the whole point of them is to divert a blow and when a 6000lb truck comes down on a rock and the only thing to protect it is a piece of 1/4 steel (1/8 if its a stock plate) then you are gonna get dings and more. Plates are to aid you when you f' up not to ski on down a rock trail.

I cant wait for some Rochester NY winters, that will surely be my offroad park. No risk of dings or scratches and just as fun as mud.

Our trucks with mods (read as suspension lift) are capable, just remember it is a FULL SIZE pickup.

 

if you are really concerned about the off-road just get any jeep (exep for the liberty) and i guaranty that you not going to regret

or just check this link if you want to do some really modifications and stick whit ford, for off road always double solid axle not front independent suspension

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10844

 

You are right, jeep is a great offroad vehicle, especially for trail riding, but for those who dont want to BUY a new vehicle and still have our very capable trucks, there are good options. Of course it wont be able to go through tight trails like a jeep but theres little else to stop it.
Someday I need to get a beater jeep, but till then I will have the bad@ss truck.