I just graduated from college, and my first adult purchase was a 2014 SCREW. I was just as happy as a lark....for a couple of days. Now I'm itching to get some shiny wheels and mud tires...to make it safer during the upcoming snowy months of course. I have a couple of questions, but feel free to chime in with extra words of wisdom if you think I should consider something I haven't asked about. For the record, I have used the search button, both on the forum and google...with some success, but I still have questions. I'm no computer hack, so if you think I missed something, just post the link!

1. I had my heart set on a set of bilstein 5100s. Mixed answers about if they fit 14's or not, so I called up the company. They told me that the 14s have a slightly different front end, and the 09-13 shocks will not fit them. Has anybody either
A) managed to fit the 09-13 5100's on a 14 (some people are advertising that they fit), or
B) used another set up on a 14 that you like?

2. I had a set of american racing wheels that looked similar to the Mickey Thompson classic 3's. That's what I think I want to go with again....sentimental value and what not. It looks to me like ION and MT make those wheels in a 17x9 with 5 inch backspacing (0 offset). Anyone running a wheel similar looking?

Anyone have a picture from the front/back of a 9 inch wheel with 5inch backspace/0 offset so I can get a good idea how far that sucker would stick out? I have only seen one example on here with a good front shot. If you have that size/dimension wheel, what size tire did you go with and how much hacking did you have to do on your wheel wells?

3. Anyone running a 9 inch, 0 offset wheel with 35's and flares? Have a picture from the front? I am curious to see if that combo would fill up a flare

Thanks in advance!

 

subscribed to see the responses.

 

I posed this question in the 09-14 page, and so far I have 130 views and no responses. I thought to myself, maybe I'm in the wrong section, and I'm being shunned on principal. So here we are in the suspension section for one last try haha.....

I just graduated from college, and my first adult purchase was a 2014 SCREW. I was just as happy as a lark....for a couple of days. Now I'm itching to get some shiny wheels and mud tires...to make it safer during the upcoming snowy months of course. I have a couple of questions, but feel free to chime in with extra words of wisdom if you think I should consider something I haven't asked about. For the record, I have used the search button, both on the forum and google...with some success, but I still have questions. I'm no computer hack, so if you think I missed something, just post the link!

1. I had my heart set on a set of Bilstein 5100s. Mixed answers about if they fit 14's or not, so I called up the company. They told me that the 14s have a slightly different front end, and the 09-13 shocks will not fit them. Has anybody either
A) managed to fit the 09-13 5100's on a 14 (some people are still advertising that they fit), or
B) used another set up on a 14 that you like?

2. I had a set of american racing wheels that looked similar to the Mickey Thompson classic 3's on my first truck (a 91 midnight blue f150). That's what I think I want to go with again....sentimental value and what not. It looks to me like ION and MT make those wheels in a 17x9 with 5 inch backspacing (0 offset). Anyone running a wheel similar looking? I have now found that Vision makes a similar wheel with a 12mm offset...anyone have any opinions of vision wheels? I had never heard of them...

Anyone have a picture from the front/back of a 9 inch wheel with 5inch backspace/0 offset so I can get a good idea how far that sucker would stick out? I have only seen one example on here with a good front shot. If you have that size/dimension wheel, what size tire did you go with and how much hacking did you have to do on your wheel wells?

3. Anyone running a 9 inch, 0 offset wheel with 35's and flares? Have a picture from the front? I am curious to see if that combo would fill up a flare

Thanks in advance!

 

Apparently, the lower strut mounts are different on the 2014s, so I can see them not working. Because your truck is brand new, I'd save hassle and just get a 2" Autospring steel level. $80 and it works great. If you want to wait, Bilstein may come out with something soon, but who likes waiting?

Wheels are completely personal preference. Old school bullet wheels are timeless and still look good, but I'm not sure I'd want them on my brand new truck.

Fender flares look REALLY goofy to me on trucks that don't have a lift, and 9" wide wheels with 5" of BS are going to be pretty tucked in still, so flares would engulf them.

What tire size do you want? That determines what has to be cut/modified and what does and doesn't fit. 35s should fit with a 9" wide wheel with 5" of BS.

 

Someone on another forum changed his 2014 LCAs to the 2013 and older style LCAs so he could run 5100's.

 

would the same have to happen to run quicklift struts?

 

Yes, they don't make QuickLifts for 2014s yet, not sure if they will??
I think your only options for replacement lift coilovers (currently) is Boss or Icon and those will runya close to $1k. http://f150lifts.3dcartstores.com/2009-2014_c_137.html

 

IMG 0024





AmRacing Crater's w/315x70x17 BFG AT's

These are some of 17x9's with 5 inch BS American Racing Craters and 315x70x17 BFG's. These were on my '04 Lariat taken 9 yrs ago. Wheels stuck out 2 inches more than stock and the wide tires played havoc with the sides of the truck. Went to a 17x8 wheel with stock backspacing and that helped out a lot.

 

Well because there are two of these threads and I responded a few days ago to the other one:

Apparently, the lower strut mounts are different on the 2014s, so I can see them not working. Because your truck is brand new, I'd save hassle and just get a 2" Autospring steel level. $80 and it works great. If you want to wait, Bilstein may come out with something soon, but who likes waiting?

Wheels are completely personal preference. Old school bullet wheels are timeless and still look good, but I'm not sure I'd want them on my brand new truck.

Fender flares look REALLY goofy to me on trucks that don't have a lift, and 9" wide wheels with 5" of BS are going to be pretty tucked in still, so flares would engulf them.

What tire size do you want? That determines what has to be cut/modified and what does and doesn't fit. 35s should fit with a 9" wide wheel with 5" of BS.

 

Good to know about the tires still being fairly tucked. I think trucks look super goofy when they have tires that don't fill the flares. I may look for a set of FX4 style flares instead.

As far as the wheel/tire package goes, I would love to stuff a 35x12.5 under it if I didn't have to hack up my inner fenders. Its my understanding that the width is more of an issue than the height...but most of the 315/70/17 tires i have looked at are reporting around a 12.3 inch section width....i can't believe two tenths of an inch is gonna make that much difference.

Could I get away with 35x12.5's under a 2 inch level....would the extra half inch on a 2.5 make that much of a difference?

 

Thanks for the input guys.

KMAC sorry for doubling up...like I said I was afraid I was in the wrong place and I might do better in the other section....turns out I just wasn't patient enough!

PawPaw:

What setup did you have suspension wise? 2 or 2.5 in the front? Anything in the back? How much cutting did you have to do? That's the exact stance I'm looking for. I know the 09-14 is a new body style...but I have to think that the spacing upfront has be be fairly similar....

When you say that extra two inches played havoc on the sides, you just mean it threw rocks like crazy? We have a half mile gravel driveway so I suppose that should be a concern. I think I am starting to chew my rockers up even with my stockers, may have to look at getting a rubber coating or something either way.

Thanks

 

OEM FX fenders are the way to go

You can fit them with the proper wheels and backspacing. However, if it were my truck, I'd look for something 275-295mm wide and 34" tall. 315/70/17, while on paper are slightly smaller than a 35, are really just the metric equivalent for a 35" tire for 17" wheels as far as I know. If you had 20s (I do, so those are the sizes I have memorized and "how I think of tire sizes"), I'd be able to recommend 275/65/20 or 295/60/20 tires, but I'm not sure what the equivalent sizes for 17s, that are actually produced, are.

You are correct that width is important, the narrower the better as far as fitting goes. Tire type, street vs AT vs MT matter too, the more aggressive, the worse. People fit 35s on a 2" level and stock or high backspacing wheels all the time, but they are stuffed. By buddy ran 315/70/17s on aftermarket wheels on his 04 FX4 with a 2 or 2.5" level for a long time without rubbing after trimming the plastic valance.

 

It depends how much coverage you're looking for. OEM flares only provide about .5" more coverage than no flares, but they look good.

 

Good to know. After looking at tire options a little more, I think I may have to consider a bigger wheel. There aren't too many tall, "skinny" options for a 17 inch wheel. NASSTY, you are running the 295/60/20's...or were on your 11 right? Any rubbing issues with those? That was a very clean looking ride.

Also, since you guys have suggested the FX4 flares, whats the best was to get ahold of a set? I haven't had much luck trying to find aftermarkets. Call to a junk yard for a set maybe?

 

I'm running 295/60/20's on this truck too. I don't have any rubbing but I've read about others with that size that get a little rub on the UCA when turned to full lock. Maybe I don't because my angles don't change as much because I go with small leveling kits to retain some rake??

Usually you can find "take off" FX4 flares and/or painted flares on Ebay.