Mine was just lowered (3 year ago) in the rear by removing the 4WD rear 2" lift blocks to lower it to what would be 2WD height so it still has some "angle". Had I gone lower, shims might have been in order to add angle.

 

Since my post referenced above, we have driven the truck maybe 150-160 miles last night up to Harrisonburg, then over to Shenandoah, and after supper .... back home. Drove some on I-81 up to H-burg, across Rt 33 and back road as shortcut to supper, and home on mostly Rt 340 and 11 and she drives as good as I've ever had a vehicle drive. No wandering at all, just steady. That hint of wandering is totally gone.

Today I pulled her around to check again in better light, still holding at 9/64 ths toe in. I also took a few pics of my very rigid, very light, and adjustable to fit wheel toe tool!







Made of 3/4" plywood glued and screwed together, I can add slots or holes to fit other wheel setups though I don't think it'll be so accurate on steel wheels that have "run out" .... the bottom of the legs are 30" apart at farthest ends and I have "shod" it with two pieces of 1" aluminum angle to give me a straight precise line to mark on the tape.

In case you want to mark two sets of lines just to compare, just move legs out a hair and mark again.

The extra two sets of exposed threads are just two more spacers I stored there for now.

 

Another way is to jack up the front wheels and spin the tires while spraying a bit of white paint down the middle of the tire. Then while the paint is still wet and spinning hold a sharp point object to the paint and make a mark around the tire. Let the paint dry and take it off the jack. Back the truck up and forward enough to settle the suspension and then use a board to keep the tape measure level and measure between the marks on the front and the rear of the tires. The difference is the toe-in. It doesn't take many miles for the paint to completely disappear.

 

I don't know why Ford doesn't offer a lowered 4x4. I don't like a high truck either and it would improve the highway fuel economy.

 

I know it's an older thread, but still relevant. If you don't mind, what were your exact before and after measurements from middle of center cap to the wheel well arch?

I'm trying to get the perfect stance for my truck but keep going back and forth. I just dropped the front end an inch. Currently at 22.5" in the front and 26" in the rear. Lots of rake, I know.

 

Believe it or not, I had great photos of all 4 wheels with a rule standing vertical at center up past the fender both before and after lowering .... and with those pics I could have zoomed in and done some quick subtraction and quickly told you likely within 1/8" or closer.

In 2013 I first had a computer crash and while I had 90% pics backed up, between that crash, a new computer ... followed by a total failure of the new one's hard drive the second month .... and somehow I have either lost or simply misplaced those pics.

I can go make a few measurements when the rain slacks up of "after" ..... but I have no way of telling "before" short of measuring another similar truck that is still stock?

I can tell you for a fact that the front is close to 2-1/4" lower than stock and the rear is 2" lower than stock.

 

I'm sorry to hear about that!

When the weather does clear up for you, and it's convenient, current measurements would be great!

I appreciate your response and willingness to help!

 

My wheel centers above ground are just about exactly 15". Top of tire is just over 31", but tires flatten out at bottom.
They are OEM type 275/55-20s at 35-37 psi.

The front wheel arches at top are at 35" .... or 20" above wheel center.

The rear wheel arches at top are at 36-1/4" .... or 21-1/4" above wheel center.

 

Thanks! That's gives me a lot of insight!

Prior to redoing my front end, with the 4wd length coil overs I had before, I was at 23.75 in the front, and 26" in the rear. (From center of center cap to wheel well arch) I recently added 2wd Monroe quick stucts and am now aw 22.5" front and 26" rear.

Needless to say, I was probably about the height of a leveled 4x4 before and am now right around stock 4x4 height in the front?

Also, I plan on dropping the rear 1/2"

Thanks! I really appreciate it!

 

I thought I'd "update" this to bring it forward. Today the '07 that I lowered in Nov 2011 now has 58,xxx miles, that's 21,xxx miles as "lowered". Several trips to Georgia and other places .... and while I did not too long ago, I put new take off Pirellis on it that I had "stored", the oems went over 51,xxx miles in spite of my "home alignment" and the truck drives "super".

Still on oem shocks as well, if when I change them will use 2wd units in back maybe .... but so far no intention to change as she rides too good. New take offs wearing great as well in the 7,xxx miles they've been on her.

And just today went and met with an old buddy who has a 4wd still at 4wd height and jumped into his truck ..... and instantly reminded myself just how much difference 2 or 2.5" can make.



Measured it again just yesterday (curiosity) ...10-20-2020 ...

right front 20-3/8
20-3/8 average front
left front 20-3/8

right rear 21-3/8
21-1/2 average rear
left rear 21-5/8

I wrote "average" as while both fronts indicated the same 20-3/8", the rears varied by a 1/4" right to left, perhaps due to twist in my driveway? I know the rear was dropped just 2" as all I did was remove the 2" spacers between the spring leaf and axle and use new shorter 9/16" U-bolts from a truck spring shop. The front was lowered more like 2-1/4" from stock as I recall. My truck does have the dark grey plastic fender opening lips which do wrap under the metal edge of the fender opening , so that may be 1/4" but I'm not sure as I have never had them off.

 

Still rides and drives great, but I don't have rough roads to travel much. I just noticed the pic in the post from 2016, had some health issues happening then. I had just spent a few hours detailing it that day, moved it there and took some pics, then parked it in carport, and I was watching TV and a big tree fell on this spot in the driveway a few minutes later.

A bit of luck that day!

On 10-20-2020 we cut some others down.

 

The last post above was July 9th of 2019. Today is October 4th 2020, Truck has just tripped 72,000 miles a few days ago. In November of 2019 I put 4 brand new Pirelli Scorpions on, not because of wear, but because of age cracks around the bead area. They were getting OLD, and while they were worn, they wear not wore out, nor were they worn unevenly. I still thank my old self every time I go to get in or out of the truck too. After some stuff in 2016 which led to a hospital stay in 2017-2018, shingles too, I am having a lot of "nerve issues" with my left foot, and the easier get in & out is good. I sold the motor cycles and trike, but keeping this truck still. I got my '77 F-150 4x4 and use it for working stuff like dragging trees, hauling big dump loads, pulling stumps, etc.

 

I don't know, maybe it's just the Scotsman in me, but if it works, why waste money on fixing something that ain't broke?
I mean, if your stock wheels and tires still work, why spend money to replace them?
My '05 FX-4 had a severely damaged stock rim (still held air, just wasn't pretty anymore), and with a truck that old, finding a replacement from a Ford dealer would have been prohibitively expensive.
So I checked online and found an exact replacement rim. I could have gone out and bought four new rims, had the old tires busted down and remounted, but didn't really want to part with that kind of coin.

 

Well, those new take offs I mention in post #55 above had like 10 or 11/32nds rubber on them when I got them in about 2011 from a fella in Kansas City, he had taken them off his '11 F-150, they were Pirellis too, but then I stored them for future use. I had put them on a about 51,xxx because my truck's originals were worn near out. When I posted that post, I had 58,xxx miles on the truck, about 7,xxx of which were on those take offs from Kansas. In 2019 I took my '07 to get it inspected, three of those Kansas tires had a lot of cracking around the whole tire next to the rim bead. They were getting old by then and by then and had near 18,xxx miles on them in my use alone. They still had good tread, just them cracks ... so in December '19 I just put a new set on because of the cracking.

Manassas Park huh? Used to live at 711 Signal Hill Road in apartments, in the late '70s. About got lost last time I drove through there. Place Growed.