I am interested in making my F-150 more capable offroad. I have a stock 2005 F-150 Supercrew with a camper shell that I bought in 2005. I have taken it to the mountains and deserts of California so far. I found that it has some limits in the washboards and small boulderfields. Chicken wire in the UVC joint can be disasterous too if you don't add more protection around the transmission wires. (I just got extremely lucky here!)

But, the truck has done everything else I have ever asked of it without fail. It has saved my bacon many times and has covered for me when my off-roading inexperience was about to show or get me into trouble. It has 80,000 miles on it and I have decided I am not ready to part with it anytime soon.

I will need a new transmission, shocks, a lift kit, larger tires and wheels and armour for the bumpers and underneath. And probably a whole lot more. I don't want my truck to just look BADASS! I want it to BE BADASS! But I can only afford $3,000 - $5,000 per year for the build. So I will have to do this in stages. (What should I do first, next, etc?)

I need it to handle Death Valley and Mojave Desert as well as Tahoe area Off-Road trails. Steep climbs, deep ruts as well as open expanses of extremely hot washboard-ridden trails.

Any suggestions that will help me make this a great truck for 7 more years? And allow my family to experience more of the off-road dream too?

 

Items to look into:
Lift with good coilovers (dont reuse factory with a spacer)
Maybe a better set of rear leaf springs to add lift and better suspension vs adding blocks.
Regear front and rear differentials - ratio based on tire choice (prob 4.56 or 4.88)
Lockers front and rear
Maybe a better tranny cooler
Unfortunately this list could go on forever...
Check this out: https://www.f150online.com/forums/me...errorizer.html

 

Thank you MdHawkin. I believe your right. Building up a truck will never end.

 

By the way, I saw a 4X4 show yesterday that had a build on a chevy. He used a 5.4 L engine for his build but upgraded to an aftermarket cam shaft to get more power. Anyone ever here of an after market cam shaft for the 5.4 L Ford Engine? Will it realy deliver more power that is worth the investment? The show stated they could get up to 100 more horsepower. Could that horsepower translate into more miles per gallon or less?

Thanks!