if i go to 285's would changing gears be a good or necessary thing to do? if so where do you get them, what size would i need and what would they cost? mac

 

That depends on several factors. What engine tranny and gears do you have? Do you tow/haul heavy loads on a regualar basis. I have a 4x4 with the 5.4 , automatic and 3.55 gears. I don't tow or haul and am happy with the performance of my truck with 285's.

 

it's a 4x2 5.4 automatic and i tow an 18 ft bass boat 2-4 times a month. i don't know what gears i have. how would i find out?

 

THere is usually a tag on the rear differential cover.

 

Either on the door or the jamb, there is a decal listing GVWR's, tire sizes, etc. Anyway, there is a column with the axle code listed, should be a 2-digit number or alphanumeric like the following:

19 — 3.55 non-limited slip — F-150
25 — 4.10 non-limited slip — F-150
26 — 3.73 non-limited slip — F-150/Mark LT
27 — 3.31 non-limited slip — F-150
B5 — 4.10 limited slip — F-150
B6 — 3.73 limited slip — F-150/Mark LT
H9 — 3.55 limited slip — F-150

If you have someone change gears for you, I'm guessing in the $500 range including gears. If you have the 3.73's, I'd leavem' alone, but that's just my $.02

Hope this helps!
Pat

 

it says h9 - limited slip 3.55. How will it perform with the 285's? $500 is way too much to spend right now. thanks, mac

 

Like I said, I'm happy with mine. In fact, I plan to go up to 35 inch tires shortly.

 

ok thanks. do you ever tow?

 

No, and that may be why I'm happy. The heaviest thing I've ever towed is my neighbors small utility trailor with my 42" lawn mower on it!

 

I have 285's and do my fair share of towing / hauling and I have no complaints, although most of the distances I travel are under 10 miles.

 

What size are you looking to get? 285/70R17 is about a 33" tires and IMO looks bad on stock 2wd trucks. Do yourself a favor and stick w/ 265/70R17 or 265/75R16 for the look and performance.

 

do you think it will look bad with a leveling kit? also, its a supercrew so its pretty big anyway.

 

I agree with APT, 33's look to "stuffed" on a stock 4x2. I think they will look better with at least a leveling kit.

 

are leveling kits expensive to install? how expensive are alignments? thank, mac

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford-...spagenameZWDVW

would these be the right gears? thanks, mac