Hey, fellow truckers, need some advice. I own a 1999 F-150 standard cab, V8. I want to lift her up but yet save money. But the problem i have is I do roofing and that is my work vehicle, i am on construction sites daily and highway driving is a daily thing. What brand is good and what combination should i choose, a body kit , suspension kit or both. Also what tires and size would compliment each other but yet be sturdy for construction sites. Finally is 6" too much for daily use, i am in my truck and pulling roofing kettles from 6 in the a.m. to 6 in the p.m., please help

 

Well for starters, how nuts are you? And second, how much do you wan't to spend? If you get a body lift, your tow hitch, will still be at the same height unless you get bigger tires. Personally, I have a 99 ext cab 4x4, with a three inch body lift, and stock tires, lt does sit up a little, but has the same stock suspension, and rides the same as before the lift. This is where I am dreaming, my local offroad shop, told me that you can run up to a 37" tire, on the factory drivetrain, anything more than that and you will start tearing up stuff. I plan on using a fabtech 6" suspension lift on top of the three inches I already have, and 37" tires, probably goodyear wranglers, bfg mud terrains. And 17x10 atlas wheels. Talking $$$$$$ body lift like $130, installed $600
suspension lift 1500 to 1600 plus 700 install
tires for the ones I want cheapest 240 a piece
wheels 185 a piece. It is all a matter of what you wan't!!!!!!

 

Hello fritos,

You did not say if you have a 2x4 or 4x4. If you use your vehicle as a work truck I would stick with a 4" suspension lift and 33" tires, I believe you can get this combination for both. Any taller than this and it tends to be hard to get equipment in and out of. Body lifts are cheaper but you get what you pay for.

 

A friend of mine installed a body lift on his girlfriend's 98 XLT Ext Cab (4x2) and he said it was a pain in the %#*@! They also took the tires from the stock 255's to 285's (budget was the concern). Naturally, he saved some money doing the work himself. I'm not a big fan of body lifts since the ground clearance dosen't really change. I'm looking at a 4" suspension lift and 33's on my 2002 Supercrew. I'm lucky that I've got a lot of coworkers that install lifts and accessories, so I'm hoping to save some cash there as well. I've called around and the 4" suspension lift prices ranged from $800 to $1500.

 

I am in the same boat as you right now looking at lifts and which will fit my goals and wants.

Companies i have seen are varried.
First off I am looking at a lift for a 97 f150 4x4.

My goals are a lil diff than yours but I am after a certain look.

Companies to look at ..

Trailmaster- been on the market for a while and should be durable.
Racecar Dynamics- Have been recomended this one by a few people
Rancho-Have not know anyone with the kit so can't say.
Pro Comp-Looks nice but Not any personal experience
Fab tech.- After talking to them at the SEMA show I am almost sold to get this one on my truck but still shopping around.

Now with this said, I personally feel that if you are going to do alot of towing and moving things around and in and out of the truck I would look in the 4 inch range of lift (I am not fond of body lifts)
One thing to consider though is if you are lifting the truck up and getting new tires what about new gears to offset the drag on the engine etc..

 

I've got a Rancho suspension lift and a body lift and haven't had any problems at all. I haul my quad in the bed, loads of mulch and tow my camper all without any problems. One thing you might want to consider is with the truck lifted, it's a pain to load stuff into the bed because of the height. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Bob

 

I always say go suspension first. It just looks better that way. It does cost more though. But since you do work with your truck you could upgrade the the load carrying capabilities to. I say suspension first.

If you are going to be driving it everyday you may want to go with some kind of all terrain tire not a swamper or anything as specific as that.

 

if it is a 4X2 go with a 3.5" lift spindle for the front and a 1/2" block in the back and you will be pretty much level on ride height and you can run 33's without a prob. you can get new shocks but it is not required and you retain the stock ride quality.

 

chrisbudl1 u paid way to much for your install i paid 374 for the body lift and install all together and my susp lift just cost me 375 to have installed

 

Clint, actually you're wrong. He's in the ballpark, a tad on the highside of it, but he's in the park. Due to the amount of labor required to install them alot of shops will charge anywhere from $400-600 or so on average. What you paid was a pretty good deal for the lift kit AND the install. Heck what you paid is a fairly good deal for installation alone.

 

I feel lucky !!!!! i figured i did get a really good deal because it's alot of work to put a lift on any torsion bar vehicle ..u know it's not i beams or leaves which i would have done myself but i wouldn't have messed with drop cages and new spindles etc....

 

Hey Fritos (nice name )

I know why you wanna jack up your ride!! You wanna prevent your 4'3" brother in law from stealing your ****. Come clean already.........


Hey BTW welcome to F150 online!!!!

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