I'm thinking of lowering my '04 F150 and so far the kits that look about right seem to be around 2/4 and 2/5 drops. My question guys, is where is the actual drop measured? The bumpers or fender lips, etc? Thanks. Happy New Year to all.

 

Hey Stuka dude.

Just lowered my 2004 F150 supercab a couple days ago with a GroundForce 2/4 kit.
Before the front measured 34.75 inch to the fender lip (this is where GF tells you to measure from) and 37.375 inch in the rear.
After it measured about 33 front and rear.
The kit involved new coils in the front and puting the axle on top of the leafsprings and new shocks for the rear. Also shorter shackles.
The coils springs were easy but the leafsprings were way more involved.
I have more info on the process if you want to know.

Torque specs you will need to know if you use this kit:
(Straight from the 2004 Ford Specifications book)

FRONT
upper coilover shock center retaining nut: no listing (I did mine at 35 ft/lbs)
upper three coilover retaining nuts: 35 ft/lbs
lower coilover nut: 351 ft/lbs (yeah, that much!)
tie rod (to spindles) nut: 111 ft/lbs

REAR
leaf spring center pin: no listing (did mine at 120 ft/lbs)
fuel tank straps: 30ft/lbs
front hanger leafspring eye bolt: 222 ft/lbs (another huge bolt!)
upper and lower shackle hardware: 98 ft/lbs
upper and lower shock mounts: 66 ft/lbs

All lug nuts: 150 ft/lbs


For the 2/4 kit the alignment shop was able to do the standard $50 alignment.
They said that if I went any lower that I would have needed a camber kit ($70 kit, $90 labor).

Ok, now for the bad news.
That smooth ride you were just enjoying is now gone!
I just got back from a 300 mile (mostly) freeway trip.
The new setup bounced me around like a plane going thru turbulence when I went over the expansion joints in the road.

I dig the new look but now have to figure out how to smooth the ride because it is unacceptable as it is now.
If anyone reading this has a solution to this I'm all ears!

More info than you probably expected, but it's info I wish someone would have given me.

Good Luck!

 

RanchWagon.... Thanks for the info Bro, you can never have enough. Sorry to hear about the decrease in your ride quality. Just out of curiosity did you make any other mods along with the drop that could have contributed to the rough ride? Low profile tires, larger rims, etc? My cousin put 22's with VERY low profile tires on his Chevy last year and he complained about the ride much as you are. He ended up going with 18's I believe to get a bit more sidewall to smooth things out. Other than that are your shocks the correct size all the way around? Tire pressure too high? Some garages use way too much pressure while mounting tires and never knock the psi back down afterwards to the correct level. Just a few ideas. Thanks again and good luck RanchWagon. Keep us posted on how you make out!!

 

Hey Stuka Dude.

Everything is stock except the lowering kit.
The Lariat comes with 18" stock.
Talked to the tech guy at GroundForce and he said on very rare occasion one of their shocks might be sticking. He said to test this I need to disconnect one side of the shock, compress it, and if it is functioning properly it should expand back out completely by itself. If it sticks, it's bad.

Some more info from the GF tech:
The GF coils are 15-20% stiffer and the GF rear replacement shocks are also 15-20% stiffer than stock.
The 2/4 drop kit is designed for those who are using their truck as a daily driver.

Talked to my buddy (he has a 2004 supercrew) about the 300 mile trip and he said he has taken his F150 on that same trip and his truck got bounced around quite abit also. So, my conclusions on the ride may have been overstated.
However, it still doesn't have the 'Caddilac' floating ride that it had before the kit.
Lowering has also seem to affect how my reverse sensors respond to objects.
Backing out of a driveway they will sometimes read the street as an obstacle.

One more thing:

CORRECTION: lug nut torque is 100 ft/lbs (not 150 ft/lbs).


ps- JU 87 divebomber?

 

Hi,
I order the McGaughy's 2/4 drop and absolutely love it. It rides fairly good too.
Their 4" drop does not use a flip kit for the rear as most others do. The kit comes with a whole new leaf spring. It only has two in the cluster instead of three. The kit also comes with the rear axle snubbers and rear shock extenders (this way your shocks are no compressed from lowering the truck and they still have their full factory travel range. Guess thats why mine still rides pretty smooth. It also comes with the front lowering springs.
It cost me $389 for all of it.
If you go more than 4 inches in the rear thats when you start getting into more of the flip kits. (A little less ride quality there, but you can get a little lower with them).
Mine rides on 20's and there is not clearance problems. And has a very nice stane. Sport Truck magazine did a McGauheys install in their magazine a couple issues ago I think. They also sell the flip kit type as well.
Hope that helps a little.......

 

Hey saleen97 -- have you got a photograph of your truck that you can post?

I have been contemplating the same basic set-up (2/4 drop with 20s) on a new F-150 I will be purchasing in the next month or two and would love to see the stance and overall look of your truck!