Hey guys long time lurker here......I have a 2005 SCREW FX4 4x4 (all black - blacked out windows with black leather white stiching)Ill make a profile soon.

Anyway....up till now when I have a question I just read thru the posts to find my answer......but the whole lift thing...theres so many answers to the same questions im a bit perplexed, can someone set me straight? I don't off road, but I do hunt ALOT....last season I was stuck 2 different occasions in corn fields goose hunting. I want more meat on my tires.

1. I would like to do the Bilstein adjustable strut/shock upgrade. I see I can go 2+ up front and 1+ in rear. Is this correct?

2. I want to use the factory 18" rims because when I bought this truck I beat up the dealer pretty good....I have a almost 3 more years warranty on the factory rims with a 50 dollar deductible. If I trash a rim for any reason I get a new one installed for 50 bucks. Nitto Terra Grappler 325/60/18 is that the largest tire I can fit?

3. Do I need to get a lift for the rear or just the Bilstein 1+ in the kit from Top Gun Customz?

4. I tow a couple things, ATV and snowmobile trailers and a 23' long 4000lb Center Console Boat (tandem axle trailer) to the shore often....is this going to be a problem with towing in general and when the back of my truck drops, am I going to rub? in the rear?

5. Whats the estimated install time on the shocks? I build and race quads so im pretty handy, just never worked on this truck.

Thanks in advance!!!

--Dave

 

1. yes the bilsteins will add you 2 inches or more up front. the rear shocks add no lift.
2. IMO opinion a 325/60/18 is too wide for a stock rim, you can go to a 35x12.50-18 if you like or a 305/65/18 would fit nicely.
3. i would get an add-a-leaf in the back, seeing you tow things often.
4. your truck will sag but the add-a-leaf should help out with this.
5. as for labor it depends on the shocks, probably 3hrs or so for just the shocks.

you'll also wanna factor in your gearing with new tires. if it was my truck i'd go with a 305/65/18 BFG, bilsteins up front and throw some firestone airbags in the back . couple inches taller than stock, wont effect gearing too much, still decent mileage and you can adjust the bags for what your towing---i hate stock trucks with a 3 inch rake, but function over form. someone just had a leveling kit on a black screw with chrome 18's and 305/65/18 BFG KM2's and it looked nice.

 

OK

1). Front- adjustable bilsteins for the 2inch lift
2). Rear- add a leaf for the 1 inch in the rear and also better for the towing wise and wont sag as much while towing... and still get bilsteins in the rear so it wont look weird only having the 2 up front.. and therefor your ride quality will be better with the bilsteins all around..
3). Tires- 35X12.5 R18 will do good and you should not rub... now i do have a set of mud grapplers that exact size with only 6k on them and they seriously look brand new a guy that was balancing them and rotated them said the same as well. I rotate them every 3k. so if your interested i will give you a deal on them only bc i need money and also want to put my 37s on which are mud grapplers as well so let me know mhockey9090@aol.com will take pictures too so you can see for yourself..

 

wow....35's? I didnt realize...I thought 325 was a 33"-34" tire..... huh..... I drove a 79 blazer with a 6" lift for many years on BFG 35's....how does the throttle response feel after putting on the big wheels?

 

yeah you will lose some power but if you add a chip or a programmer your right back there. My truck has no prob at all getting up too speed. Actually going to a track this thursday when i take leave

 

I agree. A 325/65-18 is basically a 35x13.00 tire and a 325/60-18 is essentially a 33x13.00 tire. Both are too wide for the oem 18x7.5 inch wide wheels.

 

hey guys....I appreciate the replys....I have spent a ton more time looking at the options because it seems I will need a tuner with a set of custom tunes...money come money go....

anyway, from the bilstein info it reads - "The result is a level front to rear ride height. An extremely simple and effective solution, offering increased wheel travel while accommodating a 33" tire."

Does this mean its only 2" lift and a 35 wont fit? I think I found the 35's I want but I want to make sure I dont rub. I dont mind rubbing at full turn a bit, but I dont want to rub 80% of the time lol.... theres nothing in a 33x12.5x18 and the 305x65x18 selection isnt that good either.

When you read the specs for most of these they say rim width 8.5"-11"?? I thought the stock 18" rim width is only 7.5"?

 

You can run 35's with the bilstein's set for 2" of lift on stock wheels and a few aftermarket wheels. You'll more then likely have a slight rub at full lock but nothing to be concerned about, do a search and you'll find a loads of information on this topic (leveling kit and 35's). With that said, 33's honestly (IMHO) are the best choice if you just have a leveling kit or bilstein shocks; less extreme angles on your upper control arms/ball joints and cv's, less rotational mass/weight (won't rob as much power) and still have ample wheel travel for off-roading, hauling and towing. Unless you're planning on lifting the truck futher down the road I'd go with 33's but if you want 35's that bad then go for em

 

Again, search, lots of info on this as well. Stock wheels are 7.5" and lots of people are running tires wider then what's recommend on a 7.5" wheel. Typically, worst case is that your tires might wear faster in the center compared to if they were mounted on the recommend wheel width. It's not much of a concern, as long as you don't go wider then 12.5" and even that is starting to push it.

 

Also, you don't HAVE to have a tuner when you change tire sizes, but it is a good idea. If you don't, your speedometer and odometer will be off some.

 

Correct, not required, but highly recommended.

 

Thanks guys.....but when I talk to my wife it IS REQUIRED *wink wink* comon fellas help me out here lol......

Tire Rack has the Kumos on sale for 258 each and they are 34.5 x 11.5 those are the ones I want to get.