I know I'm crazy to even start thinking about this.... but....

I always wanted bigger tires. Mine are little ol' 33"s. Their nice tires and all... BFG AT's.... but just small. 35"s would be nicer of course, but if I were going to get crazy enough to "go all the way" I can't see how such a small jump would even be worth it.

So, lets say I wanted to go to 37"s, and I wanted to do it right.

First off, how much of a lift would I need ??? {My truck is an 08' XLT '2wd'.... Oh and, why lift a 2wd, and bigger tires ? The same reason 90% of the 4wd's are lifted, and bigger tires.... Looks}
I'm only interested in a straight up, high quality suspension lift.
How much would this lift cost ? {done right.... and in CA.... so add 50%}
$2000 ?

Second, gearing ? Of course I only have rear gears to worry about. But what gears would I need to be equal to 3.55 gears with 31" tires, when jumping up to 37" tires ? {remember that I won't be doing any offroad climbing, and my boat is really light}
How much would this gearing cost ? {done right... and in CA... so add 50%}
$1500 ?

Finally, I'm thinking new 37" x 13.50 tires, and new wheels might cost me about $2500....

So, could I do this right for $6000 (including labor) ?

{note; 6 months ago, before I got my new truck, I could not even have imagined spending this kind of money, to do something like this..... but what the hell..... I've already spent about this much for the rest of my mods.... and will probably end up spending close to $5K more on just the stereo > Which started out on paper, as 'less than' a $2K project. Damn, money flies !!!}

Me and my crazy *** ideas :-l

Peace,
Fish

PS, I think you guy's big lifted trucks look great, regardless of the styling.... but you have to admit, my trucks styling almost puts it in a position, where it just won't look great any other way !

 

Ok to get enough lift outta ur truck to fit 37s is to get the Fabtech 6" which runs between $1500 and $2500 depending on if you want the upgraded shocks. Also you would need to get a body lift to clear the 37s which runs about $300. The tires depending on what brand you get will run you close to $2000 or more and the rims depending what size you get and what brand will run you around $1500. Then the gearing which youll probably want to run 4.56s will run you about $800.

When i lifted my truck the first time and ran 37x22s i spent about $7000-$8000

 

Depending on which part of the Golden State you live in, Northern, Central, or Southern, you have some pretty good options. Several of the lift kit companies are from CA, so parts are readily available. If you're in Northern CA, I may even be able to point you in the right direction to start making calls.

Let's start with the lift. For 2WD, the two best options, in my opinion, are the Fabtech or California Super Trucks (CST) w/ coilovers. The CST can run up to $3,000. The average installation cost is between $600-$800. I got a Fabtech for about $1,700 & install for about $400 from my local 4 Wheel Parts Performance Center aka 4WheelParts.com brick & mortar. They price matched another company online, and sweetened the deal with the installation.

For my gears, I followed the formula of new tires / old tires X OE gears. So for you: 37 divided by 31, multiplied by 3.55 = 4.2370967741935483870967741935484. Now round up to the next number. Either of the following would be appropriate:

M-4209-G430M* 4.30:1 -
M-4209-G456* 4.56:1 -

As far as cost goes.......you'll need to shop around. Sometimes your local shops can give you a better price. Or you can try to DIY. I found that JEGS was a good place to start if you want to buy all the necessary parts & tools for a home installation.

Wheel & tire combinations could be purchased as a set, or pieced together. I got my wheels from Summit Racing, then found a set of tires from another online store. Just be sure that whatever wheels you select are within the recommended specs of the lift that you're planning to buy.

Just like with your mobile entertainment system, plan it out on paper first. Then take your time with finding parts, prices, and getting labor quotes. I found that most shop owners, once they hear that you are pricing components on line, will offer to match prices or piece together a competitive package for you.

And if you have any second doubts, just consider that you're already into your truck for more than it's worth. Like most of us, the mods will total more than your Kelly Blue Book resale value. If you think of all the other money you've already thrown into your truck, then why stop at this? Why stop until you're happy with it? You're either going to be a guy with a stock vehicle & a factory warranty, or driving a money pit.

 

The taller you go and bigger tire you run, the more it cost. If you just added a 6 inch Fabtech or Pro COmp lift with 35's and kept the stock gears (at least temporarly) it would be a lot less expensive.

 

your 2wd so i would get a cst 7" lift, 2" spacer thats 9" of lift. you probly could fit 37's with the right wheel. or you can do a BL on top and have 12" of lift=10" of a 4wd lift and do 38's!

lift=$1900 + $500 for install
BL=$800 installed
spacer=$70
AAL/block= $100
wheels= 17's about $600-800. why not keep the ones you have now?
tires=$1300
gears=$800

total= about $6300

if you kept your wheels you have now its very possible to do it. i used the first price i saw for the cst 7" lift so you probly can find it cheaper

 

Here's my set up with a 07 2wd:
Fabtech 6" basic $1500 PLUS $600 FOR INSTALL
Performance Accessories 3" Bodylift $400 PLUS $300 FOR INSTALL PLUS $110 FOR GAP GUARDS
2" spacer $120
18X9 Moto Metal 951's- $769
37/13.50-18 Mickey Thompson Baja MTZ $1600
Yukon 4:88 $382 with all new bearings PLUS 350 FOR INSTALL
GRAND TOTAL SO FAR $6400 HOPE THIS HELPS.

 

Excellent info guys. I really appreciate it. Read all of your responses twice :-)

So, a couple of you said I would need a body lift, as well as the 6" suspension lift ? Suspension lift alone won't clear 37"s ? Honestly, I guess I'd do it if I had too.... But I'm not shooting for "the tallest" truck I can get.... Just some big, fat tires :-)

Memo, of course those 22"s of yours would cost a lot more than 17"s or 18"s... even a bit more than 20"s... So maybe my guess of $6000 wouldn't be far off, huh ?

Fifty150, we have a 4wheelparts pretty close too.... which is where I got my original tires / wheels (which might be pretty easy to sell too, as around here, I'm seeing black wheels every time I turn around ! Plus, everyone knows that BFG's are great tires)
Hey, that math you showed looks great.... and 4.30's look like they would work well.

Wandell, true, true..... But like I say, while 35"s would be a bit cooler than my 33"s.... Ya' gotta' admit, the 37"s would be a BIG diiference, which would seem more worth it to me. Honestly, I don't think I would want to get started on this whole thing until I had at least $4K in my pocket anyway, with a clear view of at least $2K or $3K more, shortly down the road....

06yz, Ya' know, I'd sure like to keep my wheels..... 1) because they are only 6 months old as it is, 2) one less thing I'd need.....
But I'm almost sure they would not be wide enough, as I want to go at least 13.50 wide. To me, a 37 x 13.50 is just the right height to width ratio.

Thank you guys again. This gives me some food for thought.

If I do this, it will be a Winter of 09-10 thing anyway.
Just finishing the stereo system now.....
Then once Spring fishing starts, I'm broke until Fall.

Peace,
Fish

 

i would do 4.88 gears or 5.13 gears if you want 37's or 38's.

also i would look into detail at the CST lift, i have heard their good, and that would give you 9 1/2" of lift over 8 1/2" and with the right wheel you could fit a 37's and save the money on a BL

skeeter, i think i would die waiting to see my truck looking like that. the one week my truck was in the shop was more than painful enough for me

 

Chris,

Are you in NorCal or Southern California? CST is located down south. When I spoke to them, they have the facilities to install the lift. How awesome would that be? A SCT lift installed by CST!

There is a lot of bad press about 4 Wheel Parts on this forum. Perhaps at least 2 dozen bad experiences reported by members. But consider that this is a chain with stores across the country, and that there are literally thousands of members on this forum; a few dozen bad experiences would be less than 1% of all the customers serviced. Even MacDonalds has a few bad burgers for the billions that they serve. My local outlet has turned out to be a very good store. The sales guys are knowledgeable & the techs do great work.

If you've got a local outlet that you feel confident in, then start there with your project. See what they can quote you for prices. FYI....they gave me a quote on a leveling kit + installation, I never went back, they called me and offered to do it for less money if I was still interested. So.....get a quote, and wait to see if they'll make a second pitch with a better deal.

As for your wheels, you may not be able to keep them. If your wheels are not within the recommended specs for the lift, then they won't fit. For Fabtech & CST, you will need 17"X8" w/ 5" or less of backspacing.

One more thing: while you're pricing the total package for your lift, don't forget that there may be a fee for mounting & balancing your new tires, alignment, and removing your TPMS sensors from the old wheels & installing them on the new wheels.

Keep us updated on the progress of your project.

5150

 

x2, the shop i had install mine did not charge me for this. a smaller shop, you have a better chance of getting better prices. i got my set up for $3550 that included lift, wheels, tires. while 4wp qouted me at 3k just for a lift installed. i got really lucky with the shop i chose, they asked me what i have seen for prices and matched all of the cheapest i could find. didn't even ask to see a website or catalogue showing the price

 

4WP blows. i would not trust those people with my truck.

 

yz, tell me about it. Plus I still have to wait another month to drive it. I am still in Iraq. How you liking those gas prices? Your welcome.

 

Chris, I am a shop located in Northern CA (San Rafael). I have installed a number of these lifts, both on 4x4 and 4x2. If you have ANY questions, or would like to know more, feel free to call me and ask me directly. I will PM you with the info. I can also suggest other 4x4 shops if you are against using us, but PLEASE do not use 4wp. I would hate to see the headaches they put you through. I can do it for a fraction of their prices too.

You do not NEED a body lift to clear the 37" tires.

Just keep us in mind, promise I will get you damn good prices when the time comes. That goes for any F150online member.