Hello, Am new to the forum and have a question I hope someone can answer. I have a 2008 fx4 and want to raise the front with bilstein 5100. I was told by my dealer if there was a problem with the front suspension after i raised the truck and they decided it was related to the modification I made, then the front suspension warranty would be null and void. Has anyone come across this situation or have a comment. Thanks for the help.

 

Yes, that is a true statement. If that is exactly how he put it then he is correct. Any damage as a result of a modification from a stock configuration, in this case lifting the front, would not be covered.

In your situation, lifting the front in bis manner changes the angles the ball joints spend most of their time at. You can't do this mod and then get the ball joints replaced under warranty because they went south. Keep in mind though, the warranty isn't necessarily void just because you changed the shocks, but just because the ones you picked raised the front. A stock reacement shock for exame would not void your warranty on related components.

Also keep in mind though, if they try to deny you a warranty claim because of a mod you made, it falls on them to prove the failure was directly caused by the mod you made. For example, they couldn't legally deny you a warranty claim for a drive shaft that fell out because you installed lift shocks.

 

Let me see if I understand. You procure an aftermarket part, and either install it yourself or have it installed. Then when & if something goes wrong, do you really think that the dealer will cover those modifications under their warranty? The idea is that when you get a lift, you should have a warranty on new parts in the kit, and a warranty from the shop that did the installation. You can't go back to Ford for something that they didn't screw up. However, be careful of the dealership trying to tell you that nothing is covered under warranty after a mod.

 

Actually, it's more like if he installed the Bilstiens and say for instance, his ball joints go out. The dealership could claim that they wore out because the Bilstien shocks caused an extreme ball joint angle and that caused the failure. But, in my opinion that would be a BS move by a dealer and would cause me to take my business elsewhere.

 

Thanks everyone for your input. I think I just go with the bilstein HDs and leave the truck at the factory settings. With my luck, two months after I raise the front end something will break and I will have a battle on my hands with the warranty. Thanks again.

 

Highly unlikely dude. There are sooooo many people running these shocks Bilstein can't keep the market supplied. A fairly good sign they are dependable and guys are not running into that problem. If you get hung up on this warranty issue, you'll never be able to modify and/or enjoy your truck. Put the shocks on and sleep well at night. If the ball joints go bad slightly prematurely, so what? So be it. Look at it as an opportunity to upgrade to something better than stock anyways.

 

thanks galaxy, just one question. What is the life expectancy of the ball joints under normal driving conditions? I think you are talking me into raising that dam truck. It been 26 years since i had a nice truck. Besides, I only do street driving with it. thanks for the help.

 

Hard to say with so many varibles. Most seem to be worn out between 50k and 100K miles.

 

Thanks wandell, one more question. Will raising the front end decrease fuel mileage due to changing the aerodynamics of the truck? My mechanic said raising the truck will shorten the life span of the ball joints by about third of there life. Feed back is welcome and thanks again.