by "TFen" (tfen)
Published 10/10/2017 at 07:40
by "TFen" (tfen)
Published 10/10/2017 at 07:40
No Tags
STARS: 10
Well, after 2 months and 10,000km my lift finally arrived and was promptly installed. 35's weren’t cutting it in the mud and I needed more ground clearance to accomodate the much needed 37's.
I ended up going with a BDS 4 link conversion. The 6" kit was the lowest I could go without any aggressive trimming/clearance issues. I’m happy with the way it sits, it’s not too high but tall enough to look imposing.
I’ve put about 1500km on the truck since the lift was installed last week and I’m pleasantly surprised with the on road manners, the ride has definitely improved noticeably in every way except acceleration and fuel economy. I’ve actually experienced a 15-20% reduction in fuel economy, which is significant, but luckily I don’t pay for fuel.
Off-road, it’s simply remarkable how greatly the ride has improved.
The extra articulation gained by the 4 link system, combined with the improved shocks, soak up bumps/potholes and make them much less noticeable. It makes it feel like speed bumps barely exist.
Washboard used to throw the truck all over the “road” but that’s no longer the case. It still rattles the truck intensely, however, the truck now stays on-track and has gained a much needed predictability going over that terrain. I’m absolutely thrilled with the improvement, here.
The biggest improvement, however, is definitely the increased ground/diff clearance gained by the bigger wheels. This is what makes the significant expense worthwhile. Before, I’d get stuck quite often while navigating muddy jobsites which wastes time and can cause uneeded towing/recovery costs. The power deployable running boards are especially handy in these situations, I lost two sets on my last truck.
I’ve been on some absolutely terrible jobsites this past week where there’s been a CAT D6 dozer pulling vehicles around the site. With the big tires installed I’ve been able to just engage the 4x4, lock the diff, and crawl virtually wherever I need to go. Tire ruts were always an issue but that’s no longer the case.
All-in-all I’m very happy with the way it turned out and I’m kicking myself for not doing the mod to my older truck. Lord knows it would’ve helped in certain situations...
It’s not something I’d do for a highway/city truck but I’m thrilled with the way it’s improved my truck in offroad settings. It’s definitely money well spent.
"MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s" (mastermario)
10/10/2017 at 07:49, STARS: 1
I’m not a fan of the blacked out look myself... But it’s still a good looking truck you got. And it’s definitely not a bro truck since it very much is actually used.
"TFen" (tfen)
10/10/2017 at 07:54, STARS: 0
Thanks man. I almost went with polished wheels but decided against it at the last minute.
I’ll be blacking out/colour matching the chrome when work slows down this spring to complete the look.
"E90M3" (e90m3)
10/10/2017 at 08:01, STARS: 0
All that mud on location takes me back
"TFen" (tfen)
10/10/2017 at 08:13, STARS: 1
The day I never have to put on another set of Dunlop’s can’t come soon enough.
"DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back" (karsonkinja)
10/10/2017 at 08:23, STARS: 5
I quite enjoy seeing a truck do truck things for once.
"arl" (arl1968)
10/10/2017 at 08:25, STARS: 1
Sweet! That is not a bro truck. It’s actually used to go off-road to do work.
"Tripper" (tripe46)
10/10/2017 at 08:34, STARS: 1
Great looking truck! It’s amazing how nice these are to drive. My best friend is a stone mason, also with a lifted super duty. He had me drive when we went snowboarding once, and I said “you sure? This thing is like 4 times the size of anything I’m used to driving.” He said “Yea, but it doesn’t feel like it.” He was right, it was as easy as driving a stock ford explorer just a lot nicer with a lot more power. However I couldn’t shake the notion that I could just drive over anything that I wanted haha.
"OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars" (jakeauern)
10/10/2017 at 08:39, STARS: 1
It’s not a bro truck if it’s used to do work! Looks great.
"TFen" (tfen)
10/10/2017 at 09:04, STARS: 0
Thanks man!
"TFen" (tfen)
10/10/2017 at 09:05, STARS: 0
Yeah man it definitely “drives smaller” than it is.
I’m surprised how well mannered/quiet this new generation is. Very pleased.
"Shift24" (the-nope)
10/10/2017 at 09:19, STARS: 2
Bro truck and a truck that was lifted because it actually sees actual off road terrain daily? Pick one. Seriously though sounds like it’s a very capable truck and nice to see the lift helped. Though it is interesting about fuel economy. Must be the front air dam is too high lol. And looks nice though im still not a fan the fronts on 250 and up.
"TFen" (tfen)
10/10/2017 at 09:28, STARS: 1
Yeah, it’s not Ford’s best design work, that’s for sure. It’s grown on me, though and I think paint matching the grille will help some.
I think turning the big wheels coupled with the increased wind resistance is a big factor for the decrease in fuel economy.
Interestingly, my cruising RPMs dropped about 150/200rpm due to the bigger tires. I thought that would help negate the decrease.
"benjrblant" (benjblant)
10/10/2017 at 10:44, STARS: 2
Maybe your next work truck should be a Unimog.
"TFen" (tfen)
10/10/2017 at 11:03, STARS: 0
Haha I’ve actually thought about it. One of the guys at another company has an older one and never really brings it out anymore. They’re a pain in the ass to work out of.
"benjrblant" (benjblant)
10/10/2017 at 11:12, STARS: 2
I’m sure you know the saying: The bigger the truck, the bigger the stuck.
"AM3R, lost another burner" (am3r17)
10/10/2017 at 11:24, STARS: 0
This thing is badass man.. I was never really a truck guy but this looks really good. It’s crazy to me how expensive some of these trucks are but then I see how capable they aren.
"Dru" (therealkennyd)
10/10/2017 at 11:32, STARS: 0
Something about using a truck to do truck stuff and getting paid while doing truck stuff and being muddy gives me a chubby.
What kind of work do you do?
"Shift24" (the-nope)
10/10/2017 at 12:30, STARS: 0
Possibly but it could also be making the engine work harder due to the lower RPMs. Not exactly lugging the engine but similar which would decrease mileage with a lower RPM.
And yeah I could see it. I think the chrome look is slowly fading away. Main gripe about the front is how the lighting is set up. Now not as much on yours since you have the nicer lights but on the base models, where they put the turn signals makes it hard to see at night since both headlights come on. The yellow incandescent light make it impossible to see if they are turning or not at a stop sign. This kind of illustrates my point.
"Saracen" (manualdoucheelitist)
05/25/2018 at 15:51, STARS: 0
Beautiful truck!
I love the new Super Dutys. The missus and I want to replace my 7.3 with a King Ranch some day..