6 in. lift on a dually - opinions please
- Thread starter pietrob
- Start date
Darwin
Explorer
Yes it will negatively impact handling and drivability. It will also negatively impact where you can go, it will also increase your stress level. I see no reason to do it, way too many cons. It will affect reliability but more importantly safety. Plus if you lift it that high, it means you are likely putting on larger tires, which then make you even wider than you already are.
ZMagic97
Explorer
My buddy had a lifted dually at 6". Looked cool (in his opinion at least...I didn't care for it) but had a lot of issues in the long run. Joints went bad, MPG dropped, daily use impacted...oh and the blown transmission.
My opinion/question: why are you wanting to lift it? Looks? Height? I only ask because lifted trucks need a lifted trailer or adjusted tow point. If you want a little bit more clearance I recommend a 3" lift or leveling kit and 2" blocks (I'm not a Ford dually expert, so perhaps someone with more knowledge can chime in on better numbers)
I think that'd be a good look and clearance. If you plan on needing clearance...remember your trailer too!
My opinion/question: why are you wanting to lift it? Looks? Height? I only ask because lifted trucks need a lifted trailer or adjusted tow point. If you want a little bit more clearance I recommend a 3" lift or leveling kit and 2" blocks (I'm not a Ford dually expert, so perhaps someone with more knowledge can chime in on better numbers)
I think that'd be a good look and clearance. If you plan on needing clearance...remember your trailer too!
boxcar1
boxcar1
A 6" lift on a Dually is sort of a waist of time and money.
If one is doing it for tire size it's tough to fit a set of say 37" tires on dually rims without having issues.
Then there is the re-gear required for such a tire size.
The sway control required to keep a 3000 lb camper stable at that altitude.
And last but not by any means least is the design of the lift.
Most are block lifts . ( A bad, bad, bad idea. )
A full spring lift will effect the ride to such a degree that you'd need a kidney belt to ride comfortably in the rig.
For what you describe ( the trip ) I'd be looking into spending my money on a good set of 35" tires and good quality recovery gear.
If one is doing it for tire size it's tough to fit a set of say 37" tires on dually rims without having issues.
Then there is the re-gear required for such a tire size.
The sway control required to keep a 3000 lb camper stable at that altitude.
And last but not by any means least is the design of the lift.
Most are block lifts . ( A bad, bad, bad idea. )
A full spring lift will effect the ride to such a degree that you'd need a kidney belt to ride comfortably in the rig.
For what you describe ( the trip ) I'd be looking into spending my money on a good set of 35" tires and good quality recovery gear.
Ahhhh.... your on the wrong forum for much of a different answer than what you have received so far; any lift over 3" is looked at, a cross is held up and then it is called evil. However, I am one of the few here that does get off road and can see the merits of more ground clearance and larger tires.
In general, any time you raise the center of gravity of a vehicle there is an adverse reaction in the handling department. The reason to do the modification is the gain you get when one ventures off the dirt roads. As in terms of reliability, this goes directly to the quality of parts used, the skill of the install, and the maintenance of the owner/operator. In my opinion, the key is to build the machine for its intended purpose and acknowledge the limitations of what you have built.
Now the real issue with a raised dually: The rear tires cannot touch, ever. The most common mistake is choosing tires that are too wide. Even if they do not touch when sitting loaded they may/will touch when you hit bumps in the road if sized improperly for the size rims and separation. There is also an issue of rocks getting lodged between the tires. The way out of this is to have single rear wheels. You will notice as the tire size increases so does available weight ratings, this helps with a SRW F350, and there is a such a thing as a 'super single' conversion for the larger truck i.e. F450 and F550 but for most this is cost prohibitive.
Last year in the oil field I inspected a late model Ford 350 dually with a 6" lift and ~33" cooper ST Maxx tires (welder's truck). I have to say it looked awesome and handled oil field duty really well.
It sounds like you already have the truck, so you got what ya' got. I'd look into a 4" lift on the front and help the rear with a add-a-leaf or slightly taller blocks along with a set of air bags for load leveling the camper. You don't mention the year model of your truck but my 2000 SRW F350 sits right with a 4" lift on the front and an extra 1" on the back from an added leaf spring (that is 1" more than stock height). It has just enough rake that the truck does not look over loaded when just sitting there and 35" tires fit. I've been running my 350 for ~16 years this way with zero ill effects.
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Even with a 100% stock vehicle, I'd be thinking about reliability problems. Just because its factory stock doesn't mean it won't break!
Aside from that, what I didn't read in the responses is the problem with the angle of the drive shaft. You'd have to rotate the rear diff so the differential input is pointing more upward. Then you have the angle to deal with. How do you mount the transmission output to the input of the rear diff? I think it all depends on budget, who does the work and how you drive it (terrain) after its done. Maybe a two peice drive shaft that is mounted in the middle (or wherever) with u-joints to help line up the angles. The trans can't have pressure on it from the drive shaft because the output shaft seal(s) will fail (at least).
Aside from that, what I didn't read in the responses is the problem with the angle of the drive shaft. You'd have to rotate the rear diff so the differential input is pointing more upward. Then you have the angle to deal with. How do you mount the transmission output to the input of the rear diff? I think it all depends on budget, who does the work and how you drive it (terrain) after its done. Maybe a two peice drive shaft that is mounted in the middle (or wherever) with u-joints to help line up the angles. The trans can't have pressure on it from the drive shaft because the output shaft seal(s) will fail (at least).
Mundo4x4Casa
West slope, N. Ser. Nev.
Don't do it. I guess that's piling on but I can't help myself. I have a 3" lift on my '01.5 Dodge, 2-series, and it's not much but enough for my purposes. Understand that it's 3" of lift WITH the weight of the camper on the rear suspension; the loaded rig sitting more or less level. It's about a 5 inch lift on the rear with no load. Why 3"? It was a long, decades in the making process after doing a lots of lifts on dozens of Jeeps, a Scout II, a diesel Scout II Traveler, a couple Land Cruisers, various Pickups including a '73 J4000. I never did a lift for the 'look'. Always it was to not let the tires rub, get over bigger rocks without dragging something under there,
have more suspension travel or, in the case of my Dodge to get a tiny bit of lift for whoops on trails like the Mojave Road or the White Rim Trail so the approach, break over, and departure angle would allow me to continue without dragging.
There are a few concepts to consider:
1. With a truck camper you want to have your overall height as low as you can. A low center of gravity is best on poor roads or trails.
This goes directly against the need for-
2. slightly taller and wider tires that you can air-down and back up, especially if you are a 'sand-man' like me.
3. The stock suspension is the best when you get way out there, like in a 3rd world country, as it has been meticulously tested (sometimes by consumers themselves) and we hope all the flaws fixed. The farther you get away from stock springs, the more woe you will have somewhere down the road.
4. In Mexico, Central Amerique, and Sud Amerika most of the main roads are passable by any old Toyota anything and dually 2 ton box vans. Your track width will fit right in.
5. For expedition use, you want your camper to be as narrow and least tall as you can. And x-out the outrigger jacks.
6. If you really want to spend your money on something that will upgrade your rig try these:
a. Limited slip type diffs, front and rear.
b. Have an air up system on board.
c. take a lot of recovery gear and a winch. Chances are you will be jerking some native out of a ditch, not using it yourself to self-extract. I used one of my winches to pull a friend's chimney down after the 1971 Sylmar Earthquake in L.A.
Several of us on here have written extensively on how to make your TC rig survive months on the road in a 3rd world country. Do the search feature for more info. jefe
have more suspension travel or, in the case of my Dodge to get a tiny bit of lift for whoops on trails like the Mojave Road or the White Rim Trail so the approach, break over, and departure angle would allow me to continue without dragging.
There are a few concepts to consider:
1. With a truck camper you want to have your overall height as low as you can. A low center of gravity is best on poor roads or trails.
This goes directly against the need for-
2. slightly taller and wider tires that you can air-down and back up, especially if you are a 'sand-man' like me.
3. The stock suspension is the best when you get way out there, like in a 3rd world country, as it has been meticulously tested (sometimes by consumers themselves) and we hope all the flaws fixed. The farther you get away from stock springs, the more woe you will have somewhere down the road.
4. In Mexico, Central Amerique, and Sud Amerika most of the main roads are passable by any old Toyota anything and dually 2 ton box vans. Your track width will fit right in.
5. For expedition use, you want your camper to be as narrow and least tall as you can. And x-out the outrigger jacks.
6. If you really want to spend your money on something that will upgrade your rig try these:
a. Limited slip type diffs, front and rear.
b. Have an air up system on board.
c. take a lot of recovery gear and a winch. Chances are you will be jerking some native out of a ditch, not using it yourself to self-extract. I used one of my winches to pull a friend's chimney down after the 1971 Sylmar Earthquake in L.A.
Several of us on here have written extensively on how to make your TC rig survive months on the road in a 3rd world country. Do the search feature for more info. jefe
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Mundo4x4Casa
West slope, N. Ser. Nev.
Alright, something is wrong with my photo bucket account. When they fix the problem I'll reload the pix.
jefe
jefe
pappawheely
Autonomous4X4
Is there a reason why you want to do this? Every mod has to be judged on pros versus cons. The cons are many so your need to do this has to be substantial. There is a reason why you don't see many lifted duallies; unless they are for show.
Count me in the "do it" camp.. A high quality lift won't necessarily adversely affect ride quality. You are raising the center of gravity but it's a dually not a rock crawler. The biggest reason I lifted my truck (besides the broken factory leaf springs) was better approach angle and high center clearance with such a long wheelbase. Depending on the year, the truck probably had a two piece driveshaft with a variety bearing that just needs to be shimmed. 35" tires shouldn't need any regearing.
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Darwin
Explorer
Do you carry a large hard sided slide in camper like the OP? Have you driven through Mexico and Central America with that large of a rig? I think you are probably right that a lifted dually on 35's not being a rock crawler is probably fine, and I do think they look bad ***, but it all changes with a trip like the OP is proposing.
