Suspension Upgrade for 2011 F-150 - Suggestions? Reviews?

[Bravo1782]

Hello!

I just got back form a trip in Arkansas and it's really obvious it's time to put some money into my rig's suspension. Here's a quick recap of what's going on with my truck:
2011 Ford F-150 XLT 4x4 w\ 5.0 V8
265\70\16 Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs on Stock Wheels
Stock Suspension
DECKED Drawer system w\recovery gear, tools, and camping gear
CVT Mt. Rainer RTT over cab w\Rhino Rack Bars
Unicover Topper (Came with truck)

I plan to:
Build a rack over the topper and relocate RTT
Build a better rear pumper
Front 12K winch w\ hidden winch OR prerunner bumper
Some skid Plates
Rock Rails

So, with all that in mind, I need to upgrade my suspension to something a little less factory. I need the clearance and I need the improved handling offroad. Right now, I think I want to go with a 2-3" lift and 285\70\17 tires and appropriate wheels. I don't want to get into a 4" kit because I just don't know that I need it and a 6"+ kit is just out of the question. So I'm looking at an adjustable coilover w\new UCAs in the front, and new shocks and an add-a-leaf in the rear. Anyone have any suspensions suggestions? Boss? Icon? Fox? What have you guys used and what do you think?

 

[OR2BAJA]

I would look at companies like Camburg.com, that do "Suspension" not lifts. Look at fiber glass fenders to fit larger tires. With IFS trucks the wear that comes from lifts exacerbates wearing of parts. Look at king and fox shocks for your needs. Look for Raptor hard part take offs and upgrade the shocks.

 

[Bravo1782]

Well exactly. I don't JUST want to clear bigger tires (although the clearance is nice) but I need a suspension system. I'm also not trying to get into big lifts out of that same concern (wearing out parts).

 

[OR2BAJA]

I personally do not feel the F150 is lacking too much in factory ride height but approach and departure angles do leave something to be desired but you mentioned pre runner bumpers and that will help a lot. Don't forget that larger tires is the only true way to raise the ground clearance of a vehicle due to that constant that is axle housings.

 

[Buliwyf]

I'd do the Bilstien 5100 adjustable height shocks up front. Should level the truck without spacers. That alone should fit the tires you mentioned. Then get some air springs for the rear to keep the truck level if you tow.

http://www.stage3motorsports.com/09...0-4WD-Bilstein-5100-Adjustable-Shock-Kit.html

 

[Raul B]

our setup is pretty close... i highly recommend Icon. i would do upper control arms and coilovers... they make different stages depending on how hard core your going to go....

 

[Bravo1782]

I agree that the departure and approach angles on the F150 are pretty bad. The bumpers I'm planning should Help that immensely. Rock sliders seem like an obvious piece of gear because of the super long wheelbase. I do agree that the only way to get true improved ground clearance is bigger tires (ground clearance is only as good as the lowest thing on your rig).

I've been thinking long and hard on it, and I'm really leaning towards breakin really bad and getting the Icon kit. I'm going to have this truck a long time and it does seem to be worth the money. The stage 2 with the UCAs seems like the best choice. In not desert racing or rock crawling, so the external resivoir shocks don't seem to make sense for me. I want to tighten up the suspension and improve performance. I think 285s will do the trick for my application.

 

[OR2BAJA]

Buy once cry once. A long dirt road can heat up your shocks. A slow drive out to a camp spot on road that articulates your suspension will heat up your shocks. Buy the best suspension you can afford. I always see guys get better suspension and go cheap on the shocks only to buy new shocks later. You never know you might end up in Moab or in the mojave and it is always better to be prepared plus the larger diameter shocks generally give a better ride quality.

 

[p nut]

I'm not sure how crazy you get off-road, but a simple leveling lift with Bilsteins mentioned above should do the trick for most off-road ventures. If you're talking high-speed desert running, then I could see sinking $5k into suspension.
_
I've got a 2015 F150 and I definitely don't do any crazy stuff off-road. For me, just a simple spacer up front might do it. I still haven't done anything, but I think that's what I'll do for now, then eventually move up to a mild lift once I get an idea of how much I actually need to lift it. Stock is ok for now (with 33" tires), although the last time out, I scraped a bit.

 

[Bravo1782]

I'm not a crazy off-roader, but I do find myself getting into trouble here and there. After my last few trips, I could see the value of a stronger, beefier suspension. I'm not off-road racing it...and I'm not hardcore rock-crawling it. I live in Iowa, so I have to drive several hours any direction to hit anything worth seeing. Once I get to my locations, it's mostly forest roads and trails. I'm not the type to bite off more than I can chew, but I'm not afraid to take risks. The amount of damage (scraping and bumps) to my front and rear bumpers from my last trip tells me I need to improve clearance.

 

[Overado]

I have a 2011 Silverado and I put the Fox 2.0 shocks in the front and rear with 2.0 struts up front. It lifted the front of my truck about 2.5" they come pre-assembled from the factory. the ride difference is night and day and the added clearance up front is nice I still need to add some height to the rear but I'm pretty happy with it. The fronts are fully adjustable from 0"-3" inches I believe but they come preloaded to level the truck (at least mine did) well actually lift it a bit more than the rear. They are far less expensive than any of the remote reservoir shocks but in my unprofessional opinion they do the trick they are great on the highway and great on the trail. I would definitely recommend looking into them I think the struts go for a bout 400 a pop and the rear 2.0 about 120ish.

cheers!

 

[badm0t0rfinger]

ICON would be a good place to start your search: http://iconvehicledynamics.com/shop/469-f150-suspension-systems

They are fairly pricy, but they are very very good. I do not have them on my truck, but I've driven an ICON equipped Raptor and they are amazing. There are more expensive and better kits, but very few that are as good for the price.

 

[Bravo1782]

@overado, (great name, BTW) I haven't been able to find much info on the Fox setup. A know they're a good company but I just haven't found the reviews. They're a good bit more affordable than the icon, that I know.

I have to admit the Icon system is tempting...I guess at this point it's less about the price and more about finding the right system for the truck and my application.

 

[SDDiver5]

Whats your price range?

 

[Bravo1782]

So here's my current thought:
The phrase I keep seeing with the Icon is "Aggressive trails at high speed." It seems like it's the kind of kit best suited for a pre-runner truck doing some hardcore trail running and pretty high speeds. Plus, I keep reading in different places that this specific model year of Icon kits had a particularly rough on-road ride.

The Fox kit is more of an over-engineered factory upgrade. 2" lift, improved balance and feel, less body roll, better performance on and off-road. A jack of all trades suspension, but not suited for the really rough stuff. Maybe a little more polite on road, especially compared to the Icon Kit.

I guess the way I look at it, I think the Icon might be more suspension than I need. The Icon seems like a killer suspension, but I'm just not convinced I NEED it.