Suspension lift to clear 38"s

[Friis]

Hi. I´m new to this forum, so please excuse me if this topic have been brought up earlier. I looked through the old threads but didn´t quite find the answers I need.

Anyway, heres the deal:
I've just bought a 2000 F-250 7,3, and I would like to throw some 38" Mickey Thompson Radial ATZs on 20" Mickey Thompson Classic II wheels on it. I can see from other threads that this requires at least an 8" suspension lift kit.

Heres my questions: How will such a lift affect the ride and handling of the vehicle? Especially at cornering? Is any modifications to the steering needed? And most importantly which kit would you guys go with? I know there must be many different oppinions on eg Skyjacker, Pro Comp, Superlift and so on, but living i Denmark, Scandinavia, I am forced to choose without having seen og tried for myself. Therefore I need some objective oppinions.
I use the truck for a bit of towing and some wheeling but mostly pavement, hence the worries about handling.

Thanks

 

[worshiprocker]

welcome, I have a 6.5" procomp lift with replacement leaf springs both front and rear. I can fit 38's with room to spare. If you plan on offroading I would go with the 8" to give you more clearance. As far as ride quality I does ride a little stiffer, but If you get blocks on the back instead a new leaf setup you should maintain more of the factory ride. If you want the best ride quality and have a bunch of money to spend get a 4-link suspension system, my buddy has a fabtech 4 link 8" linf on his 06 and it rides a lot smoother than my 99. Hope that helped, just my humble opinion

 

[Friis]

Ok, thanks. Does the mentioned kit involve coils instead of leafs? And what does 4-link mean?

 

[big_rooster]

4 link means there are 2 bars on each side of the axle that bolt the axle to the frame to keep it from moving forward or backwards. With this setup you will get rid of your leaf springs and install coil over shocks and springs. Getting that far into it you'd be better off going to air ride. If your budget is under 5k then go with 8 inch or higher leaf spring lift.

Cornering with my lift there is zero body roll even over 100mph. The best thing you can do for the ride is install the dual shocks on the front axle to make up for the weight of the diesel. You can pick the bracket up for 90 bucks.

 

[keanoknick]

I am very happy with my 8" Fabtech lift kit, and highly recomend Fabtech.
That being said, I have an 05 with the new coil spring front suspension, that replaced the leaf springs like on your 2000. So the lift kits are entirely different between the two model years. 99-04 has leafs 05+ has coils.

 

[Friis]

Ok, as I understand from you guys, the choice should pretty much be Fabtech or Pro Comp?
I won't be doing a whole lot of off-roading, but I would like to avoid too much rubbing. So I guess it should be an 8" kit. Are the fabtech kit w/rear blocks levelled? And is it worth the extra cost to buy the dirt logic shocks? Or is it better for the ride to go with the full suspension kit from Pro Comp?

Sorry, but its kindof a jungle for me...

 

[Crusin350]

I put a 6" lift on a 2002 F-250 with a 5.4 gas engine,(friends truck) He ran 36" tires for a while but after they wore out he upped the size to 38". They measure at 37.5" and he rubs every time he turns into a drive way or parking lot. He ever had to cut the front of his bumper (not just the plastic air dam). Now he is having a problem with hitting behind the tire on the front fender. He's gonna be going back to 36's after these wear down. So if you go with 38's I would recommend an 8" lift.

 

[big_rooster]

yeah i'm real happy with my pro comp. Hands down the best shocks out there are bilsteins from everyone that i've spoken to. Make sure whichever kit you go with upgrade to nitrogen shocks.

 

[MidwestOffroad]

If money inst a option then teh Full traction coil over conversion is the best kit for the leaf sprung trucks but that kit runs 3800 and still needs coil overs for another 500-1300 bucks.

Best in a leaf spring set up would be the ICON Vehical Dynamiocs (ex. Donahoe racing) there is none better
after that

you can go fabtech,BDS,Superlift,Skyjacker, thre all fairly equal.

and a 8" will clear a 38 but depending on wheels and backspacing you still amy need to shim the front bumper .

 

[Friis]

Thanks for that info. In the meantime though, Ive heard something about steering issues when running 8"-or-higher lifts. I wouldn't want to go thru something like that, so I think im opting for 4 or 6" lift w. 37" tires. Any thoughts on that?

Another question: When ordering wheels and tires for my SD (mickey thompson classic II and ATZs), are there any load issues, I should be aware of? I would like to use the truck to its specifications without risking tire/wheel failure due to the weight of the vehicle.