Front end lift F150

[egraham]

I am considering lifting the front end of my 2016 11/2 to 2 inches. Wondering if anyone has done this and if it will change towing characteristics?
Thanks

[wulfraat]

First - Unless you have aftermarket airbags on the rear axle you will likely end up towing nose high with those soft f150 leaf springs, blinding other drivers with your headlights [emoji4](you’ll need to readjust you front lights but that’s a bandaid to the issue)

Second - unless you also drop the front differential to correct front axle angle plan to potentially plow through CV boots and half shafts at an accelerated rate.

Third - Weight distribution will also be very important to get dialed in just right as well, as always, to re-load the front suspension as much as possible. That being said it can be difficult to throw a lot of weight forward on a relatively long wheelbase f150.

Finally.... check the clearance of your upper control arms and check your shock length. If you keep the factory control arms and shock length - you could very well bottom them out when towing down the road and hit an undulating area on the highway at speed, flexing the suspension up and down in the front. Metal on metal under dynamic load is never a good thing at 60 mph, especially when it involves failure of the front shocks because they are too short [emoji4]

Not sure if that helps or not... I’m actually installing 2” level kit on my gmc 2500 this weekend including new upper control arms and diff spacers. I have rear airbags already to increase spring rate and will still carry a 1” rake front to back so I’ll be level towing when WD is fully applied. (Today I tow full loaded, wet and ready for camping with a 2” rake)

2” level on these trucks is negligible from a COG perspective - your already sitting tall. Not sure if you are adding spacers or new coils but if the latter you will notice driving dynamics change some, likely, which could be positive or negative depending on the before / after spring rates. Same goes for shocks / struts.

[DaveP]

Originally Posted by egraham

I am considering lifting the front end of my 2016 11/2 to 2 inches. Wondering if anyone has done this and if it will change towing characteristics?
Thanks

Two years ago, I put Bilstein 5100 shocks on my 2014 F150 FX4. The FX 4 package already raised the back end, but Ford did not raise the front end at all. I ended up using the adjustable capability of the Bilsteins on the front to slightly level out the truck (only 3/4"). With the tongue weight of the trailer, the truck came out pretty level without a big load in it. I added the Firestone Ride-Rite Air Springs to the rear so that I could level the truck and trailer to the particular load weight of any given trip. It has worked very well. The only slight downside is that I noticed the outside circumference of the front tire wears just a little quicker than the rest of the tire, so I rotate them more frequently (every 3000 miles). This is due to the droop of the front suspension caused by raising the front end (even a little). But not a big deal at 3/4". If you go for a big lift on the front end, be prepared to make some major changes to the suspension to have it operate correctly.

[wulfraat]

Did you have the front end Re-aligned? An $80-$90 alignment should solve for that tire wear issue. Part of the deal....

[DaveP]

Originally Posted by wulfraat

Did you have the front end Re-aligned? An $80-$90 alignment should solve for that tire wear issue. Part of the deal....

No, I did not. At the time, it did not seem necessary. When I get new tires, I will.

[drbrick]

Short answer is "NO" ... however, you may have to adjust the tension on your weight distribution hitch, so take the measurements. We have a 2" lift to level the F-150 and I have no noticeable change in towing.

[Spaggs]

Just personal preference: I like my truck with a little rake. My Excursion has an inch and a half rake. When loaded down, it is even. I think a truck with no rake doesn’t look as good, either. When those guys, with a matched lift, are loaded, the nose points toward the sky. With the nose down, the truck platform is more stable because of the weight shift to the front axle, especially important when loaded. I purchased a set of 2” spacers to raise the front end, like you. After thinking it through, I decided to chuck them into my spare parts bin.

[mgblake13]

Just curious. What is the advantage to lifting the front end? Or any end?

[wulfraat]

Basically aesthetics plus additional front-end clearance when traveling off the beaten path. If you do it right ride quality is the same.

[21Airstream]

I had the front end lifted on my Ram 3500 4x4 after having a custom front bumper installed (which consisted of spacers & an alignment). I didn’t have it done for looks, I just prefer to stay away from the bump stops.