Just bought a set of 35" tires for my 98 F150 XLT (Original package came with 17" rims), and I am looking for a lift kit (preferably body) to fit it. A buddy reccomends a 2" lift, but I'm not sure that will give enough clearance. I'm not betting the farm that a 3" will do it either... When I put the tires on the truck, the stock lift from the factory had enough clearance to run straight, but when turning the tires, it rubbed the front bumper flare and pushed on the back side of the wheel well. Any help would be greatly appreciated, as I have always wanted a lifted truck but couldn't afford it until now. BTW I am mechanically inclined, but have not done a lift of any sort before, so please be gentle...

 

The truck is a 4X4 with the Off Road package. I am wondering if the 3" kit will require any additional adjustments that the 2" would not i.e. steering linkage extentions, new parking brake cable, etc... I could really use the help as I'm on vacation this week and it woud be a great time to get it done. Thanks again!

 

Your truck will run the 35's easy with a 3" body lift and a small crank on the torsion bars.

 

Are there any additional issues with the 3" kit? Should I replace the shocks? The truck has 112k on it an I don't want to damage the front end. Would a 2" kit be better or not enough clearance?

 

What type of kit are you considering? A body lift? If so, go with the 3 inch kit.

 

I am considering the BL kit. From what I've gathered, the 3" kit may cause more headache. I love the wheels and tires though, so I want to make it right! Will there be issues with the alignment? I've heard toe can be adjusted, but not camber. Since it's a wide tire (Commando A/T National Tires - LT315/75R16 M+S) I'm afraid the wear will be abnormal.

 

No, the 3 inch kit is no harder to install than the 2 inch kit. A body lift has no affect on your suspenion or alignment.

 

Much appreciated. I will start looking for the 3" kit!

 

Not to beat a dead horse, but I'm looking at ALOT of money if I want to make this lift right. I will have to purchase a tuner to readjust shift points and calibrate for larger tires as well as possibly change gear ratio's to get optimal performance with the larger tires. Being new to the lift world, I could use any advice out there to help in this process. I have a guy that will install the lift kit for $400 (which seems fair considering the amount of frustration I think I'll have getting the TORX bolts to work in my favor. It sounds like alot of drilling a fabricating in order to make the PA lift system work correctly) Once that's done, I need to put an exhaust maifold on (Rusted bolts and little clearance are again not allowing me to work on this myself). The more I get into this, the more tempted I am to sell the tires and wheels and purchase stock again. Maybe I'm just overthinking this? Thanks for your patience in all of this.

 

You don't have to adjust the shift points but it would be a good idea. Since you have a 98, it won't correct your speedometer. You have to have a small plastic gear on the tranny replaced to do that. As for the PA body lift, it's not that hard to install. It's just time consuming.