Rough country: good, Bad, Maybe..?
 

Well I'm just another guy lookin to buy a lift. I've come across the rough Country 6'' Suspension lift. It cought my eye cause it is only $1400. Is it a bad idea to buy it? And i dont do that much off roading. When i do, it's nothin crazy. I don't know if that'll change things, but why not.
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Everyone that I have talked to that has one loves it.. Its got the huge 6" strut spacer in the front, but thats really the only downfall to it.. but if your not doing anything too crazy offroad you should be fine!

You will enjoy it man. For the price and what you will be using for it will be perfect

It's nothing fancy, just your run of the mill lift kit with drop brackets. They all have little variances but are similar. I'm sure it would be fine although those rear shocks probably suck.

Some of the lift kits (Rancho for example) use a CV spacer and widen the front track width. This allows more clearance between the hub and the tall part of the knuckle so you can run stock wheels with more backspacing.
That rough country kit (like superlift) maintains the factory track width but requires wheels with 4.5" BS to clear the knuckle.

The superlift, rough country and some others use a strut spacer with the factory spring/shock.

Beyond that, the subframe design varies between manufacturers as well as the rear lift method, and shocks used.

Personally I prefer the lift kits that maintain the factory track width so the front and rear match up better, and you're not increasing the scrub radius even more. I really like the look of the superlift subframe and high clearance skidplate, but I'm sure it drives exactly like the rough country or anything else maintaining the factory spring/shock.

Cant you get the rancho for just a few hundred more?

I dont have any doubts about this kit though. It should work fine it will just require new wheels for sure.

Ah man, that's what i was afraid of. I was wanting to keep my stock wheels. I don't know why but i kinda like to see lifted trucks with big tires with stock wheels. Don't get me wrong I'd like to buy after market wheels, but saving for the lift and tires is taking long enough ha.
The Rancho 4'' lift was my second choice anyway, So after reading all of y'alls input, that's probably what i'm gonna go with.

Tell me about it! I just couldn't ever seem to come up with the money for wheels, tires and lift all at the same time. I get a couple grand together and there is no way I can keep holding on to it. lol

Personally what I would like to do is get the superlift 4.5" lift, run my bilstein 5100s up front at stock height with the strut spacer, and 5100s out back. 17x9s with 35x12.50R17s. Later I would add camburg upper control arms, maybe coilovers, etc. But unless someone just hands me a chunk of cash it is not that likely to happen now, and I don't want to put it on credit.

I think the Rancho is a good kit though, I haven't heard from anyone that didn't like it.

That sounds awesome to me. I went to 4wheelparts and talked to a rep there. he told me that any suspension lift required new wheels. Sooo it's gonna be a long while before i lift my truck with tires AND wheels. Not what i wanted to hear, but i guess i needed to hear it.
I've also thought about puttin a 2" BL on it just to run 35's. But i'm not sure yet.

Why wouldn't you just run a spacer and 35s? I wouldn't bother with a BL on these trucks personally

Me either. Too many better options.

yeah a 2" or even the 2.5" leveling kit will allow you to run 35's with minimal to no rubbing in most situations, however this depends on the tires you get.

Leveling the truck with 285s or 305s would be a much better option. A body lift for the newer F150 is expensive, time consuming and looks like crap in my opinion.

Like a level spacer? I've got a 2.5" already on mine, it claims you can fit 35's, but i didn't really believe it at first ha. But i'll probably just end up stickin with my level kit and throwing on 35's. At least til i get a raise at work so i can get a suspesion lift.

I ran a 325/60/18 and I really liked that tire. I am pretty sure that was the size with my leveling kit. I do agree though 35s seem a bit too large with just a leveling kit. Brian and Trents truck looks good but they have BFGs which I think run a bit small?

yeah the BFGs are 34.6 i do believe ar rounds about that

The BFGs do run on the smaller side, width and sidewall lugs too. I know I've mentioned before, but I had Toyo M/Ts on order until I found out that the wider sidewall lugs wouldn't clear the upper control arm. With the BFGs I can barely still my finger between the sidewall and the upper control arm. There is also very little clearance between the fender and the tire when turning (1/2"?), so it only works with stock wheels.

Most 285s and 305s, hell even 325s in a shorter 33" height will work on 9" wide wheels with 4.5" backspacing. So I guess it depends on what you're going for.

Yeah that's what i've heard. Do the BFG A/t's run a little smaller too?

I don't have a clue. I haven't bought an all terrain tire in 7 years or something so I don't pay attention.
You could check the bfg website and compare tread width and section width. There isn't much on the sidewalls, but the tread seems more square/flat to me than the km2s.

yeah the tread pattern on the ATs is more squared off and flat on the top then the KM2s. I have never actually measured them but the ATs have always looked big to me, I dont know why

Nothing against with rough country, but I find Skyjacker and rancho lift kit way better and more affordable.

who install this for f150? slam stop