When Ford trotted out the all-new F-150 in 2004, the truck world sat up and took notice. The new F-150 was a radical departure from the version it replaced, from sheetmetal to interior. Sales were brisk, and so was the aftermarket response. As a matter of fact, even after four years the aftermarket continues to respond to the popular F-150 with new products designed to enhance its performance both on- and off-highway.
Here's the complete F-150...
Here's the complete F-150 6-inch kit. It includes all of the required bracketry and knuckles to lift the front as well as new leaves, blocks, and shocks for the rear.
Case in point: Rough Country Suspension recently introduced a 6-inch kit for the '04-'08 F-150. This kit was developed using a 35x12.50-17 tire with factory wheel. It was designed to lift the front suspension 6 inches and the rear 5 to 5.5 inches so the vehicle would set level. Naturally, the kit includes everything needed to complete the installation including bracketry made from 0.250-inch-thick, 50,000-psi tensile-strength A572G50 steel that has been powdercoated textured black. Aside from the aforementioned things, one of the kit's big selling points is its affordability. At the time of this writing, the kit is advertised on roughcountry.com for only $1,199, which makes it one of the least expensive F-150 6-inch kits on the market.
We recently had the opportunity to travel to Rough Country world headquarters in Dyersburg, Tennessee, to view the installation of the kit. Rough Country says that due in part to computer-aided design the kit installs easily in 8 to 10 hours. After watching the Rough Country folks install the kit, we think that figure is accurate, though obviously installation time will vary depending on your skill level. If you choose to install the kit yourself, we found the instructions to be complete and well-illustrated, and there's a complete listing of the tools required.
So how does the kit do what it does? Here are the highlights of the install, beginning with the reassembly of the front suspension using the new Rough Country components.
1. This is the front end stripped...
1. This is the front end stripped of the struts, control arms, axleshafts, A-arms, knuckles, differential, center crossmember, and sway bar in preparation for the installation of the new Rough Country components.
2. A small section of the...
2. A small section of the factory differential bracket on the driver side has to be removed using a reciprocating saw. The instructions provide the exact measurements. The area cut is then ground smooth and painted to prevent rust.
3. A hole must be drilled...
3. A hole must be drilled near the area that was just cut and a template is provided in the instructions to simplify this step. This new hole will accept the factory upper-differential mounting bolt that will tie the differential and crossmember together through the frame.
4. A 1-inch spacer and new...
4. A 1-inch spacer and new longer mounting bolts are used to lower the rack-and-pinion steering system. New rack-and-pinion mounting plates (passenger side shown) are installed with factory bolts.
5. A pair of new differential...
5. A pair of new differential brackets (passenger side shown) lower the front diff and they install using the factory hardware. With these in place the front differential assembly is reinstalled in the vehicle using new hardware.
6. A passenger-side support...
6. A passenger-side support bracket is installed to a rack-and-pinion bolt and differential bolt. This part helps to strengthen the dropped rack-and-pinion assembly and differential.
7. The new rear crossmember...
7. The new rear crossmember installs in the rear lower control-arm pockets using factory bolts. This crossmember also acts as a location for a differential mounting bolt.
8. The new front crossmember...
8. The new front crossmember installs in the front lower control-arm pockets using factory hardware.
9. The factory lower control...
9. The factory lower control arms are installed in the new bracketry using eccentric bolts.