10. A crossmember brace (shown) fastens to the front and rear crossmembers on the passenger side to create added strength. Also installed between the front and rear crossmember on the driver side is a new differential skidplate that also serves as a support brace similar to the passenger-side crossmember brace. Following that step, new sway-bar drop brackets are installed.
11. The factory struts are...
11. The factory struts are reused. To compensate for the new suspension lift, they are lowered via simple new strut spacers that bolt between the top of the struts and the factory upper mounts. Here you can see the passenger-side strut being installed.
12. On the right you can see...
12. On the right you can see one of the new knuckles included with the kit. Before these can be installed in the vehicle, the factory outer and inner bearings and the dust shields need to be transferred from the factory knuckles.
13. Once the new knuckles...
13. Once the new knuckles are assembled they are installed on the vehicle and the CV axles are reinstalled. The rotors, calipers, new extended brake lines, and steering is then installed.
14. A pair of kicker bars...
14. A pair of kicker bars are included with the kit. These help to strengthen the new, taller crossmembers. Using supplied hardware the forward ends mount to the new rear crossmember and the rear ends mount to the factory crossmember.
15. Here's how the new front...
15. Here's how the new front suspension looks after installation. It's now ready for wheels and tires and an alignment. Notice how the Rough Country lift components blend nicely with the stock suspension
16. The rear suspension is...
16. The rear suspension is lifted via blocks and leaves. Here you can see a spring pack with the leaf installed and a leaf in the foreground for perspective.
17. Overall, the rear suspension lift is very simple. Here you can see the finished product on the driver side. Visible is the new 4-inch cast-iron lift block, U-bolts, and premium Nitro 9000 shock. Not visible, but also included in the kit, is an emergency-brake-cable drop bracket and brake-line relocation brackets.
Bottom line
The truck we installed the kit under was shod with 35x13.50-20 Mickey Thompson ATZ tires mounted on 9.5-inch-wide KMC Hoss wheels. Naturally, this combination rode a tad stiffer than the stock F-150 with 17-inch wheels that we've driven in the past due to the decreased sidewall of the 35x20s. Overall ride quality was good though and still smoother than a 3/4- or 1-ton truck.
We ramped a similar stock F-150 on a 20-degree RTI ramp, and it climbed 58 inches to generate an RTI score of 417. The lifted truck climbed 55 inches to generate a score of 396. Frankly, we're not surprised the RTI score dropped slightly after the install as adding leaves to rear spring packs tends to stiffen things up and inhibit flex. Keith Lovins, product development manager at Rough Country, says; "Rough Country used an add-a-leaf in the rear to keep from stacking lift blocks. Instead, we used a 4-inch block to replace the stock 2-inch block and added an add-a-leaf in the spring pack. This decreased the amount of flex in the rear by 3 inches on a 20-degree RTI ramp, but the advantage is that the towing capacity is increased and the stability of the truck is increased at highway speeds. We at Rough Country feel that an F-150 will be used as a work truck or a tow vehicle and that towing capacity and stability is more important than losing a few inches on an RTI ramp." Hey, we're down with that logic. Improving approach, departure, and ground clearance while retaining work capabilities-on a budget-works for us.