FX4 & 20" wheels - does one require the other?

[aridzonaf150]

Thanks for the informative answers. Seems like there isn't any serious downside to the 20" wheels. Re enabling rock crawl and other extra drive modes in FORSCAN for non-FX4 trucks, has anyone experienced negative impact on Gold Certified warranty coverage? Also, regarding the FX4 skid plates, I saw opinions in other threads that they weren't all that great. What is the recommendation for other Ford model (Tremor?) or aftermarket plates, and what (if any) impact would more robust plates have on cooling or the ability to thoroughly flush the undercarriage? I can start another thread for those questions if advisable.

I enabled rock crawl mode, added hill descent control, added other features (like the "glare free" headlights) and made quite a few other changes in FORSCAN and had a major repair required on my gold certified truck and there was no problem, no concern whatsoever from the dealer. I did have to re-enable a few features after one service though, because they reflashed some modules which reverted some of my changes.

The FX4 skid plates are pretty flimsy. If you really need skid plates, aftermarket options are a better choice. Can't give specifics on which ones are best, mostly comes down to preference and if you are willing to lose the front air dam. Skid plates are next on my list but in the meantime, I've just been cognizant of the fact that I don't have a ton of protection and drive accordingly when I'm off road.
Regarding cooling, these trucks have transmission coolers and engine cooling is handled by the radiator, any loss in passive radiative cooling is completely negligible.

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[Kidder]

I'm just guessing....

Understand. I just wanted to post for clarity.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

Thanks for the informative answers. Seems like there isn't any serious downside to the 20" wheels. Re enabling rock crawl and other extra drive modes in FORSCAN for non-FX4 trucks, has anyone experienced negative impact on Gold Certified warranty coverage? Also, regarding the FX4 skid plates, I saw opinions in other threads that they weren't all that great. What is the recommendation for other Ford model (Tremor?) or aftermarket plates, and what (if any) impact would more robust plates have on cooling or the ability to thoroughly flush the undercarriage? I can start another thread for those questions if advisable.

Adding rock crawl or extra drive modes that the FX's have to yours won't voide any warranty. You're only enabling a feature aldready coded to the truck and not changing parts/modules out. Besides most dealers and warranty companies have no idea what all these trucks came with from the factory anyway.

Mine has 20" rims and no issues there. The FX plates are ok and do the job for what they are designed for. If you want more protection, then the front and transmission plates off the Raptor are a direct boltup (mostly) You'll lose the front air dam so would have to disable that with Forscan and your truck may or may not have the front frome mounting hole for the metal transmission plate. You can get both new for around $300. Of course there are after market plates available as well and can be more/less expensive depending on the brand and quality.

If you rarely go off road then the only one I see a possible need for is the transmission belly plate since Ford in their infinite wisdom put a plastic pan on the transmission. If you don't have a PB then you can get an aftermarket aluminum pan with a drain plug for it and give yourself a little extra piece of mind for rock impacts.

 

[ttnuagmada]

I think the appearance packages tend to come with 20's, but FX4 isn't tied to wheel sizes as far as I'm aware. My boss has a 21 501a FX4 with 18's for example.

 

[Samiam]

I enabled rock crawl mode, added hill descent control, added other features (like the "glare free" headlights) and made quite a few other changes in FORSCAN and had a major repair required on my gold certified truck and there was no problem, no concern whatsoever from the dealer. I did have to re-enable a few features after one service though, because they reflashed some modules which reverted some of my changes.

The FX4 skid plates are pretty flimsy. If you really need skid plates, aftermarket options are a better choice. Can't give specifics on which ones are best, mostly comes down to preference and if you are willing to lose the front air dam. Skid plates are next on my list but in the meantime, I've just been cognizant of the fact that I don't have a ton of protection and drive accordingly when I'm off road.
Regarding cooling, these trucks have transmission coolers and engine cooling is handled by the radiator, any loss in passive radiative cooling is completely negligible.

Thanks, that's very helpful. In your opinion, is the front air dam aerodynamically functional, or mostly (or solely) cosmetic?

 

[Samiam]

Adding rock crawl or extra drive modes that the FX's have to yours won't voide any warranty. You're only enabling a feature aldready coded to the truck and not changing parts/modules out. Besides most dealers and warranty companies have no idea what all these trucks came with from the factory anyway.

Mine has 20" rims and no issues there. The FX plates are ok and do the job for what they are designed for. If you want more protection, then the front and transmission plates off the Raptor are a direct boltup (mostly) You'll lose the front air dam so would have to disable that with Forscan and your truck may or may not have the front frome mounting hole for the metal transmission plate. You can get both new for around $300. Of course there are after market plates available as well and can be more/less expensive depending on the brand and quality.

If you rarely go off road then the only one I see a possible need for is the transmission belly plate since Ford in their infinite wisdom put a plastic pan on the transmission. If you don't have a PB then you can get an aftermarket aluminum pan with a drain plug for it and give yourself a little extra piece of mind for rock impacts.

The access road for my off-grid property is very steep, and sometimes largish rocks will plant themselves on it after rolling down the mountainside. I also have two shipping container storage units on a dug flat landing to the side of the steepest section, and the surface is 99% yellow clay. When a film of rain water lays on top of that clay, its like a skating rink (maybe even slipperier). A few years ago, my 2004 F-250 stick shift CC got out of shape on that surface; I was already in 4WD low; neither brakes nor steering had any effect whatsoever; and I plunged/skidded down a nearly vertical slope at the front edge of that landing from about 7' elevation back onto my main access road at about a 45-degree angle to normal direction of travel, felling a few saplings, and smashing into a couple of smallish boulders on the way down. I was lucky the truck didn't roll over on impact. Fortunately, the only real damage (other than to my dubious sanity) was a broken right rear leaf helper spring and a drivers side aftermarket step bar that has featured a pronounced upward bend in the middle ever since. I'm hoping that one or more of the added F-150 drive modes will help me tame that kind of surface, but I'd like to be as prepared as possible in the event a similar situation should occur there.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

Damn. Yeah definitely would suggest something aftermarket like Talons or RCI then.

 

[ccyooper]

I have a basic 23 F150 4x4 with the STX package. It came with 20 inch wheels. It rides like a car and does great in your basic off road or two track driving but I will upgrade the tires to KO2/3 when the OEM tires wear out. The only thing I have noticed is that the 20 inch wheels will load up with snow or slush one in a while and that will through your front end out of balance and you will get a bad wobble at 60mph or above until you clean it out. I didn’t experience this on my previous ford which had either 16’s or 18’s. The style of the wheel may be what caused it but the dealer said it’s a fairly common occurrence. It freaked me out the first time it happened but now I just use my scraper to clean them out and I didn’t experience the problem last winter after I started the procedure to clean them out.

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