Question about FX4 Package... higher suspension height?

[HawkeyeOD]

This is the leveling kit I have. No complaints. Ride is awesome. A+ overall.

I don’t tow crazy heavy. I have a 16’ cargo trailer that I pack full of quads and gear.

It’s about 75% loaded in this pic (quads and riding gear but no camping gear or extra fuel tanks). 2 cases of water and a ~60lb gear bag in the bed. Probably another ~50lbs of tools, straps, portable compressor under the rear seat. No people inside.

So yeah, a tiny bit of squat with that load out and the level but not a bunch. If I was 100% loaded it would be worse.

I plan to get airbags like I have done on my previous 2 gen 13 F-150’s to level it back out when I’m loaded.

What’s the gross weight of the trailer fully loaded? 5000 pounds? Less or more?

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[DK4]

What’s the gross weight of the trailer fully loaded? 5000 pounds? Less or more?

Probably less on average. Dry weight on it is 2864 lbs. It has a payload rating of 4K lbs but I never load it that much. When I really load it good, I probably put maybe 2K lbs in it. So just under 5K gross on rare occasions. Typical is probably closer to 4K gross.

Edit: After looking up the weight of my quads, I bet it’s closer to 3700lbs when we do a casual day outing.

 

[A Dog]

Good info I appreciate it. Only problem I had with Fox two. Oh was that they were preset. Once you put them on you have to put the vehicle back down on the ground check height and determine if the coilover needs to be adjusted. If that’s the case you have to take the coilover off again.

 

[EricR]

I plan to get airbags like I have done on my previous 2 gen 13 F-150’s to level it back out when I’m loaded.

As you probably know, another option to level things out when towing would be a weight distributing hitch. This helps level your setup and shifts weight off the rear axle of the truck. Also, the better WD hitches have sway control built right into their design.

We use the Blue Ox SwayPro and are very happy with it!

-Eric

 

[Zengineer]

Every truck (unless exact same option/trim) specifications is going to be different.

My truck, my brothers, and his friends, all have FX4 with Max Tow Package, but each of our trucks sit at a different front and rear height. The Trims are Platinum PB, Lariat EB, and XLT EB.

Since different trucks weigh different amounts, with little changed between the springs any modification to the suspension components will show completely different results between trucks. Granted, that difference may only be a few mm or so between trucks, but my brothers Lariat already sits .25 - .5 inches higher than my truck, and I’d be willing to wager that the XLT sits higher than the lariat, so adding spacers or changing springs are going to give different ride heights.

There are dozens of possible combinations plus build tolerance stack up.

For one thing...a 2021+ with an 18" wheel gets you 32" tires and a 20" wheel option comes with 33" tires. That's one reason people will suggest comparing measurements from the center of each wheel to the fender opening and not from the ground up to the fender openings.

Max Tow rear springs are different than standard but are they any different measured from where they attach to frame to where they sit on the axle...maybe, maybe probably not. My 2020 had FX4/no-Max Tow and had the same 3.5 inch rake from the factory as my 2022 non-FX4/with Max Tow has. The internet would say the 2022 should be 1/2 lower in front and maybe an inch higher in back compared to the 2020...so, it "should" have 1.5 inches more rake...it doesn't.

I doubt FX4 shocks raise the front and am suspicious of any YouTube comparison that uses a sample size of one. I suspect if you took 10 identically optioned trucks off the line you would see over 1/2" variation among them.

My suggestion is drive a new truck a few thousand miles with at least some of them with a trailer or moderate cargo load, measure the 4 corners with half a tank of gas, equal air pressure in all the tires (or unequal I suppose if you drive it that way) and then lift/level/lower/drop/flip kit/shim/slam/bro-truck/shackle/spacer/coil-over accordingly.

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