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Lift kits and towing ?

34K views 35 replies 23 participants last post by  YoungMT Hick 
#1 ·
Ive done this search in the search forum with no luck so I thought I would post it hear.I would like to lift my 2000 F-350 Sc short box but I dont want to go to big that I cant tow a fith wheel camper down the road when I buy one.Right now I tow a 20 ft ChampioN bass boat and a 31 ft ,7000 gvwr bumper pull camper.My ? is how big of a lift can I go with,and still keep my stock towing capabilities. So with that said what lift soud I look at for my truck with a great ride and stance. Sorry for such a long post Thanks Bob
 
#2 ·
For towing purposes I personally wouldnt go over 4 inches
 
#7 ·
I'm also with dave. 4" is a good spot if your still going to tow a fifth wheel without lifting it.

That said, there are people towing fifth wheels with 6" and 8" lifts but the camper itself has to be lifted to compensate for the height difference. And personally I don't like the idea of lifting a fifth wheel.
 
#4 ·
:whs:

You can lift it to any height you want, however when your trailer is hooked up, ideally the bed/axles are gonna be parallel/ level. That way the load is approx the same on both axles. The is a little leeway there but the further away from ideal, the worse the trailer Will pull, to the point of being dangerous. You can also put a lift on your trailer, but now your getting pretty involved. Good luck.
 
#9 ·
Been towing an open trailer and race car (5000lbs+) with a 4" and 35s for a few years now without a problem. About to buy a 28' enclosed.

If your going to go 5th wheel, order it and have the overhang / hitch raised up according to the height of the truck.
 
#10 ·
I tow with a 4" lift with not trouble at all. I have 33's now and I am going to go up to 35's soon but like most said, that will probably be it and still be able to tow safely.
 
#12 ·
I would say the best all around setup is a 4in and 35's. Its bigger but not to big. Still easy to wortk out of, tow with, but yet is lifted and bigger then a stock truck. A little easier to get in and out of as well everyday and then there is also the fuel econonmy. The bigger you go the little bit more your fuel economy goes down as well. 4in will have some impact but not to bad. I was still able to get 21mpg empty on the highway with that setup. I've though many times of going back to the 4in 35's setup. My avitar pic is the 4in and 35's setup because I never changed it to the new setup.
 
#13 ·
Definitely 4" and 33's or 35's just to keep of simple.....I even worried pulling bumper pulls with a 10" and 37's before I retired the truck and removed the hitch LOL

Chad
 
#14 ·

The front is lifted about 5 or 5.5". Not exactly sure as I have coilovers in the front. The rear is a 5" block with factory springs and airbags. The tires are 35x12.50r17 Hankook Mt's. Trailer is about 36'. Combined weight has been over 24k depending on what I put in it at times. The trailer isn't lifted but it does sit alittle nose high. You know it is back there but it tows straight as an arrow.
 
#15 ·
4.5" Donahoe with 35's.

40' 5er with the axles flipped. 16k lbs at least on this trip. You know its there for sure but it rides great.
 

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#29 ·
I had on 03 with a 10.5" lift and 38's and I towed a ton with it long roadtrips too!! Its all about the setup. I had airbags, gears, brakes and the proper hitch for the setup. The pic is of my truck pulling my 28' toyhauler fully loaded on a 600 mile trip to glamis.
My buddy in the other pic has an 08 with a 6" lift on 37's and he pulles a 39' toyhauler with a 5 seat LS sandrail inside!! He flipped the axles on the trailer but you can hardly tell

My truck


My truck next to my buddies
 
#31 ·
No, The first pics the bags werent aired up yet. You can see in the second pic it is better. Also the truck sat with the rear lower that the front, i put a smaller block in the rear so the nose would be a little higher
 
#32 ·
Like prew said, it's all about the setup setup. I run an 01 F350 w/8" BDS front lift and traction block rear set up with airbags and STOCK gears & 38x15.50x20. Yeah it's a little long legged for a 14k lb trailer but has stayed together for 4 years since the build. Hopefully that 4r100 will die so it can get a zf6.
 
#33 ·
I'm running what I believe to be an 8" pro-comp lift and was wondering about towing. My car trailer that I'm converting over to a toy hauler weighs approx 3600 lbs unloaded so I figured by the time I get it all loaded with the ATV's and equipment I'll probably be closer to 7k (give or take).

Anyway, what drop hitch are you folks lifted using? I was looking at the anderson but wanted opinions.

Any "gotchas" that I should be aware of towing with this much lift?

Thanks!
 
#36 ·
Is there any problems installing airbags when your already lifted? I tow a mud truck a few times and am going cross country in june. I dont like how much the rear sags. I have a 10" aluminum drop hitch. When i load the trailer on the truck the trailer levels out but then the truck sags. So i need the trailer level but the truck needs to not sag as much so i dont know if air bags will help or not.
 
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