Even in a bad economy, there’s a way to raise your truck. It’s not much, but it will change the look, the stance, and add more usable ground clearance for work and play. For less than $400, Pro Comp can give you a short lift that some would call the hard-times lift kit.
| Pro Comp has a way to lift you up—even in an economic slump. Bone-stock, this ’08 Ford Super Duty came with 18-inch wheels and LT275/70R18 tires. The short lift kit is less than $400 (front only).
We don’t want to distort the truth here, this is actually a front leveling kit that is relatively easy and quick to install, and it retains your nice factory ride and handling characteristics. This Pro Comp kit #KF09119BK will raise the front of the truck about 2½ inches and will fit ’05 to ’09 Ford F-250 and F-350 Super Duty eight-lug pickups. Pro Comp actually has a complete line of these leveling kits for both foreign and domestic pickups. They have very inexpensive rear spring lift blocks (available separately) in different heights to bring the rear up as well.
For Ford Super Duty four-wheel-drive pickups, Pro Comp also has a new 2-inch lift system that lifts both the front and rear 2 inches and includes everything you’ll need to install the kit. For the ’05 to ’07 eight-lug Super Duty Fords, it’s part #52212B and for the ’08 to ’09 it’s part #52820B. These kits will accept up to 35-inch tires.
To complement the kit and have the correct amount of new travel, longer Pro Comp (#922510) nitrogen-filled ES9000 shocks (included in the kit) replace the stock ones. The new Ford F-250 and F-350 four-wheel-drives use a coil spring and shock suspension on their straight-axle front housing that needs to be removed and replaced to install the kit. As you’ll notice in the photos, only the antisway bar needed to be disconnected, while the brake lines and electronic lines to the front wheel four-wheel-drive locks needed to be pulled through their tie-downs to get a little more length. No systems were opened and no lines were cut to install this kit. Even the track bars and the steering remain connected for this installation. Alignment is not necessary with a straight-axle Ford housing, although the steering wheel may need to be centered, and that’s done with the drag link between the steering box and the right spindle.
| Pro Comp gets ’05 to ’09 Ford four-wheel-drive Super Duty trucks to sit 3 inches higher with its 2-inch leveling kit and another inch via 35-inch Toyo tires mounted on the new Pro Comp 18x9 Knight Khrome wheels.
From the factory, Ford has placed a hard rubber spacer (about 1½-inches thick) at the top of the coil spring. The photos show the difference in thickness between the old and the new. The new urethane 4½-inch-thick spacer simply replaces the stock spacer. This is what actually brings the truck up 2½ inches and levels it with the height of the rear.
This truck is a true double-duty diesel since it belongs to contractor Colby Stemmerman, who uses it for work and four-wheelin’. The new 18X9 Pro Comp Knight Khrome wheels (#9047) with 5-inch backspacing, and new Toyo Open Country tires (35X12.50R18LT) also brought the truck up a little more than the stock 18-inch wheels and the LT275/70R18 tires. Since the kit allows you to use up to a 35-inch tire, trimming the front bumper’s rear edge was not necessary.
| The least expensive way to get your truck in the air with a better stance and more ground clearance is with this 2½-inch leveling kit for ’05 to ’09 Ford (F-250 and F-350) four-wheel-drive Super Duty trucks (#KF09110BK). The kit includes new, longer ES9000 Pro Comp nitrogen-filled shocks.
We measured the distance from the ground to the top of the sill plate under the door, and it showed about a 3½-inch difference in height after the lift was installed. This easy step will keep shorter passengers happy since they won’t need a step stool to jump in. The distance measured at the sill plate went from 25 to 28½ inches, and when you look at the pictures, you might notice that the owner removed the stock running boards too. The leveling kit raised the truck 2½ inches and the new, taller, 35-inch tires added another inch. When we were finished, we measured the distance from the ground to the top of the front fender opening and got a difference of 3½ inches (40 inches before and 43½ inches after).
If you have four-wheel-drive chassis and drivetrain experience, the
space, and the tools, you could do this installation at home. Coos Bay
Off-Road’s (Oregon) experienced installer, Brad Haga, took a little
more than 2 hours to do the installation with all the right tools,
including a lift. If you don’t want to get dirty or just don’t feel
like installing the kit yourself, get your local off-road shop to
install it for you. If it’s a Ford, not having to do an alignment will
save you money too. Even in a bad economy, Pro Comp can lift your truck
cheaper than you may expect.
| Included in the kit, these easy-to-install spacers make it happen. About 4½ inches of urethane raises the truck and retains the stock ride qualities. The notches seat into the end of the coil springs.
Product Profile:
Coos Bay Off-Road
541/267-3610
Pro Comp Suspensions, Inc.
619/216-1444
www.procompmotorsports.com
