GEN 2 SDI Top hat/ Deaver +4 HD!!!

[Turbro]

It's great for adjustability. From what I read the top hats are better. I need or needed the ajustability for my situation. DD, then Tow vechile, then offroad vechile. The DD need is gone for me at this point. The tow vechile will only be for certain situations now. Bought a Navigator for those duties as the family has outgrown a truck.

Got some decisions to make by the end of the year.

1. Keep the Gen2 and build it more
2. Swap for a Gen3 and build it
3. Swap for a Superduty with a Carli build
4. Build a Transit
5. Wait till the kids are gone then decide to get back in the offroad game. Offroad the wife's Rivian when she is not paying attention. Haha

 

[Magnetic Ecobeast]

Thanks for getting back and with the helpful info. Like I said hoping to stay with 35’s for now and trying to decide between +3 and +4..I’m trying to avoid the stink bug look,but the truck has a roll up bed cover and will potentially tow a 26’ boat short distances. It will definitely be seeing dirtbikes in the bed as well. If I go +4 worse case I get lowering shackles and/or couple of sand bags live in the bed. BTW the truck is a 2017 F-150 5.0 SCAB that we are swapping Raptor suspension,fenders etc.

Cool swap!

I only have experience with stock springs and the current +4’s on my Raptor, but all I can say is I am super happy with how it rides on and off road, and how much more confidence we have towing now with the +4’s

Here is a pre Deaver picture with my 20’ trailer, and 2000lb side by side in it

 

[Dunerking]

Dang M.E. That’s some series ass dragging! I really appreciate you input and between you and the rest that have contributed with their info I think I’ll go the rout of the +4’s thanks again FRF!

 

[Magnetic Ecobeast]

Dang M.E. That’s some series ass dragging! I really appreciate you input and between you and the rest that have contributed with their info I think I’ll go the rout of the +4’s thanks again FRF!

Glad to help! Just remember they will take some time to break in and settle, and ride quality will also improve once settled. Enjoy being able to boot it without wheel hop!!

 

[Badgertits]

Damn I was about start ordering parts for my 2020 suspensions refresh & thought I was set on +3HD deavers w/ either the SDI/TSW top hats OR rpg adjustable collars….i think my mind is made that the top hats would be better overall & that +4HD would be better choice to make sure there’s still a factory rake stance, I do a long 2k mile roundtrip vaca once a year w/ 2 kids 2 dogs wife towing 2 jetskis & a bunch of gear, also like to use my raptor as a truck towing utility trailer etc & while I don’t have a camper rack on back, I have soft folding tonneau & 150 lbs of gear in it at all times.

 

[Magnetic Ecobeast]

Damn I was about start ordering parts for my 2020 suspensions refresh & thought I was set on +3HD deavers w/ either the SDI/TSW top hats OR rpg adjustable collars….i think my mind is made that the top hats would be better overall & that +4HD would be better choice to make sure there’s still a factory rake stance, I do a long 2k mile roundtrip vaca once a year w/ 2 kids 2 dogs wife towing 2 jetskis & a bunch of gear, also like to use my raptor as a truck towing utility trailer etc & while I don’t have a camper rack on back, I have soft folding tonneau & 150 lbs of gear in it at all times.

o just for reference, I went out to take some pictures. It definitely doesn’t look as bad as the tape shows it is. And maybe there was more to be had as far as lift in the front since the Ford that did the install sucks, and didn’t throw the dust covers back on the front of the truck, but we’re talking 1/16th or 1/8th tops.

These springs are well settled in now, and I towed with them heavy twice for a total of roughly 700 miles towing.

**ALSO** on the record these 35” BFG’s are damn near at the end of their life. I have some 37x12.50R18 Toyo O/C AT3’s on the way if they will ever show up. It looks like they will stuff in there, I’m not going to do any trimming, we don’t use the Raptor so much like a Raptor anymore since we got a side by side as the roads up here in Canada just aren’t jumpable for the most part. We just use it to hit Forest Services Roads REALLY Fast.

Damn I was about start ordering parts for my 2020 suspensions refresh & thought I was set on +3HD deavers w/ either the SDI/TSW top hats OR rpg adjustable collars….i think my mind is made that the top hats would be better overall & that +4HD would be better choice to make sure there’s still a factory rake stance, I do a long 2k mile roundtrip vaca once a year w/ 2 kids 2 dogs wife towing 2 jetskis & a bunch of gear, also like to use my raptor as a truck towing utility trailer etc & while I don’t have a camper rack on back, I have soft folding tonneau & 150 lbs of gear in it at all times.

So just for reference, I went out to take some pictures. It definitely doesn’t look as bad as the tape shows it is. And maybe there was more to be had as far as lift in the front since the Ford that did the install sucks, and didn’t throw the dust covers back on the front of the truck, but we’re talking 1/16th or 1/8th tops.

These springs are well settled in now, and I towed with them heavy twice for a total of roughly 700 miles towing.

**ALSO** on the record these 35” BFG’s are damn near at the end of their life. I have some 37x12.50R18 Toyo O/C AT3’s on the way if they will ever show up. It looks like they will stuff in there, I’m not going to do any trimming, we don’t use the Raptor so much like a Raptor anymore since we got a side by side as the roads up here in Canada just aren’t jumpable for the most part. We just use it to hit Forest Services Roads REALLY Fast.

 

[Badgertits]

So just for reference, I went out to take some pictures. It definitely doesn’t look as bad as the tape shows it is. And maybe there was more to be had as far as lift in the front since the Ford that did the install sucks, and didn’t throw the dust covers back on the front of the truck, but we’re talking 1/16th or 1/8th tops.

These springs are well settled in now, and I towed with them heavy twice for a total of roughly 700 miles towing.

**ALSO** on the record these 35” BFG’s are damn near at the end of their life. I have some 37x12.50R18 Toyo O/C AT3’s on the way if they will ever show up. It looks like they will stuff in there, I’m not going to do any trimming, we don’t use the Raptor so much like a Raptor anymore since we got a side by side as the roads up here in Canada just aren’t jumpable for the most part. We just use it to hit Forest Services Roads REALLY Fast.

Your use basis seems similar to mine except I don’t have the bed rack setup, I do have a tonneau cover & a small toolbox & misc stuff I always have in the bed all in probably amounts to 150 lbs total constant static weight.

You’re about 41.25” front & 42.75” rear, bout 1.5” rake, if I did the sdi top hats w/ +3HD, seems like there would still be .5” of rake minimum, maybe more like 3/4”

I’m super torn now the perfect stance for me is coming down to 1/4” lol depending on the type of front lift, like if I did just a standard 1.5” spacer .w/ +3HDs would probably be perfect, but I like the idea of using the SDI top hat to gain the height more “safely” & also killing 2 birds w/ 1 stone in that you’re replacing a wear item in the stock top hats & labor is “free”….but the sdi hats will be 1.75” front height, which makes me a little concerned about not having enough height in rear w/ +3HDs instead contemplating the +4HDs….gonna make this call before the week is out. Plan on discussing w/ vendors too

 

[Magnetic Ecobeast]

Your use basis seems similar to mine except I don’t have the bed rack setup, I do have a tonneau cover & a small toolbox & misc stuff I always have in the bed all in probably amounts to 150 lbs total constant static weight.

You’re about 41.25” front & 42.75” rear, bout 1.5” rake, if I did the sdi top hats w/ +3HD, seems like there would still be .5” of rake minimum, maybe more like 3/4”

I’m super torn now the perfect stance for me is coming down to 1/4” lol depending on the type of front lift, like if I did just a standard 1.5” spacer .w/ +3HDs would probably be perfect, but I like the idea of using the SDI top hat to gain the height more “safely” & also killing 2 birds w/ 1 stone in that you’re replacing a wear item in the stock top hats & labor is “free”….but the sdi hats will be 1.75” front height, which makes me a little concerned about not having enough height in rear w/ +3HDs instead contemplating the +4HDs….gonna make this call before the week is out. Plan on discussing w/ vendors too

Yeah, that was the thing with me to… Having a live valve truck I feared running a Geiser or or Eibach just incase a surprise bump got me, and one did last year. Definitely could have been really bad and I’m probably lucky I was stock at the time.

Thinking back on those measurements I took yesterday, the front right might have been on a slight bump, so tonight when I get home I’ll measure the driver side and see if it is wildly different.