Tell me why a 4 inch suspension lift is bad

[Icecobra]

Great question and I am waiting like you for reasonable answers other than cause I said it does not work... Some math, geometry, calculis, and physics would be viable answers as long as you can show your work.. lol .. sound like my teacher did in school, you cant just give the right answer you have to show how you did it.. in my case I looked at the guy next to me who wore glasses, walked quietly and slowly between classes, and was picked last for sporting events. How do you show your work if thats how you get it and you know its right... lol...

 

[MTUH3]

MO on lifts. I prefer to avoid them if at all possible. I would prefer to cram the biggest tire I can by trimming, small adjustment to suspension height, or control arm length.

My reasoning is that you really gain "usable" lit by increasing tire diameter. Many IFS lift kits involve dropping the front differential into a cradle. I would actually have more centerline ground clearance at the front axle on a stock truck, than a lifted truck on the same size tire. Solid axle lifts usually allow more flex, but again without going to a significantly larger tire, your centerline ground clearance remains the same.

I will conceed that a lift kit will give you better approach, breakover, and departure angles, but at the sacrifice of side slope angle.

Speed wheel speed and grip is the down fall of tire rods and halfshafts in may IFS set ups. As the wheel spins at high speed, it wants to toe in slightly, when it find grip again, it can take that lateral toe in force and drive it through components.

I take the no lift, bigger tires approach to my slow speed H3 and will do the same to the Hi speed Raptor.

I am not an expert either. Just what I think works best for me from the last 10 years hitting the trails.

 

[raptrcrzy]

Does a raptor with the lowest setting have up travel?
what about on top perch, how much down travel does it have?

sounds like the best is mid perch...

 

[Bigg50]

its a bad idea because it would be ugly as can be, less functional as yous have to go much slower offroad as to not roll it thanks to higher COG, and you would be shunned on raptor forums for throwing a lift kit on a raptor.

Lol, you know how lame that sounds. I didn't realize I should live my life by forums. There would be no way to tell if you ran an aftermarket bumper since the skid would cover the cross-member.

As I stated in my opening statement. The change on COG is an inch to .5"s at best over top perch. Please tell me if an inch has that much effect. Maybe it does, I'd like to know.

Well with 37's the rear doesn't need to be modified. And you didn't specify, so i figure you meant you would use the Fabtech shock that come with the kit. If you upgrade to 3.0's, they allow you to adjust the height, a kit isn't needed. I would definitely go glass though.

I get ya, but that's kind of my point about this whole thread. A lot of guys have assumptions on throwing a lift on and there's a chance they aren't correct. Yes they are adjustable but they create stress on the suspension components from the steeper angles.

MO on lifts. I prefer to avoid them if at all possible. I would prefer to cram the biggest tire I can by trimming, small adjustment to suspension height, or control arm length.

My reasoning is that you really gain "usable" lit by increasing tire diameter. Many IFS lift kits involve dropping the front differential into a cradle. I would actually have more centerline ground clearance at the front axle on a stock truck, than a lifted truck on the same size tire. Solid axle lifts usually allow more flex, but again without going to a significantly larger tire, your centerline ground clearance remains the same.

I will conceed that a lift kit will give you better approach, breakover, and departure angles, but at the sacrifice of side slope angle.

Speed wheel speed and grip is the down fall of tire rods and halfshafts in may IFS set ups. As the wheel spins at high speed, it wants to toe in slightly, when it find grip again, it can take that lateral toe in force and drive it through components.

I take the no lift, bigger tires approach to my slow speed H3 and will do the same to the Hi speed Raptor.

I am not an expert either. Just what I think works best for me from the last 10 years hitting the trails.

You make sense but the fabtech lifts usually have the points that connect to the lower control arms lower than the cross-member. Kind of like a crescent shape.

 

[JuggNuttz]

top perch adds a little less than 2.5 inches, so its a little more of a difference than your making it out to be. also did you see the thread on spacers and leveling kits and the problems they cause? its not good man. and finally, if this was no big deal and was worthwhile, why are none of the vendors here doing it or from what ive seen anyway, even considering it? they know a hell of alot more than you or i, and are not considering it. plus, with all the other projects and big money spent modifying these trucks, no one has done a lift (other than a few guys with street queens). i would love to hear from the big guys, like from RPG, Outlaw, ADD and SDHQ on this subject tho.

 

[Maxx2893]

I think you'll create just as much stress with the lift kit, as you would adjusting the shocks.

 

[BIRDMAN]

stick around 1.5-2" of lift and you're not going to have any major issues within a couple years of ownership it at all. At that point you can spend a little more to repair and upgrade any worn parts. hard offroad use will wear suspension components, hubs, bearings to begin with so you're gonna pay to play no matter what height you're at.

any of the 3.0 shock coilover upgrades would be the most proper way to "lift" the front.

 

[Bigg50]

Great question and I am waiting like you for reasonable answers other than cause I said it does not work... Some math, geometry, calculis, and physics would be viable answers as long as you can show your work.. lol .. sound like my teacher did in school, you cant just give the right answer you have to show how you did it.. in my case I looked at the guy next to me who wore glasses, walked quietly and slowly between classes, and was picked last for sporting events. How do you show your work if thats how you get it and you know its right... lol...

My thoughts exactly. I'm just looking for a reason a smaller lift is worse than running top perch.

top perch adds a little less than 2.5 inches, so its a little more of a difference than your making it out to be. also did you see the thread on spacers and leveling kits and the problems they cause? its not good man. and finally, if this was no big deal and was worthwhile, why are none of the vendors here doing it or from what ive seen anyway, even considering it? they know a hell of alot more than you or i, and are not considering it. plus, with all the other projects and big money spent modifying these trucks, no one has done a lift (other than a few guys with street queens). i would love to hear from the big guys, like from RPG, Outlaw, ADD and SDHQ on this subject tho.

I'll take your word that it's 2.5 inches. I still would like to know if 1.5"s is that much worse. Spacer lifts are completely different. They do not maintain the stock geometry. I too would like to see what the professionals think.

stick around 1.5-2" of lift and you're not going to have any major issues within a couple years of ownership it at all. At that point you can spend a little more to repair and upgrade any worn parts. hard offroad use will wear suspension components, hubs, bearings to begin with so you're gonna pay to play no matter what height you're at.

any of the 3.0 shock coilover upgrades would be the most proper way to "lift" the front.

I'm not say your wrong but I still don't see why it's better. In fact, by using after market shocks you are limiting down travel. A 4" suspension lift would maintain factory angles and travel. Assuming the shocks allow. I would think an icon or fox at the top setting would work well with a 4" kit.

 

[JuggNuttz]

dont take my word for it. heres photo proof in SDHQ's how to


Adjusting your front Fox Coil-Overs

 

[justvettn]

A 4" suspension lift is bad because of the IFS that Ford uses on the front of the Raptor, people are having a hard enough time with it stock or just lifting it 2".