Will lifting the truck affect towing capacity?

[RV33z]

Hi! Anyone here who has a Ford F-150? Can anyone give some insights on installing cheap lift kits on the truck? Will it affect the towing capacity of the vehicle? Well, I was browsing youtube and found a few videos (although I just watched a lifted ram, towing his camper).

The cheapest option is keeping my stock suspension. Should I stick with a [font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]2-inch" body lift or go big with 4-inches?[/font]

 

[highdesertranger]

It's an Independent Front Suspension(IFS). DO NOT do a suspension lift, you will be sorry. as far as body lift 1" max. If you want a lifted truck get one with a straight axle in the front.

You might be saying but people lift them all the time? Sure they do and they ruin them. Just because they sell lift kits and other people do it doesn't mean it's a good idea.

You might be saying what does this guy know? I worked in a 4x4 shop for many years. I have lifted thousands of trucks and I have seen first hand what happens when you lift an IFS.

Highdesertranger

 

[bullfrog]

If you want to drive 2 miles an hour over big rocks and put it on a trailer to get home? Do you want to loose handling and street performance? Do you want to spend a lot of money for something you may need a step stool to get in when you mess up your knee getting out of? I’ve done all these things and you are asking me for advise! Lol!!! If at all possible leave it stock and get a second purpose built off road machine. I wish the guy that had my Suburban had left it stock.

 

[Matlock]

All that effort to gain some room to stuff bigger tires under the fenders. What changes the geometry of the hitch and towing is the larger tire not the body lift. The hitch connects to the frame. I'd stay away from any body lift for any reason. The results are just not worth the effort and you have to admit, they look funny.

 

[barleyguy]

Legally speaking, your tow capacity is whatever the vehicle manufacturer said it was when they made the vehicle. Modifications have no effect on that.

As far as handling, the first thing I personally would go with is suspension airbags. They keep the vehicle from sinking as much with weight, and in most cases they are adjustable, so you can tune them to what you tow most often.

 

[brollins]

I went with Air Lift from 4wheelonline and put the savings towards a weight-distribution hitch. The Air Lift bags really help out supporting the weight of our trailer.

 

[Scorpion Regent]

Unless you have a really good reason, lifting a tow vehicle is a big mistake. 

The main limitation on of towing capacity is how much stopping power the brakes have.  So every pound you add to the tow vehicle is one less pound you can tow.  An F150 is only a half ton truck and I have not been very impressed with their towing performance.  How heavy is your trailer?  Do you plan on having a tool box and other things in the truck bed?  Lifting a truck strains the universal joints on the drive shaft.  Are you increasing ground clearance to go off road?  Running a trailer off road in circumstances that would require the tow vehicle to be lifted is asking for trouble.  Higher ground clearance means higher wind resistance and lower fuel mileage.  A lifted vehicle is a more likely to have trouble in high wind situations.  It's bad enough when winds start tugging your trailer around. When the tow vehicle gets shoved about things can go wrong in ways that make for spectacular Youtube videos and sudden obituary notices.  Are you lifting it to install over sized wheels and tires?  The truck is designed to operate with stock sized tires and wheels changing that will compromise handling, braking, fuel economy, over strain your drive train and cost a lot of money in the long run on extra maintenance and repair. 
If your truck doesn't yet have a tow package you are going to have to spring for a proper towing hitch, trailer wiring and extended mirrors.  If you intend on towing seriously it would be a good idea to install a transmission cooler.  How about a anti sway package?  A higher amperage alternator?  A CB radio?  You can't travel without eventually replacing tires and brakes.  Do you really want to spend extra money on something like a lift package, that you don't need, when there are lots of other things that might actually be worth doing instead?

If your hearts desire is a really big truck to tow with a 3/4 ton or a 1 ton is a far superior tool for the job.