Need some help guys. I've got a 2000 F-350 single rear wheel and it has the 4 inch blocks in the rear with the overload springs. It sits lower in the front. What are my options?

-I like the way it rides now - can I keep that ride quality with shackle lift of some kind without having to replace the front springs?
-Don't want to spend a gazillion dollars!
-Will I need to replace shocks?

From everything I have read the Donaho Racing (http://www.donahoeracing.com/prod_detail.php?productID=1) leveling kit is the best. Its less than $500 with shocks and maintains the stock ride.

I am planning on doing either the 2" or the 3" . I would also like to put in some 4" lift springs in the rear to eliminate wheel hope. I don't know about you but even a slight loss of traction gets me a bunch of wheel hop. It could be my driving style with the stick though. :D

In the back on my mind what I really want is to replace the leafs with links front and rear with airbags, but that may be more work than I am willing to do for this truck. :D

It looks like the 2" kit is nothing more than lift blocks for the front made out of short leafspring packs. Don't get me wrong- I've heard plenty of good things aobut the Donahoe kits but wouldn't a 3" kit be better for my application with the 4" blocks in the rear?

I think that fabtech makes a hanger kit, which reuses your stock springs. I have 4 or 5 buddies that have this and they all like it.

Any more details? Shocks, price? Thanks.

It looks like the 2" kit is nothing more than lift blocks for the front made out of short leafspring packs. Don't get me wrong- I've heard plenty of good things aobut the Donahoe kits but wouldn't a 3" kit be better for my application with the 4" blocks in the rear?


Yeah I think the 2" leaves the front a little low so you don't have the load in the ass look. I hate that look and its really popular here in SoCal.

Donahoe has the 3" hanger kit which is probably what I will do. The 2" one is just really cheap and easy.

From what I have heard the Donahoe kit is made better than the fabtech kit and is cheaper. Not to not fabtech, they make really great stuff, but word of mouth that I have heard puts the Donahoe kit as the best. YMMV :D

Go with the RE leveling kit. Not sure on the price, but I installed one with my cousins 6.5" RE kit. Very good looking brackets and bolted right up. The kit is a set of front hangers and shackles not sure on the rest but look it up. I know there are a few threads about this already, so look for it in the search.

Go with the RE leveling kit. Not sure on the price, but I installed one with my cousins 6.5" RE kit. Very good looking brackets and bolted right up. The kit is a set of front hangers and shackles not sure on the rest but look it up. I know there are a few threads about this already, so look for it in the search.


I have heard good things about that kit as well. I think any hanger kit is going to be good if it is built well. I have heard that REs soft ride lift springs ride real nice. I was hoping to put a set of them in the rear to eliminate the blocks and use air bags for overload. My F350 rides nice, but it could be better.

BDS Suspension has 2" lift that replaces the front leaf springs and a 2.5" hanger shackle kit which will keep you stock springs so won't change the ride of your truck. Also you can get what is called "X" springs which is a Ford leaf spring they put on trucks with the snow plow package. They will give you about 2" of lift as well. Warrior has 1.5" shackles, replace just the shackle on the front leaf spring, they are like $50 for the set. It will rotate and push the front axle forward just a tad, but very minor.

Now this is a question I should have asked from the start- how many inches would it take in the front to actually level it or get it darn close. It only has 4" blocks in the rear. Would I need 4" inches in the front too? I guess it would be ok for the back end to sit up a little higher so that when it has a load on it it would be level but right now it just looks rediculous.

no. Just because you have 4" blocks in the rear doesnt mean the front sits 4" lower.

Fronts on trucks like yours sit 2.5" lower. its called rake. My brother did his 01 with procomp about 6 monthes ago, and its awesome. It improves the look a lot and added a good bit of flex to his truck. This kit replaces the front double leaf pack with 5 leaf packs that are thinner. thinner = better ride quality SOMETIMES, it depends on a lot of things. i dont really want to type it all ou but its fairly obvious stuff. anyways, id get the procomp, it costed my bro $380 from 4WP (hate that place) and we installed it in about 4 hours due to a few complications. could have been done in 3 hours easily

Thread hijack: I am getting ready to do a leveling kit on my dually and want to upsize the tires abit. What size can I get on a dually with out looking retarded? I am using a 2.5" shackle type kit cost about 285 and loooks pretty good.

you could fit 35's but they will rub if its a SD... but i dont really know what your truck is. is it a 350 and what year?

Mine is a 2000 F-350 SRW

Lower the back with shorter blocks :flipoff2: :laughing:

I have a donahoe 4.5 kit on my superduty, The ride is better then stock.

I say donahoe. but I also reseached for about a year and the RE kit wasnt out yet.

Ste

I used a procomp leveling kit on my 04 F-350 4x4 CC. It's basically just new springs. It rides like the stock springs On my 99 F-250 4x4 I used a add a leaf leveling kit and road too stiff.

Lower the back with shorter blocks :flipoff2: :laughing:


I actually thought about doing that since down here I really don't need the clearance and hate the tall blocks. But I will be better served with an increase in clearance.

I have an 03 Dually 350 with a 2.5" leveler on it. Anyone know what size I can fit??

35's and you wont rub on hte fenders, but you might have issues with the leaves. If it does then it still wont be that bad. Id just run 35's.

Heres how you tell. Turn your current wheels to a full turn and measure to the closest spot. thats how much bigger than your current tires you can go.

cj8lvr - To maintain ride quality and to keep costs down look at hanger kits like the DR, Fabtech, and RE ones mentioned. Generally speaking if you lift the front over 3 inches you are going to need new shocks. The shocks will actually improve your ride due to your stock ones are probably shot by now. Also if you go over 3 inches of lift you should budget in an adjustable track bar, drop pitman arm, and drop track bar bracket. Some people get away without those, but on my truck I was getting bump steer and it was the only way that I got rid of it. I have the Fabtech 3.5 hanger kit with their adjustable track bar, SuperLift 4 inch drop pitman arm and track bar bracket, and Bilstein 5100 shocks.

TheTonka - You might not need to replace your rear spring/block combo to all springs after you install the leveling kit. I use to get some bad wheel hop when I plowed with my truck, but not after the lift. I could have solved the problem by putting weight in my bed, but I am always hauling stuff and didn't want to unload and reload the weight for plowing.

Now this is a question I should have asked from the start- how many inches would it take in the front to actually level it or get it darn close. It only has 4" blocks in the rear. Would I need 4" inches in the front too? I guess it would be ok for the back end to sit up a little higher so that when it has a load on it it would be level but right now it just looks rediculous.

First make sure the truck is sitting on a level surface. Measure the height of the bedside wheel opening from the floor - directly above the centerline of the axle / tires. Go to the (front) fenders, measure to the floor from the inside of the fender, right above the tire / axle centerline. Whatever the difference is, that is the approximate size lift you need in front to make it sit level, regardless of what blocks you have in the back. You can of course change those blocks but don't unless you just have time and money to burn - maybe you do but it is still a bad idea to screw with them. you have ample options of manufacturers just be sure and buy the shocks that are reccomended or sway bar increase if it applies.

the cheapest way to level the truck is to find the f250 4wd rear block and swap them out for your rear blocks then your truck will ride level. and with exactly the same ride as you have right now.