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What are my options?


Dodsonhaycattle

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Hi,
I'm new. I have a 2003 FX4 level 2. I just installed a nice aluminum Flatbed on it because the bed floor was dusted out right above the muffler.

When I explored my options I decided on the Flatbed because it would be more useful to me and basically be a mini me of all of my farm trucks. I mounted the bed as low as possible to the frame to make it stronger, it sits on the hump above the rear axle. If I load feed on it the bed gets pretty close to the tires so that left me with two options.

1. Raise the bed up an inch. Currently I have 3" body lift blocks in the front and 2' body lift blocks in the rear holding the bed on. This works well although I could stack two 2" blocks on the front and move the 3$ block to the rear but I like the profile that the headache rack currently is with the cab.

2. Tinker with the suspension. I read a lot about blocks and add a leaf and decided to go with a long add a leaf for the rear. That should add another inch or two to the rear and should be all I need. I don't plan to put the truck in a twist or haul anything too heavy on it. It's pretty much my beater/daily driver and not a work truck.

The question I now have is what do I do with the front. Rather I go with option 1 or two my back is going to set up higher that the front mainly because I have a c4x4 winch bumper and 10k lb winch that I recently installed. I twisted the torsiom bar bolts 4 turns and that gave me about an inch back but I didn't want to go too crazy. Got an alignment and called it good.

Could my torsiom bars be getting weak? I know my level 2 came with #1 bars but could I replace them with new ones? I don't want to crank anymore or add keys. I guess my next option is a 4" lift but I don't really want to run bigger tires.
 

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RonD

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Well you do have a 3rd option.
Since I assume you have a compressor and probably a portable air tank, air assist shocks in the rear could keep your existing front and rear heights, that you like, and give you the extra lift when needed
 

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^That's what I was thinking^.
 

Dodsonhaycattle

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Hadn't thought about that. How would that affect ride quality? Problem is my front is still lower than I'd think it should be because of the accessories up front but maybe it's my imagination.
 

bobbywalter

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My credo
it is easier to fix and understand than "her"
and a must do. make bump stops that limit contact with the bed if you leave it low or make some wheel wells..



but the option of raising the deck height is the best one....and i would do air bags for load over shocks if you want to haul larger loads regularly.

i dont like the higher deck height but i can have huge tires depending on the tasks at hand. so my deck had to be taller. i have full width axles so there is no stability lost. just nice to have a maximal amount of flat real estate to work with. but its higher up so loading and unloading is more difficult...or rather on par with a modern 1/2 ton.


of course with the higher deck height you now have a shit ton of storage potential under the bed as well. it gained me a 34 gallon fuel tank....and battery stowage and a huge drawer to hold tools, chains, and parts and straps and shit like that....

though i dont have the drawer and batteries in there at the moment due to shock re positioning and rear axle replacement plans.
 

Dodsonhaycattle

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I'm still convinced at the moment that the add a leaf will solve my problems on the rear. I really don't want to raise the bed unless I absolutely have to but I'm not counting it out if need be. The add a leaf is supposed to raise it two inches but realistically an inch. That with the added payload benefits should make the back fine. Even if I raise the bed it'll still look higher in the back. I may be overeating and no matter what it'd look OK.

Curious, do torsion bars weaken at all. Would I gain anything from replacing them with new ones? Would a torsion twist do the same thing? Would going back to stock height mess my ride up or prematurely wear out parts.
 

Dodsonhaycattle

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If I went the air shock route would I benefit from putting them on the front also? Would that help with the heavy load produced from the bumper and winch?
 

bobbywalter

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the add a leafs will do fine. but....bump stops will eliminate any issue while your working the little beast....you know shit you can prevent before it is too late.. its easy to fawk these springs up....i destroy springs regularly. though its more from off road abuse then overloading. but in your case its tire rub that needs mitigating.

of course i dont use stock springs either.....if i did i would way overload and wreck them even more. this is why i suggest bags. bags are awesome, but the airshocks are real easy, and since you dont have high off road travel expectations they are real effective in time and money for your application. i would not put them on in the front with a torsion suspension. and the torsion bars do weaken and need to be adjusted with time....but unless your jumping it hard i dont think it will require new ones. its one of those ...see how it goes deals...



looks are subjective i guess. i look at your bed and it looks 4 inches too low to me.


theres pics of my junk pile around here somewhere with the bed about a 1/4 to a 1/3 of the way done.....its like 2/3 now. it seems about right to me...maybe a little bit too high. but hell.....its been like that for .......gawd.....i dont remember......a good 6 years or so i think.


hey....it changes its work capacities in spades....wish i would have flat bedded the day i got it back in 92.


but i dont think its ever looked as nice as yours.
 

Dodsonhaycattle

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the add a leafs will do fine. but....bump stops will eliminate any issue while your working the little beast....you know shit you can prevent before it is too late.. its easy to fawk these springs up....i destroy springs regularly. though its more from off road abuse then overloading. but in your case its tire rub that needs mitigating.

of course i dont use stock springs either.....if i did i would way overload and wreck them even more. this is why i suggest bags. bags are awesome, but the airshocks are real easy, and since you dont have high off road travel expectations they are real effective in time and money for your application. i would not put them on in the front with a torsion suspension. and the torsion bars do weaken and need to be adjusted with time....but unless your jumping it hard i dont think it will require new ones. its one of those ...see how it goes deals...



looks are subjective i guess. i look at your bed and it looks 4 inches too low to me.


theres pics of my junk pile around here somewhere with the bed about a 1/4 to a 1/3 of the way done.....its like 2/3 now. it seems about right to me...maybe a little bit too high. but hell.....its been like that for .......gawd.....i dont remember......a good 6 years or so i think.


hey....it changes its work capacities in spades....wish i would have flat bedded the day i got it back in 92.


but i dont think its ever looked as nice as yours.
Lots of good information here,thanks! I'm going to talk to my local Napa tomorrow about air shocks or some heavy duty shocks. It's time for replacements anyhow. Looking at bilsteins but not sure I want to shell out that much money for what I get. I think my plan at the moment is to install the add a leaf when I get them Wed, add shocks all around and possibly raise the bed up another inch. I have all the hardware and body lift blocks to do it. Then I'm thinking of replacing the torsion bars on the front and maybe if need be do a slight crank and get another alignment.

I don't do any serious off-roading. I go through some tricky things in the pastures in the winter but no crazy twists or anything to that nature. I don't haul anything really heavy because I have ton trucks for that.

Haven't seen your bedbut I'm sure it's just as functional, actually more so and probably a lot cheaper :icon_thumby:
 

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