This is such a more relatable video. Most of us buy the lower trim trucks because of the cost savings and most of us can't throw $5-10k on the high end lifts and tires because of family's and/or other more important bills.
Agreed, the great part of this video is that it reflects a base truck. Even though Andres was more expensive, a lesser 2.7, 3.3 model in regular or SuperCab would be even more attainable and literally just as capable here. Love that this isn’t about a hot new niche model.
This show's why you don't need to spend 10K extra on the TRD pro, Tremor or rebel. Spend it on a small lift, shock's and better tire's and you still can go anywhere the other's will go.
Not exactly true. You always lose suspension travel and articulation with a level kit like this. I've done both, a small front a rear lift , then a factory lifted truck. The factory lift was designed to have all the articulation still including longer CV axles. The factory lift is much better off road.
Yeah, no. Those strut spacers don't help off-road. For what he paid for the spacer and install, he could have gotten much better shocks that would have ridden better than that setup.
@@terrencejones9817 right. these over extend the balljoints so bad that the top of spindle usually smashes into the coil. for a little more he could of gotten some bare minimum bilstein 5100s
@@123devinzz1 That's exactly what happened on my 2014 F150 FX4. The upper control arm would hit the coil springs and bind during heavy flexing offroad. My 2019 Trailboss was designed in mind with a lift, the control arms articulation and longer CV shafts makes a world of difference. A Tremor would also be better than a block level kit.
@@terrencejones9817 something else is that ford no longer adds alignment cams to these trucks. so you cant actually align them very good after lifting. camber and castor is NOT adjustable. our nissan frontier was the same way. had to add aftermarket alignment cams to get an actual decent alignment
@Unvaccinated Anti-Communist Sure do. The VA pays me so, yeah. Government money. I spend it plowing into a white girlfriend. Feels nice being Mexican too. Not even born here either.
Just an FYI for anyone doing the same mods. The Bilstein 5100 front struts cost about $250, they give you up to 2.1" lift, and you gain about 1" additional travel. They are also valved for a heavier tire. The lift spacers don't give any extra travel. They just move the strut down.
Yeah I don't understand why the 'spacer' idea is so popular online, when instead I can replace the stock front shocks with Bilstein 5100 shocks, keeping all the stock coil spring strut components, and choose your preferred level between 0"-2" amount of true lift for the front end, and you get more travel. And, same amount of labor removing and reinstalling the strut assembly. The social media hive mind ain't always so good.
@@Silverback_GMT410 a Raptor has 35" tires, locking front diff (kinda), far superior suspension, more powerful engine (not by a ton) and more off road modes (transmission function).
I love basic trim trucks. Now can someone explain to me why Ford had to go through all that engineering to design that silly fold away shifter in the high end models just to use that center console as a table when they already had the column shifter available for use like what's on Andre's truck? Plus with the column shifter, you free up space in the center console. Plus column shifters are cool and belong in pickups!
Andre, if you want a more permanent solution for the transmission cardboard "skid plate", the Raptor transmission skid plate is metal and bolts right up. Talk with the parts counter at your Ford dealer and they can get you setup.
I have an F150 XLT 5.4 Triton that I have owned for over 15 years with 2in leveling kit and 34in (295/70/17) MTs and it allows me to drive all over mountain roads exploring in the PNW.
I also did the 34" tire upgrade to my F150, only I used the Fox 2.0 level kit. I would humbly suggest you keep saving your pennies for a shock upgrade as I think you'll be very happy with the ride improvement. And don't worry about that cover underneath, mine did the same thing.
I have the 2022 f150 XL 4x4 (non FX-4) regular cab. I did a 2.5 inch leveling kit and KO2 33s on it. It looks like a mini monster. My daughter calls it the little big truck. And after taking it off road several times it performs fantastic. But my break over angle and turning radius is much better than yours Andre, being that it's a single cab. All for about 43k with the tires and kit. Much much less than a higher end packaged truck. PS: I have the rear locker, the Coyote 5.0 and 3.73 gears as well.
The 285 75R17 tire is a real "sleeper" in the off-road tire market. I used them for years on a Ford Super Duty. They work well with the standard steel rims and will gain some decent ground clearance. Also, because they are not wide compared to most off-road tires, they will usually not rub with the stock rims. The 285's will not negatively impact fuel economy as significantly as wider tires will. Finally, get rid of the plastic chin spoiler.
I really dig the look with the stock steelies. Don't forget to have your ECU updated for the tire size change (You may have mentioned it and I just missed it).
Andre, get some real bash plates and rocksliders for your truck, and remove that front chin spoiler and install some real bash plate protection up front. You'll be good to go!
Nicely done, Andre. I did an identical mod to my 2021 Tundra Crewmax. The BFGs and 2” level make a world of difference on trails like the one you ran. This shows you don’t have to spend a fortune to make a rig more trail friendly. Now, maybe your next mod is a budget friendly winch setup? I just did a rear hitch mounted winch plate from Harbor Freight for my 12k HF winch. A 12 volt deep cycle mounted in pickup bed as the power source. Whole setup for about $550.00.
@@philiph554 , I agree. Since my earlier post, I found a Curt brand FRONT hitch for my Tundra that bolts to the two front tow hook locations. I just ordered it and will now mount winch on front with the aid of an 8 or 12” hitch extender as the hitch will be too far recessed for the winch plate to line up properly when inserted.
I also did a budget friendly set up similar to this but was able to get more bang for my buck. I found a like new set of Raptor take offs with about 50 miles on them for sale on offer up and was able to negotiate down to $1400 which is around the price of new tires alone. My original plan was to buy a bigger tire for the stock wheels but since I bought the complete set of wheels and tires for a very similar price to a new set of tires alone, I was able to sell my original wheel and tire set for $800. Therefore I upgraded from the stock setup (32.1 inch diameter) to the raptor (34.4 inch diameter) for $600, I then used that savings to buy a set of Bilstein 5100s vs doing a puck style leveling kit which was my original plan. I spend $380 for the Bilstein set from Stage3motorsports and had them installed and aligned for about $350. Add all that up and I basically upgraded for under $1400 and handles trails amazing! Best bang for your buck in my opinion seeing that the 295/70/18 BF Goodrich tires I was trying to buy from Costco for my stock wheels was about $1600 for the tires ALONE! Now I have a nicer set of wheels, beefier tires, leveled truck, and upgraded Bilstein suspension for less than the price of new tires by themselves. Getting a Raptor take off set allows you to sell the stock set and recuperate some of your money back.
The F150 these days in insanely pricey, so this built really makes me smile. It's got everything most will need while keeping great onroad manners, range, gas mileage etc.
This shows that you don’t need a brand new truck made for this type of stuff. You passed all the off-road obstacles with a few small damages but at the end of a day it’s a truck and trucks don’t have to be kept pretty if you don’t use them
What a difference a minor mod like that makes. I agree, I really like the white letters on the blue truck, especially with those steel wheels. I think those steel wheels look amazing with those tires, gives it a tough, no nonsense look. Also kind of retro.
I took my alloys off my Silverado and plastic dipped my steel wheels with red letter Grabbers, I love steel wheels, I want to do the same thing to my Colorado Trail Boss!
@@jimmycline4778that must look good! Did you ever get around to doing it on your Colorado? I've been seeing some older GM trucks running the newer steel wheels off the work truck, I think they look great.
I like seeing projects like this one. You have added more off road performance than a lot of the trucks with $10K in lifts, wheels and tires. I love the fact that you kept your OEM steel 17" rims rather than wasting your money on some tacky/fragile 22s. I don't think that you even needed the leveling kit. I have a '15 and was able to run 35x10.5r17 Kenda Kleavers without a leveling kit.
Probably should get the up sized BFG for the spare, if only for the tire height differences that your axles won't like if you have to use the spare. Your upgrades are just what a budget loves!
The ko2 is what I currently have, about the only tire made in 33x10.50r15 with about 3 or 4 other choices. Would give it a 4/10 in the mud but 10/10 in everything else 🤙🏽
I did cali to Denver to Rushmore then back in ko2. Tire was great on long trip and did awesome off road. Did few snow runs last year, as all around I think it’s still best
I remember in the early 2000's that Andre's XL trim of today (2020/2021) would have been equivalent to a King Ranch trim in terms of technology and 4x4 abilities --- Ford (and others!) have REALLY PACKED-ON the technology into all their trucks no matter the trim level in the 2020's-era! In 10 years I expect to see that we will have Ford Bronco-level GOAT modes in even F150 XL models! V
Andrey, nice job on the hybrid mods. I'd love to see your highway loop mileage without the chin spoiler. I removed mine on the 1/2 ton Ram and have seen no difference in mileage. I repurposed the spoiler on my Class A motorhome as an airdam and will be testing my "Prius-like" mileage soon!
I have a 2018 f150 4x4 STX and I did the same, raptor wheels takeoffs and blistering 6112 , I add a front raptor bumper and skid plate + rear raptor bumper to have more clearance. It turns very well for my overland in trips. Iam very happy with my set up.
Yeah. Makes a world of difference. I only have a 2 inch lift and tires and the results are pretty amazing. Doesn't take much to make a huge difference off road.
Definitely looks like a tremor w/o the orange trim. That’s what I’m doing with my f150. It’s got the same v8 as the raptor and I’ve got the same 34s you got But mine is an xlt fx4 so I’ve got a few more bells and whistles. I even found a real raptor grille too. I call it the craptor. Haha!
Not bad Andre. I did something similar to my Sierra WT. 2" rough country level, upgraded skid plates, and 34" general Grabber ATX. But I also removed the lower air valence in the front. Massive difference off road compared to stock. Definitely easy to improve off road capabilities on a budget. $50 for the level kit, $300 for the skid plates. And $1500 for the tires (Canadian prices)
Well done…this video really speaks to how to be a good steward of your resources and building things out in a manner that makes sense. Reality is that not everyone has unlimited funds. I approached fitting out my new Ram 1500 similarly and so far no regrets.
I driving a 2021 xl f150 for work. And it does involve a good amount of off road driving. I noticed that the one I drive has more rear suspension articulation. In this video I could see that you truck is equipped with a rear sway bar as part of the heavy tow package. Something my truck does not have. If you were to disconnect the front and rear sway bar for your offroad driving you will have a much better ride quality and with both disconnected it might keep all 4 tires on the ground over most if not all of the obstacles in this video. I would love to see you try and see if it doesn't transform your truck even more. Also would like to mention that disconnecting the swaybar end links is not recommended for high speed on road driving. It does increase body roll and the risk of an on road rollover. Our off road trip usually includes removing end links and a slower travel speeds to the trailhead.
Great video! The only thing I would suggest, especially if you are planning on some rock crawling, is a skid plate for the rear passenger side lower shock mount. That mounts faces forward and can get dinged up fairly quickly with the sort of rocky trails that Andre is on.
Interesting. I think the "leveling kit" did you a lot of good. While the tires no doubt helped in height adjustment as well, I think your stock tires gripped just as good if not better in the comparison. Not that the Ko2 is not a cool tire, I will be trying them someday myself. But a lot of people under estimate what manufactures choose. Dedicated tires for specific conditions I agree with, just think a lot of people don't give stock tires enough credit. A lot of factors can determine the performance of what you are given straight from the factory.
Yep, it's ridiculous how so many tests are done with factory tires where the vehicle easily completes the obstacle and then the host is almost compelled by some odd tire virus in his brain to claim that better tires would have helped. And then they always add an adjective like "tremendously" to that statement. Okay, so completing the obstacles without any real difficulty can be improved upon "tremendously"? What? Is the truck now going to float over the obstacle? After market tires can make a difference but the differences between tread patterns and design have to be pretty significant and the terrain more difficult to see the differences. Most all terrain tires will do about as well as the other off road it's on road where the real differences are found. Everyone loves to tout their favorite but even if you don't go wheeling you can watch so many videos here where dozens of different trucks, Jeeps, Vans etc... reach the end of the same trail and they are riding on a huge variety of tire types and brands. BFG makes a good tire but so do a couple of dozen other manufacturers. I've used them and they always performed well off road but so did my General Grabbers and so did my buckshot mudders and so did my Nitto Ridge Grapplers and so do my Falken WildPeak AT3. The real difference between the all terrains was/is highway performance. In that category the KO2's finish last. Not by a million miles or anything but last none the less. But I've covered many a mile of dirty, muddy, rocky trails on the stock tires that came on my Nissan Frontiers, Jeep Cherokee and Land Rover Discovery.
@Unvaccinated Anti-Communist His truck came with the Pirelli Scorpion ATR, which are about as terrible as the Goodyear Wrangler RS-A they used to put on everything.
Thank you, Andre! This answers many questions for me as a 2020 F-150 FX4 owner. Specifically, is it worth it to buy up to the Tremor for a few features I don't need; as opposed to a couple thousand for those I think I actually need: A mild level for more front-end clearance, and taller/better tires. And the answer is no, it's not a good buy for me to get the Tremor. This confirms what I already knew but didn't want to admit.
Why would you spacer lift it? Eibach and bilstein makes a great 2.5 inch lift with new shocks and springs for around $600. Spacer lifts take away front end travel and risk overextending your struts.
Great coverage on a budget mod! I'd love to see more videos like this since not a lot of us are willing to pay North of $65K for a truck (unless we're financing it like a mortgage).
On my 2015 F150 I put 2.6 Inch raise adjustable coil-overs and got metric 35 inch tires 295/65 20 (I think). and it fits great. no rubbing at all. the truck just got a little slower with the larger tires. But I get slightly better gas mileage because the "effective" final drive ratio is higher now. (as long as I keep it below 70 mph)
Andre, you should also remove your air reflector in te front if you can and also add a 2.5 rear block. That will give you more height in the back if you want to tow.
Great video. Love these more realistic off roading vehicles. Enjoy the views of these trails. Perfect lift and tire size. Exactly the way I would have gone as well.
I have about the same setup on my ‘17 150. Mickey Thompson Baja Boss AT 295/60/20 or 34”x11.5 I also put in 1.5” spacers to get that flush look. Suspension is Bilstien 6112/5160 and lift shackle in the rear. About 2.5” and 1” lift. The Bilstien make the truck ride much better. The. Invest benefit being the rear doesn’t kick out as much over rough roads.
springs before shocks. lose the air dam. gears - 4.56. you can ad a torsen to the front when the life insurance pays on roman. :) also get some super swampers 34x10/17. $1500 installed at 4wheel parts. also engage the locker before you need it. lastly give your kid some more paint.
For a long truck like that you need to lift it more if you are going to go through rocky terrain like that, but it's looking better and it's already more capable
Here is why - I have back issues, hip issues getting that just right articulation in the seat goes a long way as far as genuine comfort. In addition I really like the XL trim with the appearance package - call me a minimalist - I had a 2018 Lead Foot Gray F-150 Super Cab with the 6 cyl 2.7 twin turbo - the most handsomest truck IMHO in the Ford line-up - there is a reason they featured that truck that trim in all their print media and commercials. The seat was enough for me to get rid of it - thats why.
Just the tires and a lift made the truck look (and perform) bemuch better. Your truck is blue, why don't you spray paint your wheels either white or dark metallic gray? Will improve the look 10x.
I am currently looking for a F150 ecoboost. I used to roll a wrangler, than a Frontier Pro4X.. Than my GF wanted a SUV and with gas prices in 2021 and 2022, I gave in and traded my truck for a Brand new Taos.. Great crossover SUV but I miss the bed of a truck and the real 4x4 for our canadians winters. You convinced me that I'm going for a XL ecoboost.
This is pretty much what i did to my truck 6 years ago, a few downsides but overall it works great and way cheaper than a raptor. i run a 35x 12.50 though which isn't great for economy.
Stock trucks should come from the factory like this anyway. Cool budget build Andre. I did the same thing to my 2020 Silverado 2” level up front and 1” inch in the back
Andrey, what a Great so needed video! with that editing.. And the music theme in the background I watched it on one breath..) Thank you Guys! All Abundant Blessings to YOUR and TFL FAMILY!
Three of the tires have the white lettering out. It looks like the front passenger tire has the lettering to the inside. 16:04 That's one way to reduce the wear on the white paint. :-)
you might want to see if that radio headunit allows you to add cameras, otherwise, it's not that difficult to add a front and rear license plate camera to an aftermarket unit, or even a small standalone LED monitor.
Nice upgrades! Years ago I only wanted a Raptor. But by the time I got to where I could actually afford one, I passed. Why? Because all those years while I was waiting to afford another $25K for the Raptor F150, I was putting 2" lift kits and better tires on my XLT 4x4's and actually going all the places in my "cheaper" XLT that guys were in their Raptors. And that's a fact. Now, I simply cannot justify it. Plus I am lighter and narrower, which we all know is gold on tight forest trails. Raptors are for the dunes. That's about it.
Those feltlike skid plates are always hanging. Mine came loose just commuting... They zip tie it up every oil change. Truck looks great with those tires
Andre, you have a great setup. Base model, off road package, 285/75's on silver 17" steelies, and white letters on the tires. That wheel height being 50% of the tire height is a great all around setup for a pickup truck. Also I think you should do an mpg test with and without the lip on the bumper. I think you'll find out that it doesn't change your fuel economy
I thought the 21's are powered and lower up and down based on speed, I don't think the Ford engineers would have put it on the F150 if it didn't make a difference, might be a small percentage, but still helps.
@@muddybadgers5205 Like I said it may be a small difference, but I am sure there is more than zero difference, the engineers are not wasting time and money to design and put them on every modern truck, and their not there for style points.
This is such a more relatable video.
Most of us buy the lower trim trucks because of the cost savings and most of us can't throw $5-10k on the high end lifts and tires because of family's and/or other more important bills.
Agreed, the great part of this video is that it reflects a base truck. Even though Andres was more expensive, a lesser 2.7, 3.3 model in regular or SuperCab would be even more attainable and literally just as capable here. Love that this isn’t about a hot new niche model.
we should start a GoFundMe page for him. They have 400k subs and if we all pitched in $1-2...... they can make some greater content!!
This show's why you don't need to spend 10K extra on the TRD pro, Tremor or rebel. Spend it on a small lift, shock's and better tire's and you still can go anywhere the other's will go.
Not exactly true. You always lose suspension travel and articulation with a level kit like this. I've done both, a small front a rear lift , then a factory lifted truck. The factory lift was designed to have all the articulation still including longer CV axles. The factory lift is much better off road.
Yeah, no. Those strut spacers don't help off-road. For what he paid for the spacer and install, he could have gotten much better shocks that would have ridden better than that setup.
@@terrencejones9817 right. these over extend the balljoints so bad that the top of spindle usually smashes into the coil. for a little more he could of gotten some bare minimum bilstein 5100s
@@123devinzz1 That's exactly what happened on my 2014 F150 FX4. The upper control arm would hit the coil springs and bind during heavy flexing offroad.
My 2019 Trailboss was designed in mind with a lift, the control arms articulation and longer CV shafts makes a world of difference.
A Tremor would also be better than a block level kit.
@@terrencejones9817 something else is that ford no longer adds alignment cams to these trucks. so you cant actually align them very good after lifting. camber and castor is NOT adjustable. our nissan frontier was the same way. had to add aftermarket alignment cams to get an actual decent alignment
Kudos to Andre for putting his personal truck through this all the time for us...and him
He just to sell more videos
@@markcomisky7106 so? If you have a job you’re selling something.
@Unvaccinated Anti-Communist Sure do. The VA pays me so, yeah. Government money. I spend it plowing into a white girlfriend. Feels nice being Mexican too. Not even born here either.
we should start a GoFundMe page for him. They have 400k subs and if we all pitched in $1-2...... they can make some greater content!!
Just an FYI for anyone doing the same mods. The Bilstein 5100 front struts cost about $250, they give you up to 2.1" lift, and you gain about 1" additional travel. They are also valved for a heavier tire. The lift spacers don't give any extra travel. They just move the strut down.
I should have gone that route, my leveling kit destroyed my daily ride to work.
Yea spacers suck. But $250?...maybe only for Ford. I've been looking for a set for my Ram and can't find any under $550
@@JRs-guitars My responses keep getting deleted or something. Fronts are $270, a full set is $432 on Bilstein Lifts.
I don't understand ppl going the spacer route over 5100s. it just doesn't make sense even if "cost" is an issue
Yeah I don't understand why the 'spacer' idea is so popular online, when instead I can replace the stock front shocks with Bilstein 5100 shocks, keeping all the stock coil spring strut components, and choose your preferred level between 0"-2" amount of true lift for the front end, and you get more travel. And, same amount of labor removing and reinstalling the strut assembly. The social media hive mind ain't always so good.
Andre is by far the awesomest guy on the show, and nice set up man!!
Very nice setup!
Nah. Now Nathan and Andre? Just need a third and they're set!
If he had a matching spare it might be “awesome”!
Great trucks
we should start a GoFundMe page for him. They have 400k subs and if we all pitched in $1-2...... they can make some greater content!!
This is more of a Rattler build than a Raptor build.
But with 34in tall tires and more power than a Raptor. So in some aspects, it’s closer to top spec off roader.
@@Silverback_GMT410 To be budget Raptor, I'd say he would have to also upgrade the shocks, bumpers, and skid plates.
If Andre feels it’s Raptor, it is a Raptor.
@@Silverback_GMT410 a Raptor has 35" tires, locking front diff (kinda), far superior suspension, more powerful engine (not by a ton) and more off road modes (transmission function).
I was thinking that or like a budget Tremor
Andre I have a video idea suggestion. Test out the MPG difference with and without the air dam. I’d love to see that piece of plastic go!
The dramatic suspenseful music starting at 16:05 is hilarious.
I love basic trim trucks. Now can someone explain to me why Ford had to go through all that engineering to design that silly fold away shifter in the high end models just to use that center console as a table when they already had the column shifter available for use like what's on Andre's truck? Plus with the column shifter, you free up space in the center console. Plus column shifters are cool and belong in pickups!
Andre, if you want a more permanent solution for the transmission cardboard "skid plate", the Raptor transmission skid plate is metal and bolts right up. Talk with the parts counter at your Ford dealer and they can get you setup.
Talons garage also makes a skid / cat protector for the PB
The PB mid plate is a little longer than the other trims, so can't use the one from Raptor.
I have an F150 XLT 5.4 Triton that I have owned for over 15 years with 2in leveling kit and 34in (295/70/17) MTs and it allows me to drive all over mountain roads exploring in the PNW.
I also did the 34" tire upgrade to my F150, only I used the Fox 2.0 level kit. I would humbly suggest you keep saving your pennies for a shock upgrade as I think you'll be very happy with the ride improvement. And don't worry about that cover underneath, mine did the same thing.
Yeah the fox 2.0 level kit would look amazing in Andreé F150 🏆
how do you like the Coilovers? heard you have to lower them a little to take bumps better cause they come with so much preload.
@@ls1dk I've got almost 72k on them now and still running strong. I think they're at 2 inches and firm but a huge improvement over stock.
Andre thanks for showing what you can do on a budget! You have a generator and a offroad machine all in one! Would be a awesome camper truck!
I have the 2022 f150 XL 4x4 (non FX-4) regular cab. I did a 2.5 inch leveling kit and KO2 33s on it. It looks like a mini monster. My daughter calls it the little big truck. And after taking it off road several times it performs fantastic. But my break over angle and turning radius is much better than yours Andre, being that it's a single cab.
All for about 43k with the tires and kit. Much much less than a higher end packaged truck.
PS: I have the rear locker, the Coyote 5.0 and 3.73 gears as well.
I have a very similar setup but mine’s an 11 model. I also went with full 35s (285/75r18) on newer factory 18” wheels.
YUP, got the exact same build as your truck. 22 as well. No level installed yet but I fit the raptor wheels + 35in K02s. Single cabs FTW!!!!
The 285 75R17 tire is a real "sleeper" in the off-road tire market. I used them for years on a Ford Super Duty. They work well with the standard steel rims and will gain some decent ground clearance. Also, because they are not wide compared to most off-road tires, they will usually not rub with the stock rims. The 285's will not negatively impact fuel economy as significantly as wider tires will. Finally, get rid of the plastic chin spoiler.
This is great, to took so much to fit even 33" tires on trucks just 15 years ago. I do highly recommend getting a matching spare tire.
I really dig the look with the stock steelies. Don't forget to have your ECU updated for the tire size change (You may have mentioned it and I just missed it).
Andre, get some real bash plates and rocksliders for your truck, and remove that front chin spoiler and install some real bash plate protection up front. You'll be good to go!
Nice video! Ditch the spoiler....changed mine on my F250 and noticed zero mileage decrease. Looks MUCH better and far better approach angle!
Love it, practical, capable, useful, better than expected. Can't hardly beat that. I'm impressed.
Nicely done, Andre. I did an identical mod to my 2021 Tundra Crewmax. The BFGs and 2” level make a world of difference on trails like the one you ran. This shows you don’t have to spend a fortune to make a rig more trail friendly. Now, maybe your next mod is a budget friendly winch setup? I just did a rear hitch mounted winch plate from Harbor Freight for my 12k HF winch. A 12 volt deep cycle mounted in pickup bed as the power source. Whole setup for about $550.00.
Sound pretty slick!
Got a winch for my f150 and it was worth every penny
@@joe40867 , you really need one if trail riding, especially solo.
Nice! I’ve been trying to figure a front winch for my Ram with an ecodiesel, not a lot of options because of the placement of the trans cooler
@@philiph554 , I agree. Since my earlier post, I found a Curt brand FRONT hitch for my Tundra that bolts to the two front tow hook locations. I just ordered it and will now mount winch on front with the aid of an 8 or 12” hitch extender as the hitch will be too far recessed for the winch plate to line up properly when inserted.
I also did a budget friendly set up similar to this but was able to get more bang for my buck. I found a like new set of Raptor take offs with about 50 miles on them for sale on offer up and was able to negotiate down to $1400 which is around the price of new tires alone. My original plan was to buy a bigger tire for the stock wheels but since I bought the complete set of wheels and tires for a very similar price to a new set of tires alone, I was able to sell my original wheel and tire set for $800. Therefore I upgraded from the stock setup (32.1 inch diameter) to the raptor (34.4 inch diameter) for $600, I then used that savings to buy a set of Bilstein 5100s vs doing a puck style leveling kit which was my original plan. I spend $380 for the Bilstein set from Stage3motorsports and had them installed and aligned for about $350. Add all that up and I basically upgraded for under $1400 and handles trails amazing! Best bang for your buck in my opinion seeing that the 295/70/18 BF Goodrich tires I was trying to buy from Costco for my stock wheels was about $1600 for the tires ALONE! Now I have a nicer set of wheels, beefier tires, leveled truck, and upgraded Bilstein suspension for less than the price of new tires by themselves. Getting a Raptor take off set allows you to sell the stock set and recuperate some of your money back.
We need more videos with Andre and his truck. This is the kind of truck that I can afford. Thanks for doing this Andre!
The F150 these days in insanely pricey, so this built really makes me smile. It's got everything most will need while keeping great onroad manners, range, gas mileage etc.
This shows that you don’t need a brand new truck made for this type of stuff. You passed all the off-road obstacles with a few small damages but at the end of a day it’s a truck and trucks don’t have to be kept pretty if you don’t use them
Probably the best f150 offroad/onroad set up for the money. Great video as well, loved being able to compare to the last video on that trail. 👍🏻
As y'all have said in many videos, tires are the 1st upgrade! A puck is an easy cheap 2nd. That's what most people do. Great presentation!
What a difference a minor mod like that makes. I agree, I really like the white letters on the blue truck, especially with those steel wheels. I think those steel wheels look amazing with those tires, gives it a tough, no nonsense look. Also kind of retro.
I took my alloys off my Silverado and plastic dipped my steel wheels with red letter Grabbers, I love steel wheels, I want to do the same thing to my Colorado Trail Boss!
@@jimmycline4778that must look good! Did you ever get around to doing it on your Colorado? I've been seeing some older GM trucks running the newer steel wheels off the work truck, I think they look great.
I like seeing projects like this one. You have added more off road performance than a lot of the trucks with $10K in lifts, wheels and tires. I love the fact that you kept your OEM steel 17" rims rather than wasting your money on some tacky/fragile 22s.
I don't think that you even needed the leveling kit. I have a '15 and was able to run 35x10.5r17 Kenda Kleavers without a leveling kit.
Probably should get the up sized BFG for the spare, if only for the tire height differences that your axles won't like if you have to use the spare. Your upgrades are just what a budget loves!
Or at the very least, a stock size BFG so that if he gets a flat he has similar traction.
we should start a GoFundMe page for him. They have 400k subs and if we all pitched in $1-2...... they can make some greater content!!
@@arizonacolour8793 Thanks for typing, internet hall monitor...
Good job Andre just proves you don't need all the fancy trickery crap to off road.
I also started with an XL. Put Fox 2.0's and larger tires on, removed the air dam, upgraded UCA's. It's great-for less than the price of a lariat.
Love the new look and that column shifter! Builds like this encourage me that off-roading is possible on a budget 😊❤️
The ko2 is what I currently have, about the only tire made in 33x10.50r15 with about 3 or 4 other choices. Would give it a 4/10 in the mud but 10/10 in everything else 🤙🏽
Not the best in mud but there are worse. I’d give ‘em 5/10 in mud
I did cali to Denver to Rushmore then back in ko2. Tire was great on long trip and did awesome off road. Did few snow runs last year, as all around I think it’s still best
@@kdavid123186 yeah they do ride well on road and are pretty quite, haven’t really had any snow to play in but I’ve heard good things.
I remember in the early 2000's that Andre's XL trim of today (2020/2021) would have been equivalent to a King Ranch trim in terms of technology and 4x4 abilities --- Ford (and others!) have REALLY PACKED-ON the technology into all their trucks no matter the trim level in the 2020's-era!
In 10 years I expect to see that we will have Ford Bronco-level GOAT modes in even F150 XL models!
V
Andrey, nice job on the hybrid mods. I'd love to see your highway loop mileage without the chin spoiler. I removed mine on the 1/2 ton Ram and have seen no difference in mileage. I repurposed the spoiler on my Class A motorhome as an airdam and will be testing my "Prius-like" mileage soon!
First thing I did was remove the chin spoiler, hangs down way too much
I have a 2018 f150 4x4 STX and I did the same, raptor wheels takeoffs and blistering 6112 , I add a front raptor bumper and skid plate + rear raptor bumper to have more clearance. It turns very well for my overland in trips. Iam very happy with my set up.
Yeah. Makes a world of difference. I only have a 2 inch lift and tires and the results are pretty amazing. Doesn't take much to make a huge difference off road.
"She'll be better at it the second time" - LOL i would have said the same. Nice one Alex! :)
Definitely looks like a tremor w/o the orange trim. That’s what I’m doing with my f150. It’s got the same v8 as the raptor and I’ve got the same 34s you got
But mine is an xlt fx4 so I’ve got a few more bells and whistles. I even found a real raptor grille too. I call it the craptor. Haha!
This is exactly what I want to do with my 2015 F150 XL! Glad to see it’s been done so I can use this as inspiration.
Made a big difference. Stop damaging your pick up truck!!!! Lol. Great video
Not bad Andre. I did something similar to my Sierra WT. 2" rough country level, upgraded skid plates, and 34" general Grabber ATX. But I also removed the lower air valence in the front. Massive difference off road compared to stock. Definitely easy to improve off road capabilities on a budget. $50 for the level kit, $300 for the skid plates. And $1500 for the tires (Canadian prices)
Well done…this video really speaks to how to be a good steward of your resources and building things out in a manner that makes sense. Reality is that not everyone has unlimited funds. I approached fitting out my new Ram 1500 similarly and so far no regrets.
I driving a 2021 xl f150 for work. And it does involve a good amount of off road driving. I noticed that the one I drive has more rear suspension articulation. In this video I could see that you truck is equipped with a rear sway bar as part of the heavy tow package. Something my truck does not have. If you were to disconnect the front and rear sway bar for your offroad driving you will have a much better ride quality and with both disconnected it might keep all 4 tires on the ground over most if not all of the obstacles in this video. I would love to see you try and see if it doesn't transform your truck even more. Also would like to mention that disconnecting the swaybar end links is not recommended for high speed on road driving. It does increase body roll and the risk of an on road rollover. Our off road trip usually includes removing end links and a slower travel speeds to the trailhead.
"Hey Dude, do you wanna check my rearend?" Hahaha!
Man i would have hoped that TFL would picked a better level than a cheap Rough Country junk spacer kit.
Very interesting video. That $1,600 upgrade was worth it. I enjoy seeing Andre living the dream. 😄
Andre is by far my favorite TH-cam personality!
I watched the videos backwards. Saw the MPG video first. I really like your trim. I wish all trucks still came with a column shifter.
My ‘18 XLT has a column shifter which I like more than the console unit. It creates another good sized storage area in the console without it
Great video! The only thing I would suggest, especially if you are planning on some rock crawling, is a skid plate for the rear passenger side lower shock mount. That mounts faces forward and can get dinged up fairly quickly with the sort of rocky trails that Andre is on.
I was glad to hear about the paint pen, I do the same thing to my tires.👍🏻
I could watch Andre all day. Great vid.
Interesting. I think the "leveling kit" did you a lot of good. While the tires no doubt helped in height adjustment as well, I think your stock tires gripped just as good if not better in the comparison. Not that the Ko2 is not a cool tire, I will be trying them someday myself. But a lot of people under estimate what manufactures choose. Dedicated tires for specific conditions I agree with, just think a lot of people don't give stock tires enough credit. A lot of factors can determine the performance of what you are given straight from the factory.
Yep, it's ridiculous how so many tests are done with factory tires where the vehicle easily completes the obstacle and then the host is almost compelled by some odd tire virus in his brain to claim that better tires would have helped. And then they always add an adjective like "tremendously" to that statement. Okay, so completing the obstacles without any real difficulty can be improved upon "tremendously"? What? Is the truck now going to float over the obstacle?
After market tires can make a difference but the differences between tread patterns and design have to be pretty significant and the terrain more difficult to see the differences. Most all terrain tires will do about as well as the other off road it's on road where the real differences are found. Everyone loves to tout their favorite but even if you don't go wheeling you can watch so many videos here where dozens of different trucks, Jeeps, Vans etc... reach the end of the same trail and they are riding on a huge variety of tire types and brands. BFG makes a good tire but so do a couple of dozen other manufacturers. I've used them and they always performed well off road but so did my General Grabbers and so did my buckshot mudders and so did my Nitto Ridge Grapplers and so do my Falken WildPeak AT3. The real difference between the all terrains was/is highway performance. In that category the KO2's finish last. Not by a million miles or anything but last none the less. But I've covered many a mile of dirty, muddy, rocky trails on the stock tires that came on my Nissan Frontiers, Jeep Cherokee and Land Rover Discovery.
@Unvaccinated Anti-Communist His truck came with the Pirelli Scorpion ATR, which are about as terrible as the Goodyear Wrangler RS-A they used to put on everything.
In addition to the performance, those mods make it look so much cooler...👍
Thank you, Andre! This answers many questions for me as a 2020 F-150 FX4 owner. Specifically, is it worth it to buy up to the Tremor for a few features I don't need; as opposed to a couple thousand for those I think I actually need: A mild level for more front-end clearance, and taller/better tires. And the answer is no, it's not a good buy for me to get the Tremor. This confirms what I already knew but didn't want to admit.
Why would you spacer lift it? Eibach and bilstein makes a great 2.5 inch lift with new shocks and springs for around $600. Spacer lifts take away front end travel and risk overextending your struts.
Great coverage on a budget mod! I'd love to see more videos like this since not a lot of us are willing to pay North of $65K for a truck (unless we're financing it like a mortgage).
team andre for sure. damn the truck is looking great.
On my 2015 F150 I put 2.6 Inch raise adjustable coil-overs and got metric 35 inch tires 295/65 20 (I think). and it fits great. no rubbing at all. the truck just got a little slower with the larger tires. But I get slightly better gas mileage because the "effective" final drive ratio is higher now. (as long as I keep it below 70 mph)
Andre, you should also remove your air reflector in te front if you can and also add a 2.5 rear block. That will give you more height in the back if you want to tow.
I'm just glad you show true offroading instead of driving through a puddle or grass.
No not even close, but it's better than it used to be.
Good mods tires & leveling kit will definitely make that truck more off road worthy
Looks like the next contender for taming tumbleweed!!!!
Great video. Love these more realistic off roading vehicles. Enjoy the views of these trails.
Perfect lift and tire size. Exactly the way I would have gone as well.
I have about the same setup on my ‘17 150. Mickey Thompson Baja Boss AT 295/60/20 or 34”x11.5 I also put in 1.5” spacers to get that flush look. Suspension is Bilstien 6112/5160 and lift shackle in the rear. About 2.5” and 1” lift. The Bilstien make the truck ride much better. The. Invest benefit being the rear doesn’t kick out as much over rough roads.
springs before shocks. lose the air dam. gears - 4.56. you can ad a torsen to the front when the life insurance pays on roman. :) also get some super swampers 34x10/17. $1500 installed at 4wheel parts. also engage the locker before you need it. lastly give your kid some more paint.
Glad you got to improve your Trucks off road ability and looks, that’s what makes owning a 4X4 fun
For a long truck like that you need to lift it more if you are going to go through rocky terrain like that, but it's looking better and it's already more capable
Andre, the truck looks so much better! Any thoughts of removing the front air dam?
Here is why - I have back issues, hip issues getting that just right articulation in the seat goes a long way as far as genuine comfort. In addition I really like the XL trim with the appearance package - call me a minimalist - I had a 2018 Lead Foot Gray F-150 Super Cab with the 6 cyl 2.7 twin turbo - the most handsomest truck IMHO in the Ford line-up - there is a reason they featured that truck that trim in all their print media and commercials. The seat was enough for me to get rid of it - thats why.
Dear Andre, tell your daughter she did an excellent job painting your tires! God Bless Fam.
Spending $1000 or so on a Eaton Truetrac for the front would be money well spent for this truck if you're planning to do much off roading.
Just the tires and a lift made the truck look (and perform) bemuch better. Your truck is blue, why don't you spray paint your wheels either white or dark metallic gray? Will improve the look 10x.
Dark metallic grey would look good
Those wheels are absolutely hideous.
My local Costco has always told me that they won't install a tire size that doesn't match the factory size listed on the door sticker.
I am currently looking for a F150 ecoboost. I used to roll a wrangler, than a Frontier Pro4X.. Than my GF wanted a SUV and with gas prices in 2021 and 2022, I gave in and traded my truck for a Brand new Taos.. Great crossover SUV but I miss the bed of a truck and the real 4x4 for our canadians winters. You convinced me that I'm going for a XL ecoboost.
Those tires mathematically are 33.83 inches in diameter and 32.80 inches mounted on the truck. Looks great Andre!
This is pretty much what i did to my truck 6 years ago, a few downsides but overall it works great and way cheaper than a raptor. i run a 35x 12.50 though which isn't great for economy.
TFL. How on earth can you justify taking your budget lift F150 over the razor rocks, but the Silverado ZR2 and Tundra TRD pro didn't go over it?
They didn’t own tundra
Cause Andre owns that f150. It is his personal truck. Whereas the others are manufactuer press trucks.
@@Cavemol5823 They didn't own the Titan when they did it against the Trailboss, they scrapped the shit put of the Titan in the process too
@@terrencejones9817 there you go. They don't do it anymore cause last time they scraped the shit out of a truck..
@@alextran8188 They owned the ZR2 and they never took it over those rocks. The Trailboss did it 3 times.
Andre, you really make me feel satisfied with my 2.7 XL 4x4. Can’t wait to throw 34/35s and a level on it!
The blue suits the blue oval.
Looked slick specifically in the long distance shot of the truck creeping up the straight.
Stock trucks should come from the factory like this anyway. Cool budget build Andre. I did the same thing to my 2020 Silverado 2” level up front and 1” inch in the back
Andrey, what a Great so needed video! with that editing.. And the music theme in the background I watched it on one breath..) Thank you Guys! All Abundant Blessings to YOUR and TFL FAMILY!
A full icon setup would get you a little closer to a raptor, but the travel and frame will never be up the raptor spec without a long travel kit.
Three of the tires have the white lettering out. It looks like the front passenger tire has the lettering to the inside. 16:04 That's one way to reduce the wear on the white paint. :-)
Doesn't matter how long it takes you, people out here modding trucks, spending 1000s just to get it repo'd
Just shows that for a very little bit of extra money you can make a huge difference in the ability of the truck. Make me want to buy a base fx4 now.
you might want to see if that radio headunit allows you to add cameras, otherwise, it's not that difficult to add a front and rear license plate camera to an aftermarket unit, or even a small standalone LED monitor.
Nice upgrades! Years ago I only wanted a Raptor. But by the time I got to where I could actually afford one, I passed. Why? Because all those years while I was waiting to afford another $25K for the Raptor F150, I was putting 2" lift kits and better tires on my XLT 4x4's and actually going all the places in my "cheaper" XLT that guys were in their Raptors. And that's a fact. Now, I simply cannot justify it. Plus I am lighter and narrower, which we all know is gold on tight forest trails. Raptors are for the dunes. That's about it.
Andre to his buddy
“Check my rear end”
275/65 R20 measures to be 34" and you won't need a leveling kit, with an FX4 Package.
Great video!
How do you figure? I think it needs one for sure.
Great video for those that don't have 100k$ pocket change to spend..
Cool innovation
Those feltlike skid plates are always hanging. Mine came loose just commuting... They zip tie it up every oil change. Truck looks great with those tires
Please make a TFL shirt with " Hey dude can you check my rear end"
Love the videos with andre, great to see the f150 in action 💪🏻 I love the new stance.
$1,100 for LT KO2's??? Here in Vegas they're like $1,500 for 4. And that's before taxes. Good video man!
Andre, you have a great setup. Base model, off road package, 285/75's on silver 17" steelies, and white letters on the tires. That wheel height being 50% of the tire height is a great all around setup for a pickup truck.
Also I think you should do an mpg test with and without the lip on the bumper. I think you'll find out that it doesn't change your fuel economy
I thought the 21's are powered and lower up and down based on speed, I don't think the Ford engineers would have put it on the F150 if it didn't make a difference, might be a small percentage, but still helps.
@@garys2157 all modern trucks have them. I took it off every one I've owned and noticed zero fuel economy difference
@@muddybadgers5205 Like I said it may be a small difference, but I am sure there is more than zero difference, the engineers are not wasting time and money to design and put them on every modern truck, and their not there for style points.
My ‘21 Ram Warlock comes from the factory 1” front level.
I can clear 35” tires but went to 285/75/17’s so matching spare fits underneath.
I luv it when Andre inflicts carnage on his own truck! Lol 😂 Upgrade those crappy stock shocks next!