Should I remove the lift kit?

[Dehaka]

So I have this 1996 F250 5.8 with 62,033 miles on it. I purchased the truck with 17,000 miles on it back in 2017. The previous owner put a 3 inch body lift on it with wheel spacers and 305 70 r16 tires on it.
My question is, would it be beneficial to restore the truck back to stock specifications? Is this lift and tire size strenuous on the transmission and engine and if left on, will it shorten the life of the vehicle?

I mostly use the truck for pulling my boat to lakes and as a spare vehicle when my commuter is in the shop.

Thanks for any and all replies.

 

[Blueshound]

I say yes, just on general principles.

 

[atikovi]

Probably more trouble than it's worth. Must be pretty easy to do oil changes on it without needing ramps.

 

[eljefino]

The oversized tires with towing are a bad combo. The lift isn't great but isn't as bad as the tire size IMO.

 

[Wrenchturner44]

Lift kits can be hard on drive line and steering components. It is a fact that trucks with them have significantly more wear on U and CV joints within the drive line. They also can cause steering geometry to be compromised putting more wear on tie rod ends and ball joints. This last wear item is usually not due to the lift kit itself as the cause but usually from the larger tires and wheels that are put on after the lift kit install.

 

[Chris142]

I like it. id leave it.

 

[Lyman]

Lift kits can be hard on drive line and steering components. It is a fact that trucks with them have significantly more wear on U and CV joints within the drive line. They also can cause steering geometry to be compromised putting more wear on tie rod ends and ball joints. This last wear item is usually not due to the lift kit itself as the cause but usually from the larger tires and wheels that are put on after the lift kit install.

This is a body lift not a suspension lift.

 

[Lyman]

I'd leave it alone. It looks fine and is more work than it's worth to try and reverse.
Edit: I'd lose the wheel spacers for sure.

 

[Soft Cars]

You have my permission and my encouragement to put that truck back to stock. Get the stock wheels too.

 

[thunderfog]

Wheel spacers are dangerous AF. If you want the wider stance, get wheels with an offset that supports it.

 

[atikovi]

Wheel spacers are dangerous AF.

Why?

 

[thunderfog]

The stress on the studs of the hub.

I don't know crap from Crisco, but I'd put money on the wheel spacers causing that driver's side front wheel to come off that truck that sent the Kia Soul airborne in California last month...

 

[dumkid]

people buy cheap ones and don't torque them

 

[wpod]

I would remove the wheel spacers. U joints are easy to change.

 

[atikovi]

The stress on the studs of the hub.

I don't know crap from Crisco, but I'd put money on the wheel spacers causing that driver's side front wheel to come off that truck that sent the Kia Soul airborne in California last month...

That's more to do with the Chinese studs that come with the cheap spacer kits.

 

[thunderfog]

That's more to do with the Chinese studs that come with the cheap spacer kits.

You're still changing geometry, and the bearings pay the price.

I agree some are better than others like Spidertrax, but I'd steer clear. Do the lift modestly and adjust your offset modestly by changing wheels if this is a daily driver. Even then, you're still making compromises. I just wouldn't mess with wheel spacers.

 

[atikovi]

If the truck is 80 inches wide, going a half inch out on each side isn't going to add minimal stress to the bearings. Again, if you use Chinese wheel bearings, expect 2-3 years before they wear our, with or without spacers.

Sometimes spacers are needed if you change wheels. Needed these spacers on an E-class Mercedes,

to be able to use these C class wheels, otherwise they hit the caliper.

 

[thunderfog]

If the truck is 80 inches wide, going a half inch out on each side isn't going to add minimal stress to the bearings. Again, if you use Chinese wheel bearings, expect 2-3 years before they wear our, with or without spacers.

Sometimes spacers are needed if you change wheels. Needed these spacers on an E-class Mercedes,

View attachment 154435

to be able to use these C class wheels, otherwise they hit the caliper.

View attachment 154436

Fair enough, and I'll admit I'm speaking only from a lifted truck point of view. In those cases, it just becomes a cheap shortcut that will do more harm than good from a performance standpoint. And by performance, I'm talking about off road capabilities. I'll concede that the issues may not be the same for cars.

 

[AZjeff]

If you put stock tire size back on you must remove the lift. If you drive on road only and the boat isn't heavy the truck is fine as is.

 

[LenZee]

So I have this 1996 F250 5.8 with 62,033 miles on it. I purchased the truck with 17,000 miles on it back in 2017. The previous owner put a 3 inch body lift on it with wheel spacers and 305 70 r16 tires on it.
My question is, would it be beneficial to restore the truck back to stock specifications? Is this lift and tire size strenuous on the transmission and engine and if left on, will it shorten the life of the vehicle?

I mostly use the truck for pulling my boat to lakes and as a spare vehicle when my commuter is in the shop.

Thanks for any and all replies.

Slightly Shorter wheels/tires without spacer and keep the body lift.