With the $2000 tier in the books for our 2018 F150, it's now time to chart a new course for our $4500 budget and bring out some heavier hitting mods. For this round we're going to be tackling some Rancho QuickLIFT suspension, new Fuel wheels, an S&B intake, Bully Dog tuner, more LED bulb upgrades and a couple simple accessories for the bed and cab! There's a lot going in to this tier of the build so make sure you head down below to get all the details!
Swapping out our leveling spacer and factory struts with these Rancho QuickLIFTs is one of the biggest changes we made for this tier of our build, but it's for good reason. Spacers are fine for getting a little more lift to fit a bigger tire, but don't provide the strength or off road comfort that you can get from a leveled strut. These QuickLIFTs are rated to give us 2.75" of lift and with some sag in the springs after settling, we are sitting at around 2.50" which is a perfect fit for our F150. 14-18 F150 Rancho QuickLIFT Leveling Kit
To match up with our new Rancho QuickLIFT's we chose to run a pair of Rancho RS9000XL shocks in the rear. These upgraded rear shocks have a 2.75" diameter shock body for better damping, a 9-way adjuster to dial in the ride quality and are designed with the weekend warrior in mind. The RS9000XL's are a little more firm than our factory shocks and provide more stability and control in the rear end when driving our F150 off road. 04-18 F150 Rancho RS9000XL Rear Shock
With our new suspension setup locked in we moved forward into the realm of wheels and tries. In the previous tier we had been running the factory 18" wheels with a 1.50" spacer, but for this round we wanted to eliminate the spacer entirely and get a wheel that looked tougher and more suitable for the build. What we chose was an 18x9 Fuel Sledge with a 01mm offset to provide the right stance for our F150 and a gloss black finish that looks excellent paired with the metallic blue paint. 2004-2018 F150 Fuel Sledge 18x9" Wheel
We kept our set of 275/70R18 Falken Wilpeak A/T tires from the first budget tier and mounted them up on our new Fuel wheels. These Falken's measure out to a 33.4" tire which is a perfect fit with our 2.5" Rancho leveling kit. The blocky tread pattern provides us with better traction in the mud, rocks and sand, but still behaves nicely on the highway and doesn't pester us with excessive road noise. LT275/70R18 Falken WildPeak All-Terrain A/T3W Tire
One of the top go-to engine mods for almost any vehicle is a cold air intake, so we picked up an S&B intake system with an oiled filter for our 2018 F150 to start waking things up under the hood. This system allows for better throttle response and higher air flow so our 2018 F150's V8 can breathe a little easier when we get on the gas. Additionally, S&B's oiled filter can be cleaned and re-oiled so we don't have to buy replacements as it gets dirty over time. 2018 F150 5.0L S&B Cold Air Intake Kit
The tried and true 5.0L V8 paired with the new 10 speed transmission in our 2018 F150 is a powerful combination and it can be made even stronger with a little help from Bully Dog and our friends at 5 Star Tuning. With 5 Star's custom tunes we're able to bulk up our F150 with up to 55HP and 45 lb-ft. of torque. On top of that, the Bully Dog BDX tuner allows us to not only tune the truck, but also run live gauges, check DTC's and datalog engine info. 15-18 F150 5.0L Bully Dog 5 Star BDX Tuner w/ Custom Tunes
The stock taillight bulbs in our F150 work fine, but they're certainly boring and a bit underwhelming for a truck built in 2018. To modernize the look of our truck's rear end and pull some better light output we decided to install a set of Putco's Plasma LED taillight bulbs. These bulbs simply plug in place of the factory units and create a bright red light that's much sportier looking than factory. Because these bulbs can also act as turn signals you will need to install a resistor kit to prevent hyperlinking. 04-18 F150 Putco Plasma LED Taillight Bulbs
A quick and easy upgrade we wanted to make sure we tossed in for this round was a set of Diode Dynamics LED license plate lights. These small SMD2 LED's provide a bright white light in place of the dull halogen bulbs that tend to have a dated yellow hue. They install quickly and painlessly with a few basic hand tools and are one of the most affordable parts we've picked up so far. 11-18 F150 Diode Dynamics LED License Plate Lights
Just because we're working within a tight budget doesn't mean we have to skip out on the details. In typical Stage 3 fashion we made sure our 2018 F150 was outfitted with a new Raptor style amber grille light kit, which has basically become a right of passage for our builds at this point. This LED light kit is a great way to give your build some of that Raptor-inspired flair without the Raptor-inspired price tag. As an added bonus, this light kit is a simple, hassle free install that you can do at home! 2018 F150 Custom Auto Works Raptor Style LED Amber Grille Light Kit
Weak light output can make driving at night frustrating and even unsafe, so we cranked up our F150's light output with a pair of CrystaLux LED fog light bulbs. The CrystaLux LEDs are capable of producing up to 12,000 raw lumens at a 6500K color temperature for a sharp white light. These LED bulbs are direct replacements for the factory bulbs and they reuse the stock fog light housings for a simple, hassle-free light upgrade. F150 CrystaLux XHP50 H10 LED Fog Lights
With the fog lights handled we needed to tackle the problem of our dim halogen headlights. Sticking with the theme of LED lighting we chose to install Diode Dynamics SL1 LED low beam bulbs to match the bright white color of the fog lights we installed and increase output and safety. These Diode Dynamics bulbs are an excellent way to improve the truck's lighting without committing to the price of an entirely new set of housings or a more expensive HID conversion. 15-18 F150 Diode Dynamics SL1 Low Beam LED Conversion Kit
We picked up our F150 brand new, straight off the lot which means it's very clean inside and we'd very much like for it to stay that way. We threw down some WeatherTech floor mats in the front and back of the cab for the ultimate carpet protection. These mats are form fitted to the truck's floor pan so that they tuck into all the grooves and catch every bit of mud, sand, and spilled coffee that will inevitably make it's way in to our cab. 15-18 F150 SuperCrew WeatherTech Digital Fit Black Front & Rear Floor Mats
Tonneau covers are essential to any Stage 3 build. We love the cargo protection, fuel savings, and the sleek look they provide. For the budget build, we needed a bed cover that does all of that without breaking the bank, and the Tonno Fold Tri-Fold Tonneau Cover by Tonno Pro more than fit the bill. Featuring a heavy-duty aluminum frame and durable vinyl, the Tonno Fold is durable and sturdy enough to handle the Stage 3 lifestyle. 15-18 F150 & Raptor 5.5ft Bed Tonno Pro Tonno Fold Tri-Fold Tonneau Cover
BedRug's Impact BedMat is designed to provide the ultimate in bed protection for our F150. The top layer of the liner is constructed from an ultra-thick TPO composite that is both slip and skid resistant so that cargo stays in place for the long haul. The 3/4" padded under-layer provides dent and impact resistance while offering cushion to prevent damaging your cargo. 15-18 F150 5.5ft Bed BedRug Impact BedMat
If you know Stage 3 Motorsports, you know we like to get the most out of our builds. We use our project trucks for both work and play, which leads to all sorts of equipment, tools, and parts laying around the cab unattended. For that reason, Husky Liners' Underseat Gear Box is one of our favorite upgrades. This extremely durable storage compartment tucks neatly under your rear seats without sacrificing any leg room at all. It's also ridiculously easy to install, so that's always a bonus.2015-2018 F150 & Raptor SuperCab Husky Liner Underseat Gear Box
Sometimes you just need a little something to separate your truck from the rest. For our 2018 F150 Budget Build, these Black Platinum Stainless Steel Tailgate Letters by Putco were just that something. These easy, affordable, and high-quality stainless steel tailgate letters make the bold "F150" lettering on our build's tailgate really pop, and they make a surprising amount of difference in how our Budget Build looks from the rear. 2018 F150 Putco Black Platinum Stainless Steel Tailgate Letters
Anything that makes life a little easier for truck owners on a budget is a good thing, which is why we couldn't wait to install DeeZee's Tailgate Assist on our 2018 Budget Build. For the price of dinner, this easy-to-install kit makes opening your tailgate a whole lot easier and safer by allowing your tailgate to smoothly and slowly lower when the handle is pulled. The kit reuses your truck's stock cables and comes with hardware and instructions to ensure an easy, painless install. 2015-2018 F150 DeeZee Tailgate Assist
