We kicked things off with a few budget-friendly mods that are more easily attainable for the daily-drivers and weekend warriors out there before moving on to a more advanced build. We started by bolting on an S3M 2.3 Inch Spacer Leveling Kit to level out the stance and create room for a new set of LT295/60R20 Nitto Recon Grappler Tires. Then we splurged and picked up a set of 4 Ford Performance 20x8.5 Inch Gloss Black Wheels which gave our truck a more menacing presence. After that we swapped out the dull, factory, low-beam, headlight bulbs with CrystaLux H11 LED bulbs and swapped the fog lights to OLM Alpha H10 LED Fog Light Bulbs which provided far better light output and modernized the look. Lastly, we tossed on a pair of Ford Performance Tow Hooks (Gloss Red Powder Coat) to add a pop of color in the sea of black and gray.
For phase 2 of this build we wanted to focus on off-road oriented upgrades that would make our F-150 more capable in the dirt. The first order of business was removing the spacer leveling kit and bolting on a Fox Stage 1 Suspension Package to improve ride quality on the trail as well as add some lift up front to clear the new wheel and tire combo. We made sure to toss in an SPC HD Camber & Caster Kit to maintain proper alignment as well. While the 20" gloss black wheels were stylish, we decided to swap over to Ford Performance 18x7.5" Matte Gray Tremor Wheels to allow for meatier sidewalls on the tire and a more rugged overall look. Sticking with Nitto for this phase, we opted for a set of LT295/70R18 Nitto Recon Grappler Tires which gave us all the grip we needed in the rough stuff, without sacrificing on-road manners.
One of the main weak points of our F150 was the lackluster, factory, halogen lighting. The stock headlights were the first to go and in their place we installed AlphaRex Nova LED Headlights (Alpha Black), massively improving our rig's light output and transforming the entire look of the truck. It was clear that the fog lights would need help too so we added a Baja Designs Clear SAE Pro Fog Light Kit that offers practical, high-powered lighting for both the street and trail. To top it all off we bolted on Grimm Offroad Hood Hinge Light Mounts with a set of Baja Designs Squadron Sport Edition Wide Cornering LED Lights which provided great coverage as ditch lights on late night trail runs.
The 3.5L EcoBoost V6 is an impressively powerful motor in stock form so squeezing more out of it was not a huge concern for this build. However, it is a quiet and somewhat boring powertrain, so a wakeup call was in order to truly let this truck sing. Under the hood we dropped in an S&B Cold Air Intake (Dry Filter) to enhance the sound of the turbos and punch up the throttle response slightly and alongside it we installed an AWE 0FG Cat-Back Exhaust System (Black Tip) which gave our EcoBoost a smooth, throaty sound under acceleration and a comfortable drone free experience when cruising on the highway.
It's hard to beat the utility that tonneau covers offer when it comes to keeping your gear out of the elements so we tossed on an Extang Trifecta 2.0 Folding Tonneau Cover (5.5ft Bed) to keep our camping supplies, camera equipment and recovery gear a little better protected. We didn't want to neglect the small details with this build so we also made sure to swap our factory antenna for a shorter and more modern looking FactionFab Black Stubby Antenna.
