Recommended Suspension Enhancement and Towing Parts for a Lifted 2018 Ford F-150 and 10K Trailer

Question:

Hello, Im looking at purchasing a new 2019 F-150 Crew, short box with the max tow package and having a 3inch or 4inch lift installed and running custom rims with 35inch tires. I do tow a 26x8.5foot trailer 3-4 times per week and currently tow it with a ram 3500 diesel. The trailer is about 3400 lbs empty and on average loaded up is probably 7000 lbs at the lightest to up to 10,000 lbs at its heaviest. I know its well within the f-150 tow range when properly equipped. Being that its a longer trailer and nose heavy as its all loaded nose first and tied down, I know it has a lot of tongue weight. With the lift on the F-150, what would you recommend to keep the truck the most stable with the least amount of squat possible. Airbags? Super Springs possibly? Also, with my trailer there is no way to connect the sway bars on a weight distributing hitch system. The tongue of the trailer is all one solid piece with a plate over the top, so the anti sway bars cannot be clamped on each side. With my ram 3500, the trailer makes it squat about 2-3 inches. Before I buy an F-150 and spend a lot of money customizing it, Id like to know if it would even be recommended or not. Thanks

asked by: David M

Expert Reply:

I'll start off by saying the best way to tow is without a lift kit or bigger tires on any pickup because the more height you add the easier it is for your vehicle to squat and the more difficult it can be to find the correct components for towing. With that being said, there are people out there who still tow safely with a lifted truck so it is definitely possible.

If you decide to go ahead with the customization, it sounds like the weight you will be towing with your 2019 Ford F-150 will vary frequently I recommend going with an air bag kit with a compressor kit so that you can adjust how much support you get while you are out and about. The Firestone Ride-Rite Air Helper Springs # F2582 is the best air bag kit out there due to the high quality design of the air bags themselves.

Firestone has lift spacers that you can add to ensure these fit with a lift. Part # F2368 is for a 3" lift (8.5" to 9.5" between upper and lower brackets) while part # F2371 is for a 4" lift (9.5" to 10.5" between upper and lower brackets) Please note that the distance from the outside of the frame to the inside of the tire must be at least 8" for this kit to fit properly.

For an air compressor kit I recommend the Air Command F3 # F2581 because it allows you to adjust each bag individually with the wireless controller.

We actually do have weight distribution (WD) systems that install by bolting into the frame of your trailer instead of using clamps. If you have access to the inside of your trailer A-Frame then I recommend using the Reese Strait-Line # RP66130 because it has integrated sway control and it fights to stop sway before it starts instead of correcting it after the fact. For your application you need the chain hangers # RP58305 and then a longer shank like part # C17124.

Keep in mind that a properly loaded trailer will have a tongue weight (TW) that is 10-15% of the loaded weight of your trailer. You said you tend to load cargo towards the front so I would encourage you to try to distribute the weight to maintain this TW range. It is also worth noting that those chain hangers are only rated for a max of 1,400 lbs of TW. To make sure you have a safe TW for your loaded trailer you can use the scale # e99044.

I have attached some videos and articles that you can also check out.