Available through Ford dealers for $1,495 before installation.
Taking a page from the Mopar and the aftermarket, Ranger and F-150 owners can now buy the first-ever Ford Performance off-road leveling kits with tuned suspension. Yes, the era of the performance truck is well underway as growing OE and aftermarket offerings keep expanding. (New Colorado ZR2 – an Off-Road Performance Pickup, More Trucks – Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison, Chevy Performance Releases Colorado ZR2 Race Parts, First Look – New or Revised 2020 Jeep Gladiator)
Most Ranger and F-150 trucks are purchased with four-wheel drive, and it’s said the leveling kits will enable off-road drivers to risk more challenging terrain. Beyond adding additional ground clearance, off-road performance is improved with Ford truck-optimized FOX shocks.
Ranger has a ~21% increase in approach angle and a 10% increase in break-over angle.
The dealer-installed off-road leveling kits for Ranger and F-150 include:
- New aluminum FOX shock bodies are designed to provide ample cooling capacity over rough terrain
- New front coil-over springs deliver optimal spring rate
- Vehicle-specific upper front mounts with polyurethane bushings work to help isolate noise and vibration
- 2-inch front lift levels the truck from front to rear
Ford Performance engineers worked with FOX to develop internal valving for the shocks to deliver performance and predictable handling both off-road and on the pavement.
With kit installation, both Ranger and F-150 improve front ground clearance, approach and break-over angles, based on internal Ford computer generated engineering simulations. Ranger has a ~21% increase in approach angle and a 10% increase in break-over angle. F-150 with a 145-inch wheelbase sees an approximate ~22% increase in approach angle and 7% increase in break-over angle.
Development and testing for the leveling kits included high-speed off-roading in Borrego, California, and low-speed rock-crawling in Arizona on a variety of off-road routes.
These new offerings are available through Ford dealers for $1,495 before installation. The kits are designed to be installed at the dealer on any four-wheel-drive 2019 Ranger or four-wheel-drive 2015-19 F-150. Kits come with a Ford Performance Parts limited warranty.
Off-road fans can order Ford Performance Parts leveling kits for Ranger and F-150 later this fall. More information at Ford Performance Parts.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
First Ford Performance Off-Road Leveling Kits
Available through Ford dealers for $1,495 before installation.
Taking a page from the Mopar and the aftermarket, Ranger and F-150 owners can now buy the first-ever Ford Performance off-road leveling kits with tuned suspension. Yes, the era of the performance truck is well underway as growing OE and aftermarket offerings keep expanding. (New Colorado ZR2 – an Off-Road Performance Pickup, More Trucks – Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison, Chevy Performance Releases Colorado ZR2 Race Parts, First Look – New or Revised 2020 Jeep Gladiator)
Most Ranger and F-150 trucks are purchased with four-wheel drive, and it’s said the leveling kits will enable off-road drivers to risk more challenging terrain. Beyond adding additional ground clearance, off-road performance is improved with Ford truck-optimized FOX shocks.
Ranger has a ~21% increase in approach angle and a 10% increase in break-over angle.
The dealer-installed off-road leveling kits for Ranger and F-150 include:
Ford Performance engineers worked with FOX to develop internal valving for the shocks to deliver performance and predictable handling both off-road and on the pavement.
With kit installation, both Ranger and F-150 improve front ground clearance, approach and break-over angles, based on internal Ford computer generated engineering simulations. Ranger has a ~21% increase in approach angle and a 10% increase in break-over angle. F-150 with a 145-inch wheelbase sees an approximate ~22% increase in approach angle and 7% increase in break-over angle.
Development and testing for the leveling kits included high-speed off-roading in Borrego, California, and low-speed rock-crawling in Arizona on a variety of off-road routes.
These new offerings are available through Ford dealers for $1,495 before installation. The kits are designed to be installed at the dealer on any four-wheel-drive 2019 Ranger or four-wheel-drive 2015-19 F-150. Kits come with a Ford Performance Parts limited warranty.
Off-road fans can order Ford Performance Parts leveling kits for Ranger and F-150 later this fall. More information at Ford Performance Parts.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.