The High Country Build

[High_Country]

I FINALLY get to start my own build! At exactly 7 months after I placed my order, my truck arrived at the dealership on 7/2. I took delivery the evening of 7/5/2022 exactly 36 hours before we were to leave on a week long family camping trip to Colorado. Of course I HAD to take the new truck on the trip! Plans included overlanding / back country primitive camping and wheeling in the Buena Vista and Crested Butte area and it would be a great shake down trip for the new truck.
The new ride next to the old ride (yeah, I like white trucks):

Due to the bad influencers on this forum I had in the garage waiting:

• Husky X-act Contour Series front and rear floor liners https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T16VZPV?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
• Husky wheel well liners https://www.amazon.com/dp/B097BK3YJ9?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
• Bed rug https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R6LZUW4?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
• Tonneau Cover (as a cheap interim solution til I find a cap - RSI Smartcap or otherwise) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LZA8UUN?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_detail

With the clock ticking I got the above four things installed in one evening. No pics of the floor liners or wheel well liners - everyone's seen those!

With one evening left before pulling out I set out wiring a constant 12V power source to rear of the truck for the ICECO VL45 fridge/freezer (a recent thread by @Yeti just posted about these). I ran an 8 gauge wire from the battery through the frame and up and out the rear passenger stake pocket and through the bedrug. The 8 gauge wire has a 50amp auto-resetting breaker at the battery. For now, the fridge is the only thing it's powering and has a 15 amp inline fuse in the power wire in the bed. The fridge is mounted to a slide. Here's a pic from the camp site in Colorado - didn't event have time to grab one at home before we left.

With exactly 203 miles on the odometer, I hooked up to our little camping trailer (super lightweight) and headed off. Here's a couple pics from the 'wild':

We're still on the vacation - finally broke 1,000 miles today on Cottonwood Pass from Buena Vista to Crested Butte. The truck has been great and I'll comment on driving impressions when we return and I have more time.

Near future mods include:
Autospring 2" spacer lift (interim until something more sorted for our Tremors come out...if ever) (already ordered)
Window Tint
OCD Plug Screen Protector
Rear Shocks (oh the decisions here)
Cap of some kind - RSI Smart Cap or ????

~Sent from somewhere in Crested Butte

 

[Yeti]

There are so many things I love about this. Last minute builds are my specialty.

 

[sollie]

~Sent from somewhere in Crested Butte

Were you driving around near Gothic yesterday or Monday? I think I saw you!

 

[High_Country]

Yes I was! Had a great time hiking Rustler’s Gulch and then Washington Gulch the next day. The wildflowers were all over - wife and kids got a kick out of trying to identify them all.
Caught a full moon coming up on the way home after fly fishing the East River.

 

[metallikatz3]

Damn that looks like an awesome trip. I toured around there a couple years ago and hope I can get back next summer for a week

 

[High_Country]

After a pause on mods because I was trying to resolve a driveline issue, I am now cleared to continue!
(Issue I had and resolution here: https://www.f150tremor.com/threads/...starting-from-a-stop-forward-or-reverse.1214/)

Next up:
Auto Spring 2.0" leveling kit (interim solution until we all decide what is actually a good aftermarket coil over solution up front)
LT285/75/R18 Cooper AT3 XLT's (34.8" diameter)
Gotta decide on rear shocks
Tint all around with the goal of reducing solar heat gain and glare (not to get that 'murdered out' look)
Rear airbags, day star cradles

Keeping an eye out for a white fiberglass topper in case one pops up used for a good deal while I wait on availability for RSI's Smart Cap.

Feels good to be back in it!

 

[High_Country]

UPDATE:
Auto Spring 2.0" spacer installed. I ended up with more than 2-inches (sitting at about 2-1/2" of lift right now). It's settled some from the initial 3"+ the day I installed it. I installed it from the 'bottom up' by taking out the LCA and not taking it apart at the UCA / breaking the ball joint loose. The instructions I followed said to loosen the UCA bolts to allow some play. I will NOT do that next time as I don't think you need to and I think by doing so, I put some pre-load into the UCA's when I tightened them back up before sitting it back down. Anyways...no big deal. It looks great (IMO) at 2-1/2" and if it settles another 1/4" or so, great.
I had no issues getting it aligned. The only thing that was off was my toe. Mark your LCA bolts before loosening them and put them back in the same spot.
Also got tint put on today. I didn't want it very dark (though the pic makes it look that way!). I had him put 28% over the rear doors and back and 15% on the fronts to closely match the rears. I also had an upper windshield strip of 20% added. All ceramic.
I like it - from the inside I should still have good visibility and hopefully knocked down the heat gain.
I have ordered the Air Lift Ultimate bags, day star cradles, and a gauge and fittings. That's this weekend's project. Stay tuned.

 

[jonesy23]

View attachment 6207
UPDATE:
Auto Spring 2.0" spacer installed. I ended up with more than 2-inches (sitting at about 2-1/2" of lift right now). It's settled some from the initial 3"+ the day I installed it. I installed it from the 'bottom up' by taking out the LCA and not taking it apart at the UCA / breaking the ball joint loose. The instructions I followed said to loosen the UCA bolts to allow some play. I will NOT do that next time as I don't think you need to and I think by doing so, I put some pre-load into the UCA's when I tightened them back up before sitting it back down. Anyways...no big deal. It looks great (IMO) at 2-1/2" and if it settles another 1/4" or so, great.
I had no issues getting it aligned. The only thing that was off was my toe. Mark your LCA bolts before loosening them and put them back in the same spot.
Also got tint put on today. I didn't want it very dark (though the pic makes it look that way!). I had him put 28% over the rear doors and back and 15% on the fronts to closely match the rears. I also had an upper windshield strip of 20% added. All ceramic.
I like it - from the inside I should still have good visibility and hopefully knocked down the heat gain.
I have ordered the Air Lift Ultimate bags, day star cradles, and a gauge and fittings. That's this weekend's project. Stay tuned.

Notice any changes in handling? Can’t get rougher ha.

 

[High_Country]

Notice any changes in handling? Can’t get rougher ha.

No changes in ride or handling at all. I am still at about 2-1/2" of lift over stock.

I also need to update this thread so here goes:

Installed my Airlift Ultimate air bags with cradles this weekend. (The ultimates have the internal jounce bumper.)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098BK8WP7?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087CHYG3S?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KGG415G?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HRPNJLB?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

Went in okay after some fiddling and figuring out how the cradles work. I plumbed both bags together, added a gauge, and put the gauge and the schrader valve next to the license plate. Did a 30psi leak down test overnight that passed fine.

Also, experimented with a homemade vent light setup. Used some simple, cheap amber LED’s.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08G4Y5B2D?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

I think I like em - not sure if they’re bright enough…but ya don’t want them TOO bright either. We’ll see. I wired them to the parking lamps just like the F150LED kit's instructions say to do. There's a video on YouTube as well.

 

[jonesy23]

Great job on mods!

 

[MidlandTremor]

Did you order
The yellow or orange version of those lights?

 

[High_Country]

Did you order
The yellow or orange version of those lights?

I ordered the yellow. The orange to me looked too red in the pic. I like the tone of the yellow which to me is more ‘amber/gold’.

 

[MidlandTremor]

I thought the same looking at pics on Amazon; just wanted to double check

 

[MedSteps17]

No changes in ride or handling at all. I am still at about 2-1/2" of lift over stock.

I also need to update this thread so here goes:

Installed my Airlift Ultimate air bags with cradles this weekend. (The ultimates have the internal jounce bumper.)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B098BK8WP7?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087CHYG3S?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KGG415G?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HRPNJLB?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

Went in okay after some fiddling and figuring out how the cradles work. I plumbed both bags together, added a gauge, and put the gauge and the schrader valve next to the license plate. Did a 30psi leak down test overnight that passed fine.

Also, experimented with a homemade vent light setup. Used some simple, cheap amber LED’s.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08G4Y5B2D?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

I think I like em - not sure if they’re bright enough…but ya don’t want them TOO bright either. We’ll see. I wired them to the parking lamps just like the F150LED kit's instructions say to do. There's a video on YouTube as well.

The lights look great! I think the reflection off the white adds a nice touch.

 

[Dackjob2]

View attachment 6207
UPDATE:
Auto Spring 2.0" spacer installed. I ended up with more than 2-inches (sitting at about 2-1/2" of lift right now). It's settled some from the initial 3"+ the day I installed it. I installed it from the 'bottom up' by taking out the LCA and not taking it apart at the UCA / breaking the ball joint loose. The instructions I followed said to loosen the UCA bolts to allow some play. I will NOT do that next time as I don't think you need to and I think by doing so, I put some pre-load into the UCA's when I tightened them back up before sitting it back down. Anyways...no big deal. It looks great (IMO) at 2-1/2" and if it settles another 1/4" or so, great.
I had no issues getting it aligned. The only thing that was off was my toe. Mark your LCA bolts before loosening them and put them back in the same spot.
Also got tint put on today. I didn't want it very dark (though the pic makes it look that way!). I had him put 28% over the rear doors and back and 15% on the fronts to closely match the rears. I also had an upper windshield strip of 20% added. All ceramic.
I like it - from the inside I should still have good visibility and hopefully knocked down the heat gain.
I have ordered the Air Lift Ultimate bags, day star cradles, and a gauge and fittings. That's this weekend's project. Stay tuned.

Was it a royal pain to install them yourself? I have watched a install on Stage 3 Motorsports, seems straight forward. One thing I have not come across are the torques, would you have them by chance?

 

[High_Country]

I watched that same video. It’s pretty straightforward. I would NOT loosen the UCA bolts though like they did. I don’t think it’s necessary.
The biggest ‘pain’ was just getting the truck jacked up, wheel off, etc one side at a time. Doing it on a lift would make it super easy.
You’ll need a jack or second set of hands to help lift the lower control arm back up and hold it there for install.
Oh, and torque values - I think they came in the AutoSpring instructions.

 

[Dackjob2]

Gotcha. Thanks for the info. Wasn’t sure what instructions came with the auto springs. The 2” bring you close to level or u still have a little rake?

 

[High_Country]

I've fallen behind on my updates! The biggest change is that I replaced my AutoSpring 2.0" spacer lift with the HaloLift 2.0 Mountain Package. If you somehow haven't seen it, there's a dedicated thread for this lift with LOTS of info and pics. Gratuitous pic of the hardware:

I am impressed with the apparent quality of the finish and overall feel of the components. Installation was simple and with the SPC UCA's, there was no issue with alignment. (But, I didn't have any issues with alignment specs previously with the stock UCA's and spacer lift. The SPC UCA's should provide better clearance through the suspension cycle as well as the added adjustment - so it's not just about getting it aligned).
I backed the adjustment collars essentially ALL THE WAY down to about 1.5 threads left above the collar and have achieved about 1.75" of lift over stock. I have a little over an inch of rake, CV angles look tolerable. The ride is acceptable as well. I feel like there is less brake dive and while it doesn't feel much different at low speeds, I think it's more compliant on bigger events at speed (think hitting a railroad crossing at 60mph).
I don't have decent straight on from the side shots to show off, but there's plenty of those pics with similar lifts. We all know what it looks like!

 

[High_Country]

Also, I just installed the RCI transmission skid (fuel tank skid coming shortly). For those that don't know, or haven't crawled under your truck, the factory transmission "skid plate" is not metal but a floppy fibrous material. I think the factory piece would be good as a splash guard/snow guard, a grass and debris guard, but I would NOT trust it for protection of the transmission pad against rocks, stumps, or heavy rutted road bumps. Here's a couple pics of stock skid just fyi:

And here's some pics of the RCI piece (I went with raw aluminum to save weight and not worry about corrosion):

I'm a return customer to RCI and have been impressed with their fit and finish and attention to detail. Heck, they even use button-head fasteners on the bottom side as they are lower profile and less likely to hang up on something.
If you are keeping your FACTORY engine skid, it slots into this transmission skid. The rear overlaps with the transfer case skid. Here's a pic of it installed:

 

[Aliass24]

I've fallen behind on my updates! The biggest change is that I replaced my AutoSpring 2.0" spacer lift with the HaloLift 2.0 Mountain Package. If you somehow haven't seen it, there's a dedicated thread for this lift with LOTS of info and pics. Gratuitous pic of the hardware:

I am impressed with the apparent quality of the finish and overall feel of the components. Installation was simple and with the SPC UCA's, there was no issue with alignment. (But, I didn't have any issues with alignment specs previously with the stock UCA's and spacer lift. The SPC UCA's should provide better clearance through the suspension cycle as well as the added adjustment - so it's not just about getting it aligned).
I backed the adjustment collars essentially ALL THE WAY down to about 1.5 threads left above the collar and have achieved about 1.75" of lift over stock. I have a little over an inch of rake, CV angles look tolerable. The ride is acceptable as well. I feel like there is less brake dive and while it doesn't feel much different at low speeds, I think it's more compliant on bigger events at speed (think hitting a railroad crossing at 60mph).
I don't have decent straight on from the side shots to show off, but there's plenty of those pics with similar lifts. We all know what it looks like!

Nice, would you say it rides better than with the spacer is it just as soft.