Top Five F-150 Mods

For the last forty-four years, Ford has been pushing the envelope when it comes to the half-ton pickup market. The F-150 has reached the pinnacle of what a truck can become for any use including the job site, overlanding, tow rig, and your daily driver. F-150 has helped millions of Americans, workers, and families accomplish their lifestyle needs. Like the Mustang, it is one of the most customizable vehicles on the automotive market today. With so much aftermarket support for so many years, it is no wonder why the F-150 is a favorite among the truck enthusiast community. In recent years, Ford has pushed the F-150 to new heights by introducing the Power Stroke Diesel V6, 2.7L EcoBoost, 3.3L V6, 3.5L PowerBoost V6, EcoBoost 3.5L V6, and Coyote 5.0L V8 revolutionizing the pickup to new heights.

While these engine options have made the F-150 a legend again, Ford Performance also went to work to create the most impressive Raptor to date. Taking lessons learned from the first generation Raptor, in 2017 Ford Performance and F-150 engineers went to work to create a second-generation off-road beast. Switching over from the traditional American V8 to a Twin-Turbo EcoBoost 3.5L H/O V6 engine, which gives a V8 with the efficiency of a V6 engine. To further its performance, engineers updated the Fox Racing triple bypass shocks on all four corners in combination with trail terrain modes. Resulting in the most prolific factory purpose-built Baja truck.

Due to years of innovation, Ford now offers the F-150 in multiple trims including the XLT, Lariat, Platinum, and almighty Raptor. Because of this, enthusiasts are always looking to modify their rucks exactly to their needs. Luckily, Steeda has been modifying, providing, and engineering performance parts for the F-150 for more than thirty years. Below you will find our top five modifications for your truck. We believe this will aid you in kicking off your build with a bang!

---

F-150 Suspension F-150 Wheels & Tires F-150 Exhaust F-150 Lighting F-150 Induction

---

F-150 Suspension

Whether it comes to off-roading, towing, or hauling payload, your F-150 suspension is among one of the most important components to conquering whatever terrain is in front of you. Within the past decade, the legendary Ford pickup has pushed the boundaries in capability of towing and off-roading collectively. Due to Ford's incredible design and engineering team, they offer an abundance of options, including a modernized FX4 off-road package equipped with an electronic-locking rear differential, greater ground clearance, and superior tires than previous outgoing models. While at the same time offering strategic technology such as SYNC 3, adaptive cruise control, and a 8-inch infotainment system gives customers more options to build their pickup to meet their needs for whatever lifestyle.

Things were taken up a level in 2017, when Ford Performance debuted the second-generation Raptor, which took the first generation Raptor suspension to an entirely new level of capability. With the introduction of revised triple-bypass Fox Racing shocks, beefier leaf springs, front coil springs, lower control arms, and supporting suspension parts. The second generation Raptor can achieve slightly better suspension travel with significantly more shock rebound to reduce bottoming out on the trail. While on the other hand, the standard F-150 received better suspension to acquire outstanding ride quality, improved fuel economy, payload, and towing.

Giving enthusiasts the ability to improve their F-150 from the aftermarket from a suspension standpoint allows to add a personal touch and purpose including a lift kit, upgraded shocks, stronger control arms, as well as stiffer leaf springs. All together will aid enthusiasts in getting a better stance, ground clearance, and give hardcore truck enthusiasts more suspension travel while gaining more grip while towing a heavy load. Below is an offering of what we feel will aid your 2011-2020 F-150 or first and second-generation Raptor suspension!

• Shocks: Depending on what you need for your rig, Steeda carries a wide selection of shock absorbers for different needs, including ride quality, suspension rebound, and suspension travel. For example, we have even greater Fox Racing Shocks for your 2017-2020 Raptor.






• Control Arms: As most F-150 models have been for the last twenty years, they have been equipped with IFS (Independent Front Suspension). It allows for a tremendous on-road capability for a quieter ride and suspension rebound. Although the factory upper & lower control arms are excellent for the average F-150 owner, an enthusiast will take their truck to the limits off-roading and towing. We solve this problem by offering higher strength steel for both upper and lower control arms for durability and longevity. Most of our control arms will come with upgraded ball joints and hardware included.





• Suspension Kits: If you're looking for something quick and painless, without having to shop for all the necessary suspension parts to give your F-150 a lift or simple leveling kit. Picking a designed and engineered suspension kit will not only save you money but will save you headaches and time. Also, most suspension kits come with a warranty when professionally installed by a trained automotive technician. Whether you're looking for a six-inch lift kit or a simple 2.5 inch leveling kit to get rid of the factory rake, we have what you need to build your dream rig.

F-150 Wheels & Tires

• Wheels: If you ask any truck or F-150 enthusiast, one of the first things they will discuss in modifying their pickup is changing the factory set of wheels & tires. Among everything in the aftermarket and truck industry, wheels & tires are the most popular modification by far other than suspension. Aftermarket wheels can be a game-changer for your truck’s look by making it stand out more and look more aggressive than ever before. Fitting some aggressive wheels to your truck and pairing it with big offroad-style tires is a guaranteed way to build up your truck’s look.The case behind this is simple; every enthusiast wants their truck to stand out from the thousands of pickups out on the American road today. With our decades of experience with the F-150, Steeda has offers many wheel & tire options to give each enthusiast an edge in style and performance.

• Tires: While on the other hand, tires are the rubber that meets the road literally. Like the Mustang, F-150 relies on tires as much to meet so many different types of terrains: from off-roading, towing, and daily driving. We have the options of tires to give you the tools to meet your needs for your truck!

F-150 Lighting

• Lighting: When it comes to the community of F-150 enthusiasts and off-roaders, lighting is a critical factor for safety, utility, and purpose. You can never go wrong upgrading the lighting in your F-150 over the stock lights and housing. Even though many new trucks come with LED or Xenon lighting, their lighting can always be upgraded. For decades, the F-150 has reached out to the aftermarket to aid in off-road adventures, better vision on the highway, and functionality. Whether it is upgrading your dated halogen stock headlights to modern LED headlights that will help you in terms of light output and, in turn, give you the safety you deserve. Changing these will give you better lighting and improve visibility while adding some custom flair to your truck to help it stand out even more. When off-roading purposes, light pods, light cubes, and light bars will provide you with the ability to light the night with over six thousand lumens. No matter what you're looking for, we carry all the parts you'll need to help you light the road up better than you imagined.

F-150 Induction

No matter what kind of automotive enthusiast you talk to, adding more horsepower to your vehicle has always been a goal for anyone. Steeda understands this philosophy at its most effective form; by developing and offering a wide selection of induction parts, we can compliment modifications like suspension kits, whether for a street application or off-road use. Well, luckily, within the last decade, engine options have been a plethora for F-150 enthusiasts and owners alike.

It gives companies like Steeda the ability to develop and engineer performance parts that will benefit enthusiasts in every aspect. Like our Mustang products, we ensure that every product we manufacture ourselves or offer from the top vendors from the aftermarket will give you real-world horsepower numbers and gains throughout the RPM range. Torque for off-roading and the ability to have tire slaying horsepower for the street truck enthusiasts out there.

• Cold Air Intakes: Across the automotive industry, Cold Air Intake is the most popular way for enthusiasts to gain real-world horsepower without breaking the bank. Usually, among F-150 owners, it will be one of the first things they attack other than a set of wheels and tires to get a little more out of their new or used Ford pickup. It is the best bang for your buck performance modification we think other than exhaust.






• Superchargers: For many years, both the F150 and Mustang have enjoyed the influence of superchargers being pushed into the lineup in an OEM application like the F-150 Lightning or aftermarket applications for a purpose-built Baja chase truck purposes. Unlike a cold air intake, a supercharger adds more fuel to result in additional horsepower and torque as opposed to just air. As a result, your Gen I, II, or III Coyote 5.0L V8 engine can produce well over 600 brake horsepower by just installing it. Whether you're off-roading or hitting the streets to shred your tires, a supercharger will give you the power to conquer your terrain.






• Throttle Bodies: This is the key to giving your F-150 engine acceleration on demand from your gas pedal. At every level of your pedal, the throttle body's blade will open to a certain degree to allow the engine to consume a correct amount of air to produce horsepower for output. Airflow is measured by what is called CFM or better known as cubic feet per minute. Meaning the ability for how much air is moving into the engine at a rate of every minute. As the saying goes, the more air and fuel you put into your F-150 engine, the more horsepower you will produce throughout the RPM range.

F-150 Exhaust

One voice is singular among the entire automotive and performance industry: exhaust note is the single characteristic that can make or break your vehicles personality. In particular, F-150 enthusiasts are highly selective about what their truck sounds like to let the truck community know you mean business. For the last thirty years, companies like Borla, Corsa, Steeda, and Magnaflow have developed various exhaust systems and exhaust parts from mild to wild to make your Ford pickup an absolute beast.

• Headers: Now, if you're the type of enthusiast who is seeking all-out performance while letting everyone here you, then a set of headers on your Coyote powered F-150 is for you. These will significantly help you gain tremendous horsepower if your pickup is supercharged; some enthusiasts have seen well over 700 horsepower at the flywheel with headers' addition. More often than not, the type of enthusiast who will add these to their F-150 is building a prolific street truck or an all-out Baja racer to conquer the desert.






• Mid-Pipes: The great thing about mid-pipes is they are the most cost-effective part of your exhaust system. They benefit your F-150 by turning up the volume while adding efficiency and, most crucially, horsepower over the stock OEM component.






• Cat-Back: With so many F-150s sold annually in every trim, there is more than enough aftermarket support for exhaust on the newest F-150 model. One of the easiest ways to completely change your truck’s attitude is by installing an aftermarket cat-back exhaust which will increase power output while also giving your truck a more powerful exhaust note both at idle and under heavy acceleration which will make a statement anywhere you go. From the factory, the OEM Cat-Back is designed for efficiency and quietness for the masses. Fortunately for enthusiasts, the aftermarket offers a wide array of offerings to enhance performance, efficiency, and horsepower easily. So if you're the type of enthusiast who wants more power, better efficiency, and an awesome exhaust note then picking up a cat-back exhaust system will be right for you!

---

Related Articles

• 

  Top Five Fox Body Mustang Mods

• 

  F-150 Raptor Engine Guide

• 

  Mud-Terrain vs All-Terrain Tires