Utilizing Carli SPEC 2.0″ Diameter, Remote Reservoir shocks, we’ve developed a tune that delivers all around comfort and ride quality designed for on-road, in town, highway, towing/hauling as well as slow to mid speed off road use. The remote reservoir Carli SPEC 2.0 boasts 6063 Aluminum construction, anodized body for corrosion resistance, 5/8″ hardened steel chrome plated shaft, full serviceability & rebuildability and are built with 1-peice bushings in the 6061 billet rod-ends. These shocks are spec’d with a premium 5WT oil to balance lubricity, consistent damping and the widest available range in temperature variation. We back these with a 1-year warranty, serviced by Carli. More details on these shocks can be found.

 

The Super Duty Backcountry 2.0 system is designed for people seeking the best ride on and off-road quality on a budget; basically, the Commuter for those that want to have a little dirt-road fun in their 8,500lb truck without losing the on-road ride quality or usability for which the truck was designed. You’re no longer limited to the highway while gravel roads become uninteresting as you can drive them at speed with one hand on the wheel.

 

The truck will sit 5.5” higher in the front and have more wheel travel thanks to the taller, Progressive Rate Coil Springs. Radius Arm Drop Brackets reset the pivot point and keep the travel linear for the best ride. The front Sway Bar Geometry will need to be addressed with your choice of a Sway Bar Drop Bracket & Carli Extended Sway bar End Link combination or, for those seeking the most possible ride quality, we offer our full replacement Torsion Sway Bar that lightens the most commonly neglected spring rate – the factory sway bar. From the Torsion Sway bar upgrade, one can expect a far more compliant feel and increased articulation with only slightly more body roll. Bump Stop Drops protect the shocks from over-compressing, the Adjustable Track Bar centers the front axle and Stainless Brake Lines firm up braking and ensure there is enough line for the newfound travel. To round off the front end, we include Caster Shims to tighten the steering.

 

The rear can be outfitted with a replacement Full Progressive Spring Pack (reduces capacity to a “light” ¾-ton) or factory leaf-pack modifying Progressive Add-a-Pack (eliminates the factory block and maintains payload capacity; pairs with a rear bump stop drop). This is where the F250 and F350 are a bit different. Since 2008, the main spring packs on these two trucks is different; the F250 has a lighter rate spring pack (2 main leaf springs) than its 350 counterpart (3 main leaf springs). The F250 Add-a-Pack equipped systems are a nice improvement over stock; the F350 with the Add-a-Pack is still very stiff in the rear as the main pack doesn’t move much unless loaded. We recommend the Full Replacement Leaf Spring packs for both trucks but especially the F350 given the super-stiff factory springs. If you own an F250 built with the Tremor or high-capacity tow package, these are equipped with an F350 rear spring and should avoid the add-a-pack, as well. If capacity is a concern, an aftermarket airbag system should be installed to complement the Full Progressive Leaf Springs to restore the F350 capacity. We recommend a system that will allow the airbags to disconnect from the lower mount during suspension cycling to ensure you’re able to take advantage of all your rear suspension travel. The Full Progressive Leaf Spring Pack will shift the axle slightly forward in the wheel well to ensure maximum tire clearance for a 37” M/T at full compression.

 

Wheel and Tire: Factory Wheels SHOULD NOT be run with oversized tires. They’re known to rub the radius arm, sway bar and most concerning – Brake Lines. Factory tires and factory wheels will work without issue but we DO NOT recommend running oversized tires on factory wheels. On our 4.5” Ford Systems, we recommend 17”-18” wheels, no more than 9” wide with 5” of backspacing with a 37”, E-Rated Tire. The more rubber, the better the small bump compliance will be at proper inflation pressures. The ride will firm up as you go larger in wheel diameter. For more details, see our article on wheel and tire selection and tire pressures.