S&B's intake kit came with...
S&B's intake kit came with the intake tube, gauze filter, and airbox, plus all the hardware needed.
The first step was to remove...
The first step was to remove the restrictive factory ducting. A few bolts was all that held it in place.
This is the tray where the...
This is the tray where the flat factory filter used to be. The filter was removed, but the tray stayed. A plug is included to fill a drain hole in the factory airbox. Since this hole is downstream of the new filter, it would have been possible for debris to get inside.
S&B's airbox mounts to the...
S&B's airbox mounts to the fenderwell and includes a clear cover. The filter slipped over the intake tube and that's it.
Moving to the grille, four...
Moving to the grille, four bolts hold the grille and shell to the hood. Removing them frees the whole assembly. Once it's off the truck, the series of barbed clips which hold the grille inside the shell were pried back to remove the factory honeycomb grille.
Several L-brackets mounted...
Several L-brackets mounted the T-Rex grille to the factory shell with self-tapping screws.
With the billet in place,...
With the billet in place, the same four bolts reattached the grille to the hood.
Still at Street Trenz, the...
Still at Street Trenz, the stainless steel JBA exhaust components awaited installation.
The wide clamp behind the...
The wide clamp behind the Y-pipe was the only thing that had to be unbolted.
After spraying the hangers...
After spraying the hangers with penetrating lubricant, the entire exhaust was freed from the truck with a few blows of a hammer and removed in one piece.
The muffler was tapped onto...
The muffler was tapped onto the head pipe to check for the proper length. After testing the fit, we found we needed about 4 inches of the head pipe cut off to make everything fit properly. Four clamps and eight bolts secured the system. JBA recommends tack-welds to be extra sure everything stays put. The grand total time for the exhaust installation was 15 minutes, and that's being conservative.
A Superchips Flashpaq was...
A Superchips Flashpaq was able to take advantage of the increased airflow and increase power and throttle response. It was also able to compensate for the new tire size to keep all the gauges in line.
Wheels and tires:
The newest application for Nitto Terra Grapplers, its LT315/50R24s were mounted to black Detata Cross wheels to match the truck.
From the Driver Seat:
After a month in the driver seat, the owner didn't have the slightest regret about the transformation that his F-150 underwent. True to its word, the Rize kit delivered an excellent ride, with the only drawbacks being an increased turning radius, thanks to the wider track and increased stopping distance due to higher rotational mass from the tall tires. Upgraded brakes are definitely on the to-buy list, since the rotational mass increase was substantial. The only real fault of the lift kit was a popping noise that was traced to the slotted mounting holes on the compression strut mounts-not a big deal. The programmer improved throttle response in the drive-by-wire system and changed shift points to compensate for the change in the overall tire diameter. There was no noticeable loss in acceleration compared to before. Somewhere between the larger tires, changed shift points, and free-breathing intake and exhaust, the truck actually gained 1 mpg on the freeway, but lost 1 mpg in the city, which is not a bad compromise. As for the grille, the owner noted that it lost some of the support from the factory honeycombed plastic, so it flexes more than stock, but it doesn't vibrate or seem to be working loose.
Your Questions Answered
Overall Difficulty:
High. You could install everything without a lift, but you wouldn't want to.
Total Cost:
$8,540.53 (not including labor)
Rize F-150 8-inch Lift
PN 410-308-022
MSRP $2,665
Detata Cross 24x10-inch
PN 44-24000
MSRP $440 (each)
Nitto Terra Grapplers
PN 200-350
MSRP $514 (each)
S&B Performance Intake Kit
PN 75-2556-1
MSRP $210.53
T-Rex Billet Grille with Billet Ring
PN 59556
MSRP $420
T-Rex Billet Grille without Billet Ring
PN 35555
MSRP $220
T-Rex Lower Grille
PN 35555
MSRP $140
Superchips FlashPaq
PN 1815
MSRP $550
JBA Evol Exhaust System
PN 30-2527
MSRP $519