[Kyson]

Hi everyone,


First - thanks for such a great resource. I've quietly poured through this site and others for a couple of weeks looking for answers and advice, and now it's time for a post.


A few weeks ago I took my V8 AWD Adrenalin in for an oil change and found amazing deals on '13 F150s. That started me thinking that a new ecoboost would likely pull my wakeboat better than the Adrenalin so I talked myself into a new, loaded white FX4 supercrew. It's a week old now and I've put a Bakflip on it and have been puzzling over tires and tune. Part of the reason I bought it was for better power and economy but I don't like the look with the stock tires.


Long story short, I've ordered some 305/55R20 Terras for the stock 20" FX4 wheel and am worried about power loss. speedo being off, economy and ride quality. Will a tune address the first three items and what is the consensus of those with a similar set up regarding ride quality vs the Scorpions? I've tossed all night thinking I should have just done a squarer profile 275 or 285. How soon can I apply the tune (I have 550 miles), or should I just find a device to correct the speedo only, so the economy and speedo related info center data is correct?


It seems the Livernois is the way to go. For those using one, what is the difference in tow vs performance and what is the daily drivability of a tow tune as I wouldn't want to switch every time I tow.


Is there a decent performance gain in the 87? Or need you run the 93? Meaning do you feel 30% of the total possible power increase with the 87 but 100% with the 93?


And what options are available for just tuning the speedo correctly? If that is done - do the other data elements in dash like fuel consumption then become accurate as well?

I've read hundreds of threads but didn't find all the answers I needed so thanks in advance for any comments. I want plenty of power to pull a 5500 lb boat with better than 7mpg, good ride and to look good doing it.


Thanks again. I'll post up some pics as she comes together.

 

[Kc311]

I also have 305/55/20 but I have Nitto Trail Grapplers. The Terra Grapplers are an awesome A/T tire. Adding more rotational mass will result in "lag" as the tires with more to get them going. With that size and an A/T tire, expect your gas mileage to decrease a significant amount.

To combat the power loss, many people go with a tune or tune / intake combo. Installing a programmer will highly likely void your warranty as basically the tune will be a scapegoat for any part failure.

Livernois is what I have nod I love it. I ran 87 for a few months then switched to 93. The 87 was very smooth and I loved it, but no 87 tune will compare to a 93 tune. You may experience 3-4 miles per hour speed difference on your speedo. With any tune, tire size can be factored in. You will start to get many answers about this tune being the best, or that tune being the best. There is a lot of pride in tuning options and not many people will tell you to get anything different than what they have. Look into SoCal, MPT, 5 star, Livernois, and unleashed.

The in dash fuel meter is a general representation. It's not exact and nothing will make it exact. The average is pretty relative to what's showed. It's not called the "lie-o-meter" for nothing!

 

[6IX]

I'd never go wider than a 275. It's not a sports car.

 

[Kc311]

It has nothing to do with a sports car. You'd see more trucks with oversized tires running 295+ than 275. 33" tires at 275 aren't bad but when you get into the 35" and larger, 275 is very narrow for the height.

This is my tire... It is by no means too wide or sports car looking.

 

[Kyson]

Thanks for the comments.

I picked up the truck this afternoon and have to say I'm very pleased. It looks phenomenal - more assertive without being too much. It still drives great and I don't detect a noticeable loss of power. MPH is off 1-2 depending on speed according to GPS.

I need to figure out a tuner. Can someone comment on the "tow" tune vs "performance"? Is it daily drivable? And what is your real world experience?

I've read a lot about "teething" issues with some brands that makes me think they are still being sorted out. I'd like someone/something rock solid reliable that I can just leave and not sure if that's an 87, 89 or 93 for all around practical use and towing the boat on weekends. I'm honestly not disappointed with the stock tune - just want the speedo to be accurate.

I'll post up some before and after pics for someone else in my shoes trying to decide.

 

[Kc311]

Many tunes are released on street / tow files then a separate performance file. If you tow with a performance tune, serious damage could occur. I believe my speedo is still slightly off, even with a tune.

Call around to tuning companies, do a lot of research, then make a decision based on what you feel is the best choice for your application. If I have x tune, I'll likely try to persuade you into thinking x is the best. Vice versa with y tune and any letter you can put in the blank.

 

[Raiderfan1890]

It has nothing to do with a sports car. You'd see more trucks with oversized tires running 295+ than 275. 33" tires at 275 aren't bad but when you get into the 35" and larger, 275 is very narrow for the height.

This is my tire... It is by no means too wide or sports car looking.

That's not sporty that's sexy

 

[6IX]

It has nothing to do with a sports car. You'd see more trucks with oversized tires running 295+ than 275. 33" tires at 275 aren't bad but when you get into the 35" and larger, 275 is very narrow for the height.

This is my tire... It is by no means too wide or sports car looking.

Agreed, if you're going big on your tires, the width should be proportionate... By the sports car comment I meant that in general you go wider on tires for better grip cornering, but on a truck you're not going to improve the cornering grip/performance that much anyway, and you will up your rolling resistance. Wider tires do worse in snow too as they want to plane on top rather than cut through.

To each and ones own preference. I just dont see where really wide tires benefit a truck much overall, especially if you mostly drive street.

 

[Kc311]

Just to be proportionate!

 

[Kyson]

Well thanks to everyone for their input. With all I've learned of late, I should probably start my own build thread but here's where I've ended up.

First, the truck is fantastic. I like everything about it. It's primary purpose is as a daily driver and tow vehicle for a 5000 lb wakeboat, with a few trips off road or to the ranch as they come. I'm not dissatisfied with the stock mileage or performance.

But I didn't like the stock tires, and wanted something a little larger and more aggressive. I researched many different sizes and wanted the largest that would fit on the stock 20" FX4 wheel without issues. I ended up with 305/55R20 Nitto Terra Grapplers. They make 3 variants of this tire in different load ranges and weights. I went with the 120S model as it was within 3lbs of the stock Pirelli 275/55 and I wanted the least unsprung weight difference as possible. This size moves you from 31.9 inches in height to 33.2, and from 10.9 inches in width to 12.

 

[Kyson]

Stock:



305s:

 

[Kyson]

Stock:



305s




With these new shoes, the speedo was off by 2.5 mph at 70, mileage came down by 1-2 and there was only a minimal loss of felt power, if any. Ride is a little more (maybe 10%) firm and "truck like" and there is a small tire hum not noted with the stock Pirelli Scorpions. These are much higher rated for capacity and towing though. Note: my truck has 3.55 rear gears.

 

[Kyson]

I can't stand electronics being off so I needed a tuner to adjust for tire size. I knew I wanted the flexibility to make adjustments in the future so went with the SCT platform.

I also do not want to be swapping tunes back and forth, so even giving up maximum performance, I just wanted a solid, reliable daily driver and towing tune. After several calls and discussions I went with a set from 5 Star and loaded the 89 Performance/Towing tune.

First impressions were noticeably more power and better shifts, tho I do hear the turbos a little more. It's very driveable and the mph is now back to where it should be. MPG has not really changed though I've only put a couple hundred miles on, and that's been with some extra right foot because its so fun. It's hard to believe this is a truck sometimes as responsive as it is on the low end.

I'll report back as I learn more, but hope this helps someone in the same boat I was in.

 

[Sub_Elect]

I have been kicking around the same tuner and the 89 tow tune from 5 star is the one I want. Please comment back on the tune as you can. Again, very interested in that particular tune!