2011-2014 Ford 6.7L Powerstroke Suspension Parts

Suspension on the 2011-2014 Ford 6.7L Powerstroke

Ford carried the 2005-2016 Super Duty front end into these trucks. On a 4x4 F-250 or F-350, a solid Dana Super 60 axle rides on coil springs. Two long radius arms run from the axle back to the frame, and a track bar keeps the axle centered side to side. The hubs are unitized, with manual or automatic hublocks. A 4x2 truck is a different design: it uses Ford's Twin-I-Beam front suspension and has no radius arms at all. Out back, every pickup rides on leaf springs, over a Sterling 10.5 axle on single-rear-wheel trucks or a Dana 80 on the F-350 dually and the F-450 pickup. The trucks also leave the factory with rake, nose lower than tail, which is why a front leveling kit is the most common suspension change on this body. Add a 6.7L Powerstroke that weighs around 1,100 pounds with fluids, sitting right over the front axle, and it is easy to see why the front end earns its wear.

What fails and why

The front end is strong, but it depends on rubber bushings and ball joints, and those wear. Start with the track bar. When its ball joint and bushings loosen, you get the classic death wobble: a violent shake through the steering wheel after a bump at highway speed, or a shimmy when the truck is loaded. Replacing only the steering stabilizer hides the problem, and the shake comes back. Next are the radius-arm frame bushings. With miles they crack and separate, and you feel it as a clunk or pop over bumps or under braking, steering wander, bump steer and uneven tire wear. Front ball joints and tie-rod ends wear too and let play into the steering. Owners report ball joints as the culprit on some 2011 F-250s, and some see the wobble return after a ball-joint job because the track bar was skipped. Treat the front end as one chain and inspect every link.

Stock replacement vs. upgrade

If your truck sits at stock height and you just want it to drive right again, replace the worn parts and get an alignment. Any radius arm or tie-rod work needs an alignment afterward. If the track bar is worn out, a heavy-duty or adjustable track bar is a sensible upgrade, because it goes after the root cause of death wobble instead of the symptom. Leveling is the next step. A 2.5-inch coil-spring kit takes out the factory rake and makes room for 35-inch tires, though the real gain runs 1.5 to 2.5 inches depending on your truck's factory spring rate. Past that, full lift systems replace the radius arms, track bar and springs together. At 4 inches and up, plan on new radius arms or drop brackets, a new track bar and caster correction. If your complaint is rear sag under a trailer or camper, that is a job for rear helper springs, not a lift.

What we carry

• BDS Suspension: 2.5, 4, 6 and 8-inch lift kits for 4x4 trucks in radius-arm or 4-link versions, FOX 2.5 coil-over conversion options, and a rear sway bar link kit for 4-inch lifts.
• Bilstein: B6 4600, B8 5100 and B8 5160 series shocks, B8 5112 and B8 5162 series leveling kits, and B12 2-inch lift front coil springs.
• Air Lift: LoadLifter 5000 and 7500XL helper spring kits, WirelessOne and WirelessAIR compressor systems, load controllers and air spring spacers.
• SPE Motorsport: Stage-1 and Stage-2 2.5-inch lift kits, a fixed caster kit, a 1-inch rear block kit and track bar bushing kits.
• BD Diesel: an adjustable track bar, a track bar bracket and a replacement track bar bushing kit.
• Wehrli Custom Fabrication: 68-inch traction bar kits, bracket and hardware kits, bushings and heims.
• Daystar Products: 1-inch and 2.5-inch Comfort Ride leveling kits.
• No Limit Fabrication: a low-profile front bump stop.

Fitment notes

Front suspension parts for this body generally fit 2005-2016 4x4 trucks, because the Super 60 and radius-arm design carried through all of those years. That is why so many titles here list wide year ranges. 2WD trucks use Twin-I-Beam, so 4x4 front parts will not fit them; check the drivetrain in every product title. Left and right radius arms are different parts. On an F-250, a 2.5-inch front kit may need a rear block kit to sit level, while an F-350 usually does not. Leveling coils for these trucks are diesel-specific, because the diesel's front spring rate differs from the gas trucks. If your truck has the Camper Package (option 471), it came with increased-capacity front springs, a rear stabilizer bar on SRW trucks and rear auxiliary springs on the F-250, so know what is under your truck before you order. When in doubt, verify by VIN.

Frequently asked questions

What causes death wobble on a 2011-2014 F-250 or F-350?

The most common cause is a worn track bar ball joint or worn track bar bushings. Cracked radius-arm bushings, worn ball joints and tie-rod ends add to it. A new steering stabilizer only masks the shake, so it usually comes back. Inspect the whole front end and fix what is loose.

Do I need an alignment after suspension work?

Yes. Any radius arm or tie-rod work calls for an alignment afterward. Leveling and lift kits change front-end geometry too, and 2.5-inch coil leveling kits for these trucks call for an alignment and headlamp aiming after install. Budget for it as part of the job.

Can I fit 35-inch tires on a leveled 2011-2014 Super Duty?

A 2.5-inch coil-spring leveling kit for 2011-2016 4WD diesel trucks is listed to clear up to 35x12.50 tires. Your real gain will be 1.5 to 2.5 inches depending on your factory springs, so measure before and after. If you want more tire than that, you are shopping for a full lift.

Will 2015-2016 suspension parts fit my 2014?

Usually, yes. The 2015 change was a mid-cycle refresh aimed at the turbo, power output, injectors and brakes. The frame, cab, bed and most chassis parts carried over from 2011 through 2016, and the 4x4 front suspension design runs 2005-2016. Still, read the years and drivetrain in each title.

Are these lift and leveling kits for 2WD trucks?

No. The BDS lift kits here are built for 4x4 trucks with the Dana Super 60 front axle, and the leveling kits that list a drivetrain list 4WD. 4x2 F-250 and F-350 trucks use Twin-I-Beam, a different front suspension. Some Bilstein shocks here do list 2WD fitment, so 2WD owners should shop by the drivetrain in the title.

Not sure what fits? Call the shop at the number in the header, or use the fitment checker on any product page. We install everything we sell.