Raising your "09 Ford F-150 pickup to run larger wheels and tires definitely has its benefits. Having a cool off-road appearance with mud-terrain tires and big wheels are just some of the advantages to adding three to five inches of ride height. But while the cost of a full suspension lift may be out of reach for many these days, Performance Accessories" new Premium Lift System (PLS) is a lower cost alternative. It"s a kit that combines a body lift with a leveling kit, allowing F-150 owners to run up to 35-inch diameter tires. While some people may feel uncomfortable about body lifts, the fact is they are one of the safest and most reliable methods of adding 2-3 inches of ride height. Body lifts don"t interfere with or require any modifications to the factory suspension or geometry. In addition, manufacturers such as Performance Accessories, use nylon reinforced body blocks, heavy-duty hardware and brackets, and a CNC machined steering extension to provide a secure platform for the lift. When combined with a coil spring spacer to level the front, the company"s PLS system can raise domestic and import pickup trucks as much as six inches without any change to the vehicle"s factory ride. The "09 F-150 system #PLS709, raises the vehicle up to five inches and uses the body lift with a set of coil-spring spacers that can all be installed in 6-8 hours. The kit also includes the company"s inner fender Gap Guards that cover up any visible space between the body and frame. Installing the PLS involves raising the vehicle on a lift and unbolting the factory body mounts along the entire length of the frame, and installing the new body blocks and heavy duty hardware. New black powdercoated bumper brackets are provided to raise the bumpers up from the factory location on the frame. They require removal and modification of the bumper"s inner mounting brackets, which are cut and drilled for clearance according to the detailed installation instructions. Performance Accessories also provides a new steering extension made from CNC aluminum that is installed under the F-150"s dash to lengthen the steering column to adjust for the added ride height. The front leveling spacers are installed by removing the coils and shock assembly from the F-150"s lower control arm and top frame mount. Performance Accessories recommends using a coil spring compressor to safely unbolt the top coil mount and replace the factory urethane coil spacer with the new unit. The kit also includes an aluminum top coil spacer that fits over the reassembled coil and shock assembly before it all goes back into the vehicle. A typical "09 model F-150 with the Premium Lift System looks great with 35-inch diameter wheels and tires. Because there"s limited pre-load added to the coil springs, the ride is exceptionally smooth. The system retails for around $800 complete, leaving enough room in your budget to get the wheels and tires you"ve been wanting on the truck.
 1.The Performance Accessories Premium Lift system #PLS709 comes complete with nylon reinforced body blocks, Gap Guards, steering extension, leveling coil spacers and more. |
 2.Both the front and rear bumpers are removed. The kit supplies new bumper mounts to raise the bumper positions on the frame. |
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 3.The body blocks fit over the factory body mounts with heavy-duty hardware. You"ll need a lift and long jackstands to raise the body and insert each block across the entire length of the frame. |
 4.Bed spacers are also provided in the kit and are tack welded into position. |
 5.Some cutting and drilling is required on the factory bumper frame mounts to make room for the new bumper brackets. This takes some time, but the instructions give a clear indication of what needs to be trimmed and drilled. |
 6.Here you can see how the lift brackets fit into the inner factory bumper brackets. This will make bolting the bumpers easy once the brackets are trimmed, installed and ready to be bolted back onto the vehicle"s frame. The rear bumper frame mounts also require trimming to make room for the raised position of the bumper. |
 7.New rear bumper brackets are bolted in place and will set the rear bumper higher on the frame. Extra support brackets are also included to provide added strength between the bumper and hitch. |
 8.Both front and rear bumpers are bolted back in place. The finished look appears no different than stock. |
 9.The lower plastic fascia on the front bumper, around the tow-hook area, requires some trimming. The kit includes a black cap that fits in the frame to improve the appearance. |
 10.The F-150"s two piece fan shroud is removed and spacers are added to extend the length for additional fan blade clearance. |
 11.In order to remove the coil and shock assembly, the tie-rods, anti-sway bar end links and lower control arm bolts must be removed. The top strut tower bolts are also removed and the coil and shock assembly can be taken away from the suspension. |
 12.Performance Accessories recommends using a spring compressor to release the coil spring pressure to remove the top coil mount nut. |
 13.Longer strut tower studs will be used, so the factory studs are hammered out. The factory urethane coil spacer is also removed from the coil spring top mount. |
 14.You can see the difference in the PA urethane spacer on the left, compared to the factory spacer. |
 15.The factory coil and shock assembly is then reassembled with the longer studs and new coil spacer in place. An aluminum top spacer is used to provide the added lift. This eliminates any extra pre-load on the coil spring to provide a smooth ride with the added ride height. |
 16.The PLS comes with a high grade, CNC machined steering spacer. This is accessed from under the dash and makes up for the added ride height in the steering column. |
 17.Once everything is bolted back in place, the urethane Gap Guards are installed, giving the F-150"s suspension a clean look from inside the wheel wells. |
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