Long Travel Suspension Kits

For more on how the two front systems compare, read Mid Travel vs. Long Travel: Which Front Suspension System Do You Need?

Both front systems are 3" wider per side than stock. The difference is how much of the factory front end they keep.

• +3" long travel kit: 3" longer fabricated upper and lower arms, extended 4340 front half shafts and a bypass shock tower. It keeps the stock coil over mount and location, so the factory Live Valve shock or a stock-fitment aftermarket coil over still works, and it runs the stock front spindle or the FMI heavy duty fabricated upright. We built it to bring long travel to more trucks at a lower cost.
• Full race long travel kit: replaces the stock spring bucket entirely and remounts an aftermarket set of shocks. The Gen 2 kit takes up to a 4" bypass and a 3" coil over. It uses a fabricated spindle with uniballs that is not interchangeable with the stock spindle or arms, plus billet tie rods, for 17" of working travel with four-wheel drive kept. It is the higher end kit for a dedicated race or pre-runner build.

• Long travel: more wheel travel and a wider stance. A +3" kit makes every front component 3" longer per side, for a front end 6" wider than stock and about 15% more wheel travel. Wider fiberglass fenders are required.
• Mid travel: about the stock wheel travel, made better controlled with a second bypass shock and a hydraulic bump stop. On the F-150 Raptor it stays at stock width with no fiberglass. See Mid Travel Suspension Kits.

Long travel is the right fit for racing, pre-running and fast desert driving. If you are not sure which describes your truck, call the shop before you spend the money.

• 4130 fabricated upper and lower control arms, 3" longer than stock per side
• Lower arm with a 1.5" uniball at the spindle and 1" uniballs at the frame; upper arm with a 1.5" uniball at the spindle and 7/8" rod ends at the frame for caster and camber adjustment
• Extended heavy duty front half shafts made from 4340 heat treated steel
• Fabricated bypass shock tower that ties into the stock shock bucket, for an FMI custom FOX 3.0 or ADS 3.0 bypass
• Built-in steering stops so the CV joints don't over-travel
• Built-in limit strap mounts, front bump stop pad and sway bar mounts, so the bump stop, limit straps, bypass shock and FMI sway bar kit can be added now or later

The Raptor kits were tested to clear 35", 37" and 39" tires from full bump to full droop and work with stock Raptor wheels. The Gen 1, Gen 2 and Gen 3 Raptor +3" kits require the 2021–2023 Gen 3 CV joints to work with the extended axle shaft. On the Bronco, the +3" kit adds about 15% more front wheel travel and its extended half shafts work with the stock CV joints.

On the Gen 3 Raptor, rear wheel travel comes in three steps: 15" with billet links and the factory shock, 17" with the through-the-bed bed cage, and 19" with the long travel cantilever.

• Cantilever kits (Gen 1, Gen 2, Gen 3 and 2015+ F-150): up to 19" of rear wheel travel with every moving part under the bed. They keep the factory fuel tank, the factory spare tire location and the bed floor, and run a standard off-the-shelf 2.5" coil over in place of the factory spring, with an optional 3" bypass. The 2015+ F-150 kit requires a Raptor-width rear axle.
• 5-link coil over conversions (Gen 1 and Gen 2): replace the leaf springs with a Gen 3 style 5-link rear and a 3.0 x 16" coil over mounted through the bed floor in an FMI bed cage. On the Gen 1 kit the stock rear axle can be used.
• Gen 2 to Gen 3 long travel conversion: a coil-sprung 5-link with a relocated panhard bar and shocks up through the bed, for a 2017–2020 Raptor or a 2015+ F-150 at Raptor width or wider.
• Gen 2 20" bed cage: through-the-bed mounts for a 4.4", 4.0", 3.5" or 3.0" bypass.
• Ranger Raptor rear long travel kit: a modular bed organizer that converts the stock rear shocks to a through-the-bed 3.0 x 14" coil over, with bypass shock packages available.

Long travel rears also use a long travel panhard bar mount kit and a rear bump stop kit.

Wider fiberglass fenders are required with every +3" front kit. Stock Raptor and Bronco front fenders will not clear the tire, and the tire size you run sets how wide the fender needs to be.

Match the front with the rear. We suggest pairing a +3" front kit with a 3" wider per side rear axle. Leaving the rear at stock width makes the truck handle poorly, especially turning at higher speeds.

The bypass shock tower and bump stop weld to the frame, the full race front kits require cutting and welding, and the rear conversions require substantial fabrication. Plan on a qualified fabricator, or call the shop to book an install in Mesa, Arizona.

What is long travel suspension?

Long travel suspension uses longer control arms and longer axle shafts to widen the track and give the wheels more travel. FMI +3" kits make every front component 3" longer per side, for a front end 6" wider than stock and about 15% more wheel travel.

How much wider will my truck be?

3" per side at the front, 6" overall. That applies to both the +3" kits and the full race kits.

Do I need fiberglass fenders?

Yes. Wider fiberglass fenders are required with the +3" front kits. Stock Raptor and Bronco front fenders will not clear the tire.

Can I keep my stock shocks?

With a +3" kit, yes. It keeps the stock coil over mount and location, so the factory Live Valve shock or a stock-fitment aftermarket coil over still works. The full race kits replace the spring bucket and use aftermarket shocks.

How much rear wheel travel do the rear kits give?

Up to 19" with the cantilever kits for the Gen 1, Gen 2 and Gen 3 Raptor and the 2015+ F-150, and 20" with the Gen 2 bed cage.

Do I need different CV joints?

On the Raptor, yes. The Gen 1, Gen 2 and Gen 3 Raptor +3" kits require the 2021–2023 Gen 3 CV joints to work with the extended axle shaft. The Bronco +3" kit works with the stock CV joints.

Do I need to widen the rear too?

We suggest it. A +3" front kit is best matched with a 3" wider per side rear axle so the truck handles properly at speed.

Does long travel require welding?

Yes. The bypass shock tower and bump stop weld to the frame, and the rear kits weld to the axle and frame. Have a qualified fabricator do the install.

Can I add parts later?

Yes. The +3" kits have the limit strap mounts, bump stop pad and sway bar mounts built in, so the bump stop, limit straps, bypass shock and sway bar kit can be added down the road.

Mid Travel Suspension Kits · Suspension Kits · Shocks · Bump Stop Kits · Sway Bar Kits · Lower Arm Pocket Kits · F-150 Suspension Upgrades