2017-2024 Ford F-250/F-350 4x4 Diesel Pathfinder System

This system delivers a controlled and predictable ride for light to moderate off-road use, though it won’t stay as composed as the Pintop over aggressive, high-speed terrain. On the road, however, the Pathfinder stands out. Small and medium imperfections are absorbed with ease, creating a supple, comfortable ride that doesn’t require an aggressive driving style to feel its benefits. It’s the perfect choice for drivers who value daily comfort, but want their suspension to come alive when venturing off the pavement.

The Pathfinder is equipped with Carli-SPEC 2.5” aluminum-bodied shocks finished with a hard-anodized coating for superior corrosion and scratch resistance. All billet components are black-anodized, creating a sleek, premium look straight out of the box—an aesthetic that previously cost customers over $1,200 in custom color upgrades on our King kits. Inside, we’ve spec’d a high-performance red shock oil designed to resist heat and fade, even under spirited driving, ensuring consistent damping and long-term reliability. The Pathfinder delivers unmatched on-road composure and comfort for which many are happy to sacrifice the extremes of off-road capability they’d find in our King-Shock offerings.

Super Duty owners will find the Pathfinder to be the perfect middle ground. Its 2.5” diameter shock bodies provide a significant boost in oil volume—55% more piston surface area than a 2.0”—which improves heat management and extends rebuild intervals. While the Pintop excels in aggressive off-road driving, the Pathfinder is happiest soaking up rough roads and cruising comfortably without requiring more skinny-pedal to feel the damping.

This system is the result of over a year of development, tuning, and testing to deliver exactly what customers felt was missing: a premium 2.5” shock package that’s affordable, aesthetically premium, on-road focused, and build to withstand the rigors of HD off-road use.

The truck will sit 2.5” higher in the front and have more wheel travel thanks to the lighter rate Carli Coil Springs. The Adjustable Track Bar centers the front axle and Stainless Brake Lines firm up braking and ensure there is enough line for the newfound travel. To round off the front end, we include Caster Shims to tighten the steering and a fabricated, High-Clearance Bump Stop Drop to keep the springs clear from the contacting the factory bump stop. The front Sway Bar Geometry will need to be addressed with your choice of a Sway Bar Drop Bracket (more economical, maintains the factory Sway Bar End Links) or our Extended Sway Bar links – a FAR more robust option. The replacement End Links are the only option compatible with a plow bracket.

The rear can be outfitted with a replacement Full Progressive Spring Pack (reduces capacity to a “light” ¾-ton) or factory leaf-pack modifying Progressive Add-a-Pack (eliminates the factory block and maintains payload capacity; pairs with a rear bump stop drop). This is where the F250 and F350 are a bit different. Since 2008, the main spring packs on these two trucks is different; the F250 has a lighter rate spring pack than its 350 counterpart. The F250 Add-a-Pack equipped systems are a nice improvement over stock; the F350 with the Add-a-Pack is still very stiff in the rear as the main pack doesn’t move much unless loaded. We recommend the Full Replacement Leaf Spring packs for both trucks but especially the F350 given the super-stiff factory springs. If capacity is a concern, an aftermarket airbag system should be installed to compliment the Full Progressive Leaf Springs to restore the F350 capacity. We recommend a system that will allow the airbags to disconnect from the lower mount during suspension cycling to ensure you’re able to take advantage of all your rear suspension travel. The Full Progressive Leaf Spring Pack will shift the axle slightly forward in the wheel well to ensure maximum tire clearance for a 37” M/T at full compression.

Wheel and Tire: Factory Wheels SHOULD NOT be run with oversized tires. They’re known to rub the radius arm, sway bar and most concerning – Brake Lines. Factory tires and factory wheels will work without issue but we DO NOT recommend running oversized tires on factory wheels. On our 2.5” Ford Systems, we recommend 17”-18” wheels, no more than 9” wide with 5.5” of backspacing with Carli Fabricated Radius Arms or 5” Backspace with factory arms; 5” will require a bit more trimming. Tires, 37×12.5” will fit with some trimming; 35” will likely fit without trimming. The more rubber, the better the small bump compliance will be at proper inflation pressures. The ride will firm up as you go larger in wheel diameter. For more details, see our article on wheel and tire selection and tire pressures: