Trevor Towers

You really don’t need 400 lb-ft of torque in a 1/2 ton, but adding torque (unlike horsepower) does not hurt efficiency, it can actually increase it. Especially when the engine is optimized for torque as is industry standard for trucks these days. So why wouldn’t I want more torque?

Of all the current small block V8s in full size trucks GM has the only engine pushing less than 400 lb-ft of torque. And, no - displacement isn’t an excuse when Ford can squeeze 400 out of the 5.0L. I mean, it’s the only engine in its own lineup with less than 400 lb-ft now that the 2.7 was increased to 430. Instead of redesigning the engine, they just jacked up the compression ratio and shoved more fuel into the cylinders. So here you sit at what is probably the theoretical maximum output for this engine at around 385 lb ft. And using 0-60 times as your benchmark makes zero sense. These are trucks not race cars. Trucks need torque to do truck things. Look, if it’s any consolation, I’m not anti V8 (I own those too), I’m just calling a spade a spade. This engine has not kept up with industry performance standards as well as it could have. The 6.2L on the other hand is a different story.

The 5.3L is a dinosaur of an engine and it’s really apparent when it’s mated to the 8 speed. Feels like a Ford 4.6L V8 of the early 2000s.

The wheels are Vossen HF 6-4 20x9.5 @ +15 offset. The tires are Falken Wildpeaks AT3W 275/60 R20s. No rub at stock height. This setup was on my old truck (21 Elevation). I just swapped them out!

Vossen HF 6-4s on the ‘22 Dark Slate Metallic Elevation. Looks amazing.

Nevermind, I think you are stock up front. I’m losing it, I’ve been inside the last year and a half!

Okay, yeah that looks pretty bad - I see what you mean.

Sorry I didn’t see this notification. I didn’t take any measurements, but the Bilsteins really took a while to wear in and actually let the truck sag under its own weight. At first the rake was noticeable, but now it’s at a level that I’m really happy with. A stock AT4 next to my truck looks like a funny car with all that factory rake. I’d have to imagine though that you’d need some B8 5100s up front too if you wanted a fully level look. I’ll get some measurements tomorrow for what it’s currently at.

BMEP is a simple measure of torque per liter. BMEP is high because we have a really small engine producing a lot of torque thanks to long stroke/forced induction/moderate compression/high VE. This isn’t a new concept, the 2.7L is not walking on a tight rope of potentially grenading at any second. You are being misleading, and I’m not sure if it’s intentional or not. Without writing a thesis, I can tell you that when you benchmark this engine. It sits right between a Toyota Tacoma and Mustang GT and well below previous and current gen F1 engines in terms of BMEP. It’s like a mild-performance engine, which is still extremely easy to engineer to be reliable.

I know there is one person on here who runs Venomrex 601s. They are running 285/60R20s and still had to do the mud flap trim on a stock AT4. That’s a 33x11 inch tire. I am running a similar wheel and tire setup: Vossen HF6-4 20x9.5 +15mm, but I’m on 275/60R20s which is a 33x10.8 inch tire. I have a non-X31 Elevation that is lifted/leveled 3”. So that would be similar to a leveled AT4. I have no rub, and really not much room for more tire without modification to the wheel well. To get a 35” on there you’d probably need a 4” lift on top of that 2” lift - I’d say no way you fit 35s stock or even with a level. BDS makes a 4” kit that will stack with your AT4s factory lift for 6” overall. It’ll be pricey though.

Here are some more pictures for you as well. I included an image of my city MPG in just normal driving to show I can still maintain essentially the same MPG I was getting before. All city driving.

Vossen has a custom sizing program, you can get them in configurations from 8.5” - 12” wide and offsets from 0 - +48mm. But I just double checked my receipt, it says 20x9.5in +15mm offset. I called the sales person to confirm because he was telling me 0 offset over the phone previously, I think he was just mistaken. He said that the 20x9.5 +15 is the STANDARD size for these. I’ll update my post. What kind of tires are you going to fit on your vehicle?

Used this forum to pick out my specific wheel and tire set up so I’m returning the favor! 20” Vossen HF6-4s 20x9.5- +15 offset. 275/60R20 Falken Wildpeak AT3W. it has a 3” Superlift lift kit. The tire size is same as stock on the stock 20” OEM wheels. There is zero rubbing at full turn. This setup gives a similar look to a leveled AT4.