Carli Suspension 2023+ Ford Super Duty Pathfinder System 5.5" Lift

Carli Suspension 2023+ Ford Super Duty Pathfinder System 5.5" Lift

Nestled between the Backcountry and Pintop, the Pathfinder system is built for Super Duty owners prioritizing on-road comfort and off-road confidence. Akin to a Backcountry on pavement and only slightly off-pace the Pintop’s dirt performance, the Pathfinder removes all strain from your daily drive while inspiring you to venture beyond the tarmac.

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. Inside, Carli 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 Carli's 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 5.5” higher in the front and have more wheel travel thanks to the taller, Progressive Rate Coil Springs. Radius Arm Drop Brackets reset the pivot point and keep the travel linear for the best ride. The front Sway Bar Geometry will need to be addressed with your choice of a Sway Bar Drop Bracket & Carli Extended Sway bar End Link combination or, for those seeking the most possible ride quality, Carli offers a full replacement Torsion Sway Bar that lightens the most commonly neglected spring rate – the factory sway bar. From the Torsion Sway bar upgrade, one can expect a far more compliant feel and increased articulation with only slightly more body roll. Bump Stop Drops protect the shocks from over-compressing, 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, Carli includes Caster Shims to tighten the steering.

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 (2 main leaf springs) than its 350 counterpart (3 main leaf springs). 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. Carli recommends the Full Replacement Leaf Spring packs for both trucks but especially the F350 given the super-stiff factory springs. If you own an F250 built with the Tremor or high-capacity tow package, these are equipped with an F350 rear spring and should avoid the add-a-pack, as well. If capacity is a concern, an aftermarket airbag system should be installed to complement the Full Progressive Leaf Springs to restore the F350 capacity. Carli recommends 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.

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 Carli DOES NOT recommend running oversized tires on factory wheels. On 4.5”/5.5" Ford Systems, Carli recommends 17”-18” wheels, no more than 9” wide with 5” of backspacing with a 37”, E-Rated Tire. 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.

• Multi-Rate Coils
• Carli Custom Tuned Carli-SPEC 2.5″ Remote Reservoir Shocks & Reservoir Mounts
• Track Bar
• Brake Lines
• 1° Caster Shims
• High Clearance Bump Stop Drops, Front
• Radius Arm Drops
• 5.5″ Lift – 2023-2024 F250/350 4×4 Diesel, Base Kit (Carli is working on confirming fitment up to 2026)