Starting in on the wife's ST...need some help planning a "mild" build.

Don't waste your money. Wait for the second ST that you can actually work with.

After working on my 2022 Ranger for a bit, I'm about to dive into my wife's 2020 ST. There's probably a dirty joke in there somewhere...shut up, it's my wife . So far, the only thing I've done to it is install an AEM DryFlow filter (you have to start somewhere, right?) Since it's "hers", not "his", here's the rules I have to follow:

- Everything must be reversible (in case she decides to trade it in at some point)
- It can't void the warranty (within reason, I know some dealers nit pick)
- It has to appear stock from the outside

Essentially, she drives it around in Eco mode ALL the time (such a waste, I know). I want to give it a bit more zip and maybe have some Friday night fun at the strip. A tune is the obvious choice (I'd go for Palm Beach Dyno or ZFG), but see rule #2. I know I'm not going to get much more out of it right now given the above three rules. Instead, I'm focusing mainly on reliability and endurance. I've been poking around the 'net, and so far I have:

- Steeda rear diff support
- Steeda rear sway bar
- Steeda 160 thermostat
- Steeda intercooler
- J+L catch can
- CVF cold side charge pipe

Is there anything I'm missing here? Yes, I know FP has their warrantied "tune", but honestly, I don't think it's worth the money. It's about to roll over 36k anyways, so once it hits the 50k mark, then maybe I'll put a tune on it.

Long term, we may end up getting rid of my Ranger and get a second ST. The back of the Ranger is cramped (even with the crew cab) and as the kids get bigger, we're going to need two "family" vehicles to run around to all the places kids have to go. No mini vans...I refuse. What I really want is a Lotus Evora (ya know, the perfect family vehicle)...good luck with that, eh?

After working on my 2022 Ranger for a bit, I'm about to dive into my wife's 2020 ST. There's probably a dirty joke in there somewhere...shut up, it's my wife . So far, the only thing I've done to it is install an AEM DryFlow filter (you have to start somewhere, right?) Since it's "hers", not "his", here's the rules I have to follow:

- Everything must be reversible (in case she decides to trade it in at some point)
- It can't void the warranty (within reason, I know some dealers nit pick)
- It has to appear stock from the outside

Essentially, she drives it around in Eco mode ALL the time (such a waste, I know). I want to give it a bit more zip and maybe have some Friday night fun at the strip. A tune is the obvious choice (I'd go for Palm Beach Dyno or ZFG), but see rule #2. I know I'm not going to get much more out of it right now given the above three rules. Instead, I'm focusing mainly on reliability and endurance. I've been poking around the 'net, and so far I have:

- Steeda rear diff support
- Steeda rear sway bar
- Steeda 160 thermostat
- Steeda intercooler
- J+L catch can
- CVF cold side charge pipe

Is there anything I'm missing here? Yes, I know FP has their warrantied "tune", but honestly, I don't think it's worth the money. It's about to roll over 36k anyways, so once it hits the 50k mark, then maybe I'll put a tune on it.

Long term, we may end up getting rid of my Ranger and get a second ST. The back of the Ranger is cramped (even with the crew cab) and as the kids get bigger, we're going to need two "family" vehicles to run around to all the places kids have to go. No mini vans...I refuse. What I really want is a Lotus Evora (ya know, the perfect family vehicle)...good luck with that, eh?

I was talking to the head parts guy at my dealership, it's a great dealership. He has a 2020 and put the FP tune on his. I had a 2020, and now a 2023. We had a long conversation about the FP tune, I was thinking about getting it. You see YouTube videos showing it does make a difference. He said he could barely notice it, and wouldn't do it again. He said it was intended for other models to bring it up to the stock performance of the ST. After that conversation I decided to pass. Take it for what it's worth.

You don’t need the diff brace, charge pipe or the t-stat.
Do the IC and if it’s under 36k miles the Ford tune. If it’s over 36k miles the FP tune is past its warranty mileage anyway so in that case a ZFG tune would be what you want.

Don't mean to hijack, but is there ever a time the thermostat would be recommended to do?

No. Take a look here