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2006 Ford E-350 and 2002 Chevy 2500HD - Dual Purpose

A Pair Of Real-World Wheelers
By Ali Mansour
Photography by Ali Mansour, Fred Williams
2002 Chevy 2500Hd Front View
When it comes to body protection... 
   
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2002 Chevy 2500Hd Front View
When it comes to body protection there usually isn't a better way to start out than with a stout set of bumpers. Knowing that this truck was going to take some abuse, Dave went with a matching set of Road Armor bumpers to protect the nose and rear of his truck from whatever the trail may bring.
2006 Ford E350 Van Front View
2006 Ford E350 Van Passenger Side View
Adding to the versatility... 
   
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2006 Ford E350 Van Passenger Side View
Adding to the versatility of the van, the entire floor was coated with Line-X and a retractable storage container was built into the back. We liked the amount of interior space gained by the van and could really become accustom to having a camper, wheeler, and mobile repair shop all in one. Chris definitely has one of the coolest vans around-well, for a guy living in a van down by the river. (Sorry, Chris. Just had to do it!)
2006 Ford E350 Van Driveshaft
Once the Ford 5R110 transmission... 
   
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2006 Ford E350 Van Driveshaft
Once the Ford 5R110 transmission was modified with a four-wheel-drive adapter, Chris found an NV271 transfer case out of a late-model Ford Super Duty to give him a case strong enough to handle the power and allow for the factory fuel tank to remain close to the original length. When it was time for exhaust, a 4-inch RBP stainless system was used to give the van a little extra power.
2006 Ford E350 Van Front Bumper
Starting out with a two-wheel-drive... 
   
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2006 Ford E350 Van Front Bumper
Starting out with a two-wheel-drive platform, Chris had his work cut out for him when he decided to convert the front of his E-350 to a leaf-sprung suspension. A Dynatrac Pro 60 housing was used to support the weight of the diesel and outfitted with a set of F-550 brake rotors to give Chris all the stopping power he needed. Just in case the 6.0L wasn't enough to get him where he needed to go, he outfitted the custom front bumper with a Warn 16.5 thermometric winch spooled tight with a synthetic winch line-which he used to keep the frontend weight down.
2002 Chevy 2500Hd Engine
Nothing screams reliability... 
   
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2002 Chevy 2500Hd Engine
Nothing screams reliability better than a diesel engine under the hood. Both engines received a helping of go-fast gadgetry to make spinning those big meats on the dirt an effortless action.
2002 Chevy 2500Hd Front Bumper
Having a dependable front... 
   
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2002 Chevy 2500Hd Front Bumper
Having a dependable front end is extremely important, especially when you're in the middle of Nowhere, Montana, hunting elk and driving on unfamiliar terrain. To ensure that Dave's truck was tough enough for the trail, he enlisted the help of the crew at ORU to remove the factory independent front suspension in favor of a beefy Dynatrac front axle set in place using ORU's solid-axle conversion.
2002 Chevy 2500Hd Suspension
In the way of rear suspension... 
   
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2002 Chevy 2500Hd Suspension
In the way of rear suspension it doesn't get simpler than a good pair of elaf springs. Helping out the arch under load is a set of airbags to keep their ride level no matter what the load.

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