Big trucks will always have a place in this hobby and our hearts. No matter if it's a sky-high mud bogger or a larger-than-life trail monster, big trucks simply demand attention. As kids stuck riding in the backseat of our parents' car, we watched in awe as the bottom of some off-road behemoth went roaring past, our faces glued to the window in amazement. They were simply the coolest things we'd ever seen.
Knowing that there's still a demand for the nose-bleed section, Superlift has a massive 10-inch suspension kit available for the '99-'04 Ford Super Duty. Using a combination of beefy military-wrapped leaf springs, drop hangers, and lift blocks, the kit provides you with enough lift to easily clear 38-inch-tall tires. Designed to keep your workhorse true to its nature and give it a little added height for when the weekend rolls around and dirt is in the forecast, the Superlift kit captures the best of both worlds.
To follow the transformation of one of these beasts, we headed down to Diesel Tech where Loren Taylor and his expert crew of technicians had our '02 F-250 four-door longbed ready to tackle the dirt in no time. Although an entirely bolt-on suspension kit, it requires a little drilling, so plan accordingly. This would probably be a good time to call up your buddy with a hoist, because with this much lift, jackstands might not cut it. So for all you Super Duty owners looking to cook up a little mini-monster all your own, it's time to take a peak at what Superlift is brewing.
A massive 10 inches of lift...
A massive 10 inches of lift is achieved by combining Superlift's beefy 8-inch spring pack along with 2-inch drop hangers in the front of the Super Duty. By lowering the point in which the spring attaches to the frame, you are able to achieve more lift without increasing the arch in the spring, thus creating a softer ride with better performance.
Even with a new drop pitman...
Even with a new drop pitman arm, track bar, and track-bar bracket, knobby mud terrains and a healthy dose of lift can make steering feel like a bit of a workout on most 3/4- and 1-ton trucks. To keep things moving straight, Diesel Tech owner Loren Taylor buttoned down Superlift's dual steering-stabilizer kit to keep the front end in check.
Oftentimes lifting your rig...
Oftentimes lifting your rig means new driveshafts, and in our case it was immediately apparent that the stock front shaft was coming up a few inches short. Lucky for us J.E. Reel had a new shaft that was longer and sported a thicker wall with an improved C.V. joint to compensate for the new driveshaft angle.
The dual shock bracket required...
The dual shock bracket required us to ream out the four existing holes on each side of the Super Duty's frame using a 1/2-inch drill bit. Equipped with dual Superlift SSR reservoir shocks and Off Road Unlimited's billet clamps, the added shocks will help dampen the ride of the heavy 7.3L F-250 both on road and off.
A set of 7-inch springs is...
A set of 7-inch springs is used in conjunction with a 2-inch block stacked atop the factory rear one. Although we're not huge fans of stacking blocks, this is a common practice in many late-model kits. If you want to be sure the axle stays in place, you can upgrade your 10-inch kit with a set of Superlift's traction bars that help fight axlewrap and keep your axle from going loopy when the skinny pedal hits the floor.
With our '02 F-250 being a...
With our '02 F-250 being a four-door longbed, we where able to retain the factory rear driveshaft and use the provided driveshaft carrier-bearing drop shims to lower the truck's factory carrier bearing. Lowering the carrier bearing is necessary to eliminate massive drivetrain vibration.
Brake lines are a focal point on any lifted rig, as those tiny hoses are all that stops you from crushing the car in front of you. Addressing this is a set of extended braided lines up front, while a hard line extension attaches to the new bumpstop bracket in the rear.
How Fast Did You Say?
We've all done it, the ol' "when the speedometer says 50, you're really going 65" guessing game, but with Superlift's TruSpeed you can finally know true mph. Using a few simple wires to tie in the module, you can put guessing in the past. The next time an officer ask you if you knew how fast you were going, you can simply reply, "Yes."
Standing tall in traffic, it's nice to see what's happening farther down the road than you've ever seen before. Minus a little road noise from our 38-inch Nitto Mud Grapplers, the suspension remained quiet and carried the truck firmly both on and off road. Definitely not meant for rockcrawling, this setup is great for anyone who is looking to have some fun out in the dirt, especially those who like messy stuff. Although Superlift suggests the use of a 38-inch tire, we felt we had plenty of room to go a few inches bigger. If you're not afraid of trimming, your options are wide open.