Truckin’ – October 2019

Truckin Tech TEXT AND PHOTOS: JEREMY COOK

• TRUCKIN.COM [6 2 ] OCTOBER 2019 -

The ’0 4 Super Duty Blues

Sources:

ATLAS SUSPENSION

626 .3 15 .1777

atlassuspension.com

EBC BRAKES

855 .EBC.BRAKES

shopebcbrakes.com

FUEL OFF-ROAD

310 .73 5 .8 520

fueloffroad.com

GENERAL TIRE

800 .8 4 7.3 349

generaltire.com

ICON VEHICLE DYNAMICS

95 1.6 89 .ICON

iconvehicledynamics.com

LMC TRUCK

800 .5 62 .8 782

lmctruck.com

L

ongtime readers will definitely

recognize our ’04 Ford Super Duty

project. Over the last few years,

we’ve updated the 6.0L Power Stroke

engine, added a stellar audio system, filled the

bed area with storage solutions, and tried out

various grille and bumper combinations. And

that 6.0L statement combined with the mention

of leaf springs in the title brings up a really good

point regarding the uniqueness of this truck. Even

though this body style started in 1999, there were

many changes along the way. Most importantly,

the ’04 model was the last year for the leaf-spring

front suspension, but it was the first year for the

6.0L Power Stroke engine, essentially making this

a one-year-only truck as far as the most popular

modifications are concerned.

So why have we addressed just about

everything on the Ford except the suspension?

Well, the main reason was the truck was already

equipped with a 4-inch lift from Icon Vehicle

Dynamics—and it still worked great. But the time

came when we wanted to run 37-inch tires. After

looking at new kits on the market, including

coilover conversions—which we were advised

against for this particular truck, by the way—we

decided we could cobble together exactly what

we wanted for less than the cost of a new off-the-

shelf kit in most cases.

We retained most of the original Icon kit,

including the front spring mounts, the track-

bar drop-down bracket, and the dual shock

mounts. To get the extra 2 inches of lift we were

looking for, we contacted our pal Fernando at

Atlas Suspension. He knew exactly what we

were looking for in terms of height and ride

quality—and how to build springs to accomplish

it. We also replaced the stock spring and block

in the rear with a dual-rate setup. Since Icon was

the company of choice the first time around,

we revisited the Icon team for a set of 2-inch

aluminum-bodied shocks up front and 2-inch

reservoirs in the rear. LMC Truck replaced the

ball joints and all the steering components with

Moog Problem Solver products, with which we

have always had great luck. We topped the new

steering setup with a dual stabilizer kit from

Icon, complete with two more aluminum-bodied

shocks. Before we bolted on the wheels and tires,

we updated the brakes with a set of tried-and-

true EBC rotors and Orange Stuff brake pads.

Then we grabbed our new 20-inch Vectors in

satin black from Fuel Off-Road and wrapped

them in 37-inch General Grabber X3 tires. Since

this was by no means a traditional lift story, we

performed the main build at Atlas Suspension

in City of Industry, California, then headed over

to New Century Tire in Westminster, California,

for mounting and balancing of the tires and a

professional alignment.

When all was said and done, we accomplished

exactly what we set out to do: a brand-new

suspension with more lift, more travel, better

road manners, and, of course, 37s! Our plan

worked perfectly, and we are looking forward to

many more off-road miles in our old Super Duty.

Follow along as we make the transformation

and check out the websites in the source box for

products to make your own truck perform better

on the pavement and the dirt.

Revamping

the Leaf-Spring

Suspension

With Atlas,

LMC, and Icon