What?
Another Super Duty lift story? Hasn’t this been done before?
Well, yes and no. Ford Super Duties are so popular these days, you’ve
probably seen several magazine articles featuring upgrades of the
pickup’s solid-axle suspension system. But this story is different.
It includes not only the installation of one of Explorer Pro Comp’s
6 1/2-inch Super Duty/Excursion lift kits (part # 52408) but also
a number of accessories to make the system work even better in the
harsh desert environment that Southern California off-roaders often
face.
Primary
among those upgrades was a set of Explorer Pro Comp’s new
monotube piggyback reservoir shock absorbers. Made by Sway-A-Way
to Explorer Pro Comp’s specs, these rebuildable shocks feature
a beefy, 2.25-inch-diameter piston; a brushed aluminum body and
blue anodized caps. Pro Comp chose to go with the piggyback style
of reservoir, rather than an off-shock remote canister, to simplify
the application. The external line that feeds the reservoir can
wear or get damaged, just like a brake line can, whereas the piggyback
style of mounting doesn’t expose the reservoir feed line to
the elements.
Dual front reservoir shocks on each side of the truck were matched
with a pair of rebuildable shocks in back. These were not fitted
with remote reservoirs, though canisters and feed lines are available
from Sway-A-Way.
Right now, Pro Comp offers the reservoir shocks specifically valved
and pressurized to work with the Super Duty and its relatively heavy
Power Stroke diesel or Triton V-10 gasoline engines. (Other reservoir
shocks are on the drawing boards.) They’re not inexpensive.
Suggested retail for the four front shocks shown here is around
$1,400; street prices are a few hundred less. That’s a hefty
premium to pay over the ES3000s that come standard with the kit,
but hardcore desert runners will find the increased shock performance
well worth the price, says Pro Comp. These shocks are much firmer
than even an upgraded shock like the ES3000, and their reservoir
construction makes them much more resistant to fading, even when
being pounded at high speeds.
In addition to the reservoir shocks, this ’01 F-350 diesel
crew cab was fitted with front dual-shock hoops (part # 52420) to
mount the dampers; a driveshaft alignment shim kit (part # 52480)
to reduce driveline vibration caused by the rear axle’s relocation
relative to the transfer case; and rear traction bars (part # 72099)
to work against axle wrap-up.
The lift kit instructions call for professional installation of
the kit and accessories, and we photographed the install with wrench
Albert Cuevas doing the honors at the Burbank, California, 4 Wheel
Parts Performance Center. But as you’ll see from the accompanying
photos, the installation is pretty straightforward, with no welding
or fabrication required. An experienced do-it-yourself mechanic
with a well-stocked tool chest could perform the job at home over
a weekend’s time.
The
pieces in the Explorer ProComp Super Duty lift kit were so big we
couldn't fit htem all in one photo. The major components include
front and rear leaf springs, U-bolts, track rod lowering brackets,
dropped pitman arm, new bumpstops and all the necessary hardware
to install the kit. Also show here is one of the front dual-shock
hoops, two of the piggyback reservoir front shocks and one rear
shock.
1.
After the truck is secure on a lift or jackstands, dismount the
tires and disassemble the stock front suspension components. Start
with the front chassis cross-brace, shock absorber, the sway bar
links and track-bar bracket. Keep the cross-brace and sway bar links
as they will be used later. (Note that this article will illustrate
the kit installation on the driver’s side of the truck only;
all steps need to be repeated for the passenger’s side.)
2.
The air conditioning condenser bracket should be unbolted (and the
condenser zip-tied out of the way) for access to the driver’s-side
front leaf spring bolts. On some trucks, the factory used so much
thread locking compound on these bolts that heat was needed to loosen
them. (A welding torch was used here, but any sort of torch will
work.) Then remove the U-bolts and the leaf spring shackle bolts
to take out the leaf springs. A floor jack or transmission jack
under the differential housing and a ratchet strap under the axle
tube will hold the axle in place when the leaf springs are out.
3.
Note the lift provided by the Explorer Pro Comp front leaf springs
(top) over the stock front leaves (bottom). The spacer block on
the bottom of the new spring pack is for use with diesel-engine
trucks only and must be removed if the kit is going on a gas-engine
truck.
The lift kit instructions call for professional installation of
the kit and accessories.
4.
Position the new leaf spring pack on the axle tube and use the stock
spring bolts to attach the pack to the spring shackles. Leave the
shackle bolts loose at this point; they will be tightened after
putting weight on the suspension, since the shackles will move as
the suspension compresses. The new U-bolts should be loosely attached
to the axle tube and spring pack at this stage.
5.
Replace the stock pitman arm with the dropped pitman arm supplied
in the kit. A few blows from a hammer may be needed to loosen the
arm before a pitman arm puller can be used to remove it.
6.
Flip the bracket that holds the sway bar link (originally located
inside the framerail) to its new position below the frame. Bolt
on the new anodized bracket supplied in the kit to reinforce the
original-equipment bracket.
7.
Attach the new track bar bracket loosely to the frame. As with the
leaf spring shackles, these bolts will be tightened when weight
is put on the suspension. Otherwise the bar won’t reach the
bracket. A tech tip: Before the new track bar bracket can be installed,
its mount holes may need to be reamed, since the powdercoating process
may have added just enough material to make it hard for the bolts
to fit through.
8.
With the leaf springs and track bar bracket loosely in place, it’s
time to compress the suspension and tighten these components. It’s
not necessary to remount the tires and put the truck back on the
ground. Instead, lower the truck so its axle rests on jackstands.
Then tighten the leaf spring shackle bolts, tighten the new U-bolts,
mount the track bar into its bracket (shown) and tighten the bar
and the bracket bolts. Next, attach the sway bar link to the flipped
bracket, and attach the other end of the link to the sway bar. Also
attach the steering arm to the new dropped pitman arm.
9.
A new bump stop and bump-stop spacer (right) bolt to the location
of the (comparatively tiny) stock bump stop (left).
10.
Remove the stock shock mount bracket from the chassis. Then bolt
the tops of the front shocks to the dual-shock hoop before the assembly
is mounted to the truck. Note that the reservoirs are oriented to
the outside of the shocks.
11.
Bolt the shock/hoop assembly to the truck using the center mount
bracket. Then compress the shock pistons to fit the rod ends into
their mounts on the spring pack. Easier said than done, since the
reservoir shocks are pressurized to about 350 psi. Be prepared to
push hard and work fast once the rod ends are near the bolt.
12.
Drill holes through the shock hoop’s legs into the frame,
then use the supplied hardware to attach the hoop’s legs.
Once the bolts are tight, hammer plastic plugs into the bolt holes
to finish the front end. A tech tip: This lift doesn’t require
the use of longer brake lines, but bending the frame-mounted bracket
that locates the lines around the front suspension will give the
lines needed slack.
13. The rear lift starts with the disassembly of the stock components:
Place a transmission jack or jackstand under the rear pumpkin, loop
a ratchet strap around the axle tube, remove the rear shock absorber,
disconnect the sway bar links, remove the U-bolts (shown) and unbolt
the leaf springs. Leave the rear spring shackles on the springs,
as they will be moved to the new springs. A couple of tech tips:
Disconnect the ABS sensor from the pumpkin and route it over the
sway bar before putting the truck in the air, or rearward movement
of the bar (as the truck raises on the lift) may cut the ABS line.
Also, the differential breather tube should be moved from its clip
on the top of the frame to the bracket that holds the brake line
to the axle housing.
14.
The stock rear spring pack must be disassembled, as the flat leaf
at the bottom of the pack will be mounted to the new spring pack.
Use C-clamps to hold the leaves together when the center bolt is
removed. Once the new spring pack is assembled, place it under the
truck and loosely bolt it to the chassis.
15.
Next comes the traction bar assembly. After pushing urethane bushings
into either end of the bar, attach the mount brackets to the bar’s
front and rear (shown).
16.
Mount the traction bar’s rear bracket between the lift block
and the axle tube. The lift block must be drilled to accept the
bigger mount pin used with the bracket. The front bracket won’t
be mounted until there’s weight on the rear suspension, so
that the distance between the brackets is correct when the truck
is sitting on the ground. Use a bungee cord to hold up the front
of the bar until it’s installed.
17.
Attach the top of the new shock to a stud on the frame and to a
bracket on the axle tube at the bottom.
18.
Explorer Pro Comp’s driveshaft alignment kit comes with an
assortment of shims of varying thicknesses that mount between the
driveshaft’s carrier bearing and its crossmember to reduce
any driveline vibration caused by the suspension lift. A general
rule of thumb is to use a quarter-inch of shim for every inch of
rear suspension lift. Since this kit raised the rear end 4 inches,
we used shims totaling 1 inch. The 4 Wheel Parts techs don’t
rely just on that rule, however. They test-drive every truck to
make sure there’s no vibration, and will experiment with the
shims to eradicate as much vibration as possible.
19.
Next, lower the rear end so that the axle tube rests on jackstands
and the rear suspension compresses. Then tighten the leaf spring
shackle bolts, install the new U-bolts, re-attach the sway bar (shown)
and mark the holes to be drilled for the traction bar’s front
bracket.
20.
A potential problem: Holes for the front bracket would have to be
drilled very close to these fuel, brake and electrical lines running
inside of the framerail. Also note the bracket’s proximity
to the fuel tank, which is the big black plastic box on the left
side of the photo.
21.
To protect the lines from damage, use a screwdriver to pry them
as far away from the drilling area as possible. Then drill as carefully
as possible. We used this Uni-bit drill bit, with stops built into
the bit, so the bit wouldn’t travel into the framerail too
fast.
22.
Once the holes are drilled, bolt the bracket to the framerail, push
the brake and fuel lines back into place, put the truck’s
axle back down on jackstands, and attach the front of the traction
bar to the bracket. Then it’s time to go back and make sure
all bolts are snugged down properly.
According
to the Explorer Pro Comp, tires up to 37 inches tall and 12.50 inches
wide can be fitted with this lift. The truck's owner opted for a
set of 35x12.50R17LT Pro Comp Xterrain tires mounted on 17x9-inch
Pro Comp Xtreme Alloy Wheels.
Tools Needed:
Lift (or jackstands)
Floor jack and/or transmission jack
Wrenches with assorted metric and standard sockets
Drill and assorted bits
Pry bar
Various size hammers
Pickle fork
Pitman arm puller
Welding or propane torch
Grinder
C-clamps
Ratchet straps
Bungee cords
Zip ties
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