With desert season just around the corner, Rick knew it was time to get his Ford Super Duty ready to tow in style. He wanted to give his F-350 a lift so he could fit bigger tires and give it an aggressive look. The tricky part was to keep O.E. handling, and have it be able to tow. He did not want a truck with a stiff ride, or something so tall he needed an 8 ft. ladder to get in and out of. This Super Duty is a daily driver, and unlike many other “Disco Duties” out there, Rick actually uses his truck for work and play.

Superlift 4-inch kit for 99 - 2004 Ford Super Duty

Rick decided to go with the Superlift 4-inch suspension kit. The Superlift 4-inch suspension system comes with “Softride” springs, helping alleviate some of the hard pounding suspension these fine machines come with from factory. The suspension system will work on Ford Super Duty trucks from 1999-2004. The Superlift 4-inch kit consists of:

• Superlift Softride springs for the front
• Bilstein 5100 Series Shocks (upgrade)
• Track-arm relocation bracket
• Drop links for the sway bar
• Drop brackets for the front bump-stops
• Blocks or Add-a-leaf for rear

Bilstein 5100 Series shock absorbers were used with the Superlift 4-inch lift

Right off the bat, we knew we wanted some good shock absorbers to help handle the bigger tires and also help tame this beast. The shocks we had in mind were not just any shocks, we wanted the best shocks on the market—Bilstein Shock Absorbers. It just happened to be that Superlift now offers Bilstein shocks as an upgrade to their suspension kits.

We choose the Bilstein 5100 Series because they are application specific, and use the factory mounting points. Bilstein Shock Absorbers don’t just look nice, they actually work. They were one of the first manufacturers to make mono-tube shocks for lifted trucks. It’s amazing how much control is gained by simply adding a pair of Bilstein’s to your rig. Some of the features of a Biltein 5100 Series Shock are as follows:

• Self-Adjusting Deflecting Disc Valving
• High-Flow Piston Reduces Harshness
• Independent Rebound & Compression Tuning
• Larger Working Piston Area for Exact Damping
• Superior Control for Large Diameter Tires

What makes a Bilstein Shock Absorber better?

Installing the drop links for sway bars and bracket for bump-stop

Installing the Track-arm relocation bracket

Installing the Superlift 4-inch lift leaf springs

Installing front Bilstein 5100 Series shocks

Installing rear Bilstein 5100 Series shocks

THE INSTALL

When time came to get this truck up in the air, we consulted one of the leading truck lift expert in the southwest—Off Road Warehouse (ORW). Their friendly off road specialist took the time to talk to us about what our project entailed and what we needed. I knew they were the right place to go because they have done hundreds of trucks in their 30+ years of doing off road business.

Ryan, Matt, and Steve from ORW all pitched in to get this job done, and they did a hell of a job too! You can tell when a shop full of guys works good together. These guys worked like clockwork. They knew exactly what to do, and where each one needed to be to help each other out to get the job done efficiently and professionally. The guys at ORW made it look almost too easy, but keep in mind that these guys have done hundreds of lifts like these, so they know what they are doing.

AFTER:

The added 4-inches of lift allowed Rick to add a set of 37-inch BFG All Terrain tires. It gave the truck a nice stance and the aggressive look he was looking for. Driving the truck without a load is fine, it handled good on the road, and is actually smoother than it was before. The difference in control is definitely noticeable. The Bilstein shocks have given the truck much more control than the shocks on there before. When the truck hits a bump it just sucks it up, and when driving on windy roads, it feels like it’s on rails. That’s a lot to say for such a big truck like this Super Duty F-350 dually.

Towing has been great. Rick tows a 12,000 GVW 28ft enclosed race trailer. He says it handles and tows a lot better than before.

So if you want to give your truck a lift, but still want to keep using it as a workhorse—bigger isn’t always better. Take a look at the 4-inch lifts available for your Truck or SUV. This might be the best choice if you plan to continue using it to tow.