Inside FST
While we were at the shop, we used our trusty belt-buckle camera to snag a few spy photos when Torrey and crew were looking elsewhere. Here's some of the trickery we saw.
 |  FST's Avalanche Trophy Truck...  FST's Avalanche Trophy Truck was up on jackstands, getting some pre-SEMA prep. The truck bristles with 37 - yes, 37 - inches of front suspension travel. The otherworldly front travel necessitated a one-off set of front spindles. The spindles use dual Heim joints to pivot vertically, while steering chores are handled by a separate pivot on the spindle's upper cross-shaft. The rearend is kept cool by pumping the differential oil out to a remote cooler, through a network of trick and tough AN fittings and braided-stainless-steel lines. |  Jeep took its short-wheelbase...  Jeep took its short-wheelbase Wrangler to a new level of ride quality and off-road ability when it ditched the leaf springs and replaced them with links and coils. This Jeep will emerge from FST with a level of performance beyond what Jeep engineers had envisioned when they conceived the coil-sprung TJ Wrangler using CAD programs and their collective imaginations. Long-links and Fox coilovers will see this Jeep to many vistas atop tough, rocky trails. |
 |  The pre-SEMA preparation rush...  The pre-SEMA preparation rush was in full swing when we stopped by. This '05 F-150 was receiving a one-off independent rear suspension, while the GMC Canyon got a full rollcage and integrated winch mount. |  FST's lineup of fabrication...  FST's lineup of fabrication parts is as extensive as it is trick. These tube inserts allow removal of 'cage tubes while maintaining strength, thanks to the integrated keyway and twin fixing bolts. |
 This is just one of FST's...  This is just one of FST's many cutting machines. Try fitting this in your garage. |  This laser-cut control panel...  This laser-cut control panel will be filled with gauges and bolted into a helicopter. Underneath is a plexiglass pane cut with a water jet cutter. | |
Transform Your Truck
If you have about 60-large and an F-150, FST has a kit with your name on it. Kits include all suspension components, shocks, and installation. The front suspension cradle bolts into place and provides mounting locations for the chrome-moly upper and lower control arms. Just like the Ford flying across these pages, a completed truck will have 20 inches of front travel and 37 inches in the rear.
| Specifications |
| Owner/hometown | John Rhodes/Peoria, Arizona |
| Year/make/model | '00 Ford F-150 7700 |
| Engine/transmission | 5.4L Triton V-8 with Airaid intake; stock automatic transmission with 3,000-rpm stall; Hughes torque convertor; cryogenically treated internals |
| Ring-and-pinion: | 5.13: 1 |
| Suspension | Custom FST steering and upper and lower chrome-moly control arms; custom FST three-link with boxed wishbone and lower trailing arms; all four corners damped by Bilstein coilover and bypass shocks and Bilstein pneumatic bumpstops |
| Wheels/tires | 17x9-inch seven-lug Mickey Thompson Challengers with 5-inch backspacing/BFGoodrich Project Baja T/A radials |
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