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2002 Ford F350 Crew Cab Dually Super Duty 4x4 - Ten-Lug Titanic

Rollin' 47s

By Jon Acuff, Photography by
2002 Ford F350 Crew Cab Dually Super Duty 4X4 Front Suspension

Running 47-inch tires is becoming more common (hey, we did it!). What isn't common is seeing them on a vehicle that is reliable and strong enough to be daily-driven and used for tow duty and off-road. Bill Sorlie's F-350 dually Super Duty may have started out as one of the most common tow vehicles on the road but now it is certainly in a class of its own.

The now-defunct White Motorsports originally built the suspension on this truck, and though it towers over our own Super Duty, it still seems to be a good daily driver for Bill to get to work and back from his motorcycle shop. We found it a bit hard to believe that Bill uses a truck this big for more than just show duty, but sure enough he showed up at our annual Heavy Metal Weekend with a giant trailer in tow. We've also seen him out on the Southern California highways numerous times (it's easy to spot this one in oncoming traffic) and in the dirt up in Gorman and out in Oceano Dunes.

  • Watching this truck climb up hills and drive over obstacles was something. The tires have such a large footprint that traction is hardly an issue. They're so large and rated for so many miles that Bill's Super Duty will wear out before the regroovable Continental tires ever do. The one big downfall to having a commercial truck tire like this is that the sidewall is horrendously thick. While that may be good for towing or for a lack of punctures, there is absolutely no sidewall flexing when the air is let out of these tires.
    Watching this truck climb up hills and drive over obstacles was something. The tires have
  • The front end is completely custom built around the stock Dana 60 front axle. White Motorsports designed a four-link suspension using 1.25-inch Heim joints and custom pivot points on the frame. Notice that the suspension is a Z-link with the upper two links coming from the very front of the frame, back to the axle. The lower links come from behind the axle. The link brackets bolt onto the frame in the stock U-bolt-and-leaf spring locations. The 18-inch-stroke King coilovers have dual-rate coil setups and remote reservoirs.
    The front end is completely custom built around the stock Dana 60 front axle. White Motors
  • Dual King steering stabilizers attach to a custom tie rod that joins both Dana 60 knuckles together. The passenger-side knuckle has been swapped out for a high-steer knuckle to compensate for the added lift. The front Dana 60's differential has been left open to keep from breaking anything when off-road with the massive 47-inch Continental tires. The stock sway bar was retained (with new custom-length links).
    Dual King steering stabilizers attach to a custom tie rod that joins both Dana 60 knuckles
  • The upper U-link is pivoting off of the original forward hangers for the rear leaf springs. The lower links come back directly from the frame to the axle and attach to custom-welded tabs. There is also a giant truss over the rear Visteon axle that not only makes a mounting point for the upper link, but also adds strength to the housing. King 18-inch stroke dual-rate coilovers are found at each corner of the truck, along with 2.0 hydraulic bumpstops that ping off the upper rear link.
    The upper U-link is pivoting off of the original forward hangers for the rear leaf springs
  • There is a single airbag in the rear on top of the upper U-link to assist the rear coil springs when towing or hauling a load. This way, a softer dual-rate coil setup could be used to improve bump compliance when unloaded. If you look closely, you can see two King bump stops that also act on the U-link when big bumps are encountered.
    There is a single airbag in the rear on top of the upper U-link to assist the rear coil sp
  • You have got to love it when dually fenders are just wide enough to cover a large single tire. Those are Continental 47-inch-tall cement mixer truck tires. The wheels are 10-lug Alcoa heavy-duty truck wheels that were adapted using some 10-lug hub adapters. Another nice touch is the custom brushed aluminum inner fender liners that can be seen in all the wheel wells. Big tires tend to kick up big rocks.
    You have got to love it when dually fenders are just wide enough to cover a large single t
  • Amp Research steps come down automatically when the door opens, but it's still one heck of a jump to the ground. Some of the custom suede and carbon fiber material that covers the entire interior of the cab can be seen on the door panel.
    Amp Research steps come down automatically when the door opens, but it's still one heck of
Specs
VEHICLE: 2002 Ford F-350 crew cab dually Super Duty 4x4
OWNER/HOMETOWN: Bill Sorlie / Northridge, California
CHASSIS: Stock 1-ton Ford frame
ENGINE: 7.3L Powerstroke diesel, RBP exaust, cold-air intake kit, Edge Performance programmer
DRIVETRAIN: 4R100 auto transmission, Dana 60 front end, Visteon 10.25 rear with a Detroit Locker, 4.88 gears, 10-lug hub adapters
SUSPENSION: White Motorsports custom-built links front and rear, 18-inch-stroke King coilovers front and rear, single airbag over upper rear link, King 2.0 hydraulic bumpstops
STEERING: White Motorsports Heim joint steering conversion and high-steer knuckle
BRAKES: Stock Super Duty
TIRES/WHEELS: 47-inch Continental tires on 22.5-inch Alcoa 10-lug wheels
INTERIOR: Covered in custom suede and carbon fiber, 2,000-watt stereo, 15-inch monitor
OTHER PARTS: Reverse lights in rear bumper, fog lights in front bumper, Amp Research automatic steps, Hannemann 5-inch bulge front fenders
FAVORITE OHV AREAS: Gorman, Oceano Dunes
By Jon Acuff
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