Ford Super Duty Skyjacker Lift Kit

Leaf-sprung Super Dutys haven't been produced for six years now, but they remain the most popular off-road choice for fullsize Ford lovers. New coil-sprung Super Dutys are being lifted up and used off-road as well, but we don't see nearly as many in the dirt as we do of the original leaf-sprung Super Duty. And there's one simple reason: price. You can get original 4WD Super Dutys for as cheap as $4,000 (or less!) now, and that puts them in the affordable price range that many off-road enthusiasts tend to choose from.

Michael Taylor picked up this '01 Super Duty for just $3,500 as a theft recovery. He and his dad had to do some work to put some stolen parts back onto the truck, but they ended up with a really nice diesel 4x4 that Michael could use as his first truck and off-road toy.

Since the tires, wheels, and parts of the suspension had been stripped off the truck as well, it made all the sense in the world for Michael to immediately lift his "new" truck.

2001 Ford F250 Super Duty Dave Broggs And Michael Taylor

Dave Briggs and Michael Taylor laid everything out to begin the install, just so they could look at what pieces they have and where they should start. It's always a good idea to take inventory of what you're dealing with before you start the install.

Dave Briggs and Michael Taylor laid everything out to begin the install, just so they coul

Skyjacker offers some high-quality leaf springs for the front and rear of Super Dutys, so Michael decided to go with Skyjacker's 8-inch all-spring kit to negate having to use blocks in the rear of his truck. His goal was to throw on either 38-inch or 40-inch tires.

Believe it or not, Michael's dad drives a Super Duty on 38s, and his mom drives one on 40s, so it was natural for him to start with this big of a lift and tires. Working with Dave Briggs of Diesel Tech in San Jacinto, California, he was able to lift his Super Duty up around the level of his parents'.

Removing the old suspension off a truck can sometimes be the biggest job. This rear spring hanger's bolt did not want to come out and let the leaf spring go. The bolt was rust-welded to the bushing and was such a hard steel that we went through three Sawsall blades before finally getting it out.
Removing the old suspension off a truck can sometimes be the biggest job. This rear spring
New urethane bushings are provided for the Skyjacker leaf springs.
Taylor and Briggs lifted each Skyjacker spring into place, doing one at a time. If you're doing just one spring at a time, you'll probably have to loosen....
Taylor and Briggs lifted each Skyjacker spring into place, doing one at a time. If you're

.....the opposite spring's U-bolts so the axle can drop far enough to get the new leaf springs. It was imperative for this install since we were installing an 8-inch leaf spring.
.....the opposite spring's U-bolts so the axle can drop far enough to get the new leaf spr
New U-bolts are provided with the leaf springs. U-bolts should never be reused.
New stainless steel braided brake lines with clear sheathing take the place of the old rubber brake lines. It helps to put on high-quality brake lines whether you're lifting your truck or not. Skyjacker automatically includes them with the suspension kit.
New stainless steel braided brake lines with clear sheathing take the place of the old rub

Skyjacker provides two track bar brackets and a new pitman arm to account for the extra lift height. The pitman arm lessens the steering draglink angle....
Skyjacker provides two track bar brackets and a new pitman arm to account for the extra li
.....while the track bar brackets keep the track bar level with the draglink. The lower track bar bracket is first bolted into the original track bar location.....
.....while the track bar brackets keep the track bar level with the draglink. The lower t
....Then, an extra hole is drilled for a second bolt to hold the bracket steady. The upper track bar bracket is bolted to the driver side framerail and front crossmember.
....Then, an extra hole is drilled for a second bolt to hold the bracket steady. The upper

Skyjacker Nitro 8000 nitrogen-charged shocks were provided to dampen the ride of the four new leaf springs. They were specifically valved for these leaf packs, so they actually ride pretty nicely.
Skyjacker Nitro 8000 nitrogen-charged shocks were provided to dampen the ride of the four
A section of simple box tubing is provided to drop the driveshaft's carrier bearing on the two-piece rear 'shaft. If you're working with a truck this long, it's unlikely that you'll need a new driveshaft and you'll probably be able to get away with just the carrier bearing drop, even with an 8-inch lift.
A section of simple box tubing is provided to drop the driveshaft's carrier bearing on the
With most of the kit installed on the truck, Briggs installed the dual steering stabilizer bracket onto the tie rod and mounted the steering stabilizers in place.....
With most of the kit installed on the truck, Briggs installed the dual steering stabilizer

.....This is the standard location for steering stabilizers on a lifted Super Duty, but if you start doing some serious off-roading you'll find that these stabilizers hang a little low and quickly become a target for rocks and debris.
.....This is the standard location for steering stabilizers on a lifted Super Duty, but if
How Did it Work?
The truck was finished in the late afternoon and taken for a test drive the next morning. Michael borrowed his mom's 40-inch tires and wheels to see if they'd fit with 8 inches of lift. They did fit for street driving, but he's going to need to do some fender trimming if he's going to run 40s with 8 inches of lift in the dirt. The springs were a little stiff, but that's to be expected with such a tall spring. They were also brand new, and we know they'll break in after a couple good off-road trips. We figured we'd get started on breaking them in immediately....
How Did it Work? The truck was finished in the late afternoon and taken for a test drive

Sources
Skyjacker Suspensions P.O. Box 1678 West Monroe LA 71294 318-338-0816 www.skyjacker.com	Diesel Tech 1685 S State St. San Jacinto CA 92583 951-766-5777 http://www.dieseltech1.com/