Lifting - 2006 Ford F-150 2WD - Lil’ Red No More

2006 Ford F150 Lil Red No More Resulting Truck Photo

2006 Ford F150 Lil Red No More Ford 150 Offroading

Fullsize trucks continue their popularity, even as compact trucks are becoming fewer and farther between. Some of us like fullsize trucks, but we still value something nimble and maneuverable. That’s where standard-cab, shortbed fullsize trucks come in.

David Sonsky of Long Beach, California, owns this ’06 F-150 2WD. He spends much of his time on two wheels as editor of Super Street Bike, but he’s also a dirt bike fiend. As such, this F-150’s role is primarily as a dirt-bike hauler. It’s a pint-size fullsize and it’s almost perfect. The “almost” comes in because Dave’s been stuck a couple of times on his way out to dirt bike staging areas. Dirt riding time is precious and scarce. Who wants to spend it digging out a stuck truck?

2006 Ford F150 Lil Red No More Stock Side View

01. Other than a set of stock-sized mud tires, the F-150 is the same as the day it left the dealer lot. Ford’s previous generation half-ton had a “semi-extended” cab for a standard cab. Thus, driving a standard-cab ’06 F-150 doesn’t leave you feeling cramped. If it looks like a rainy day, that’s because it was.

01. Other than a set of stock-sized mud tires, the F-150 is the same as the day it left t

The easy solution was to sell it and buy a 4x4, but first Dave wanted to see what a few simple mods could do for his truck’s dirt prowess. Enter Skyjacker Suspensions, Toyo Tires, Rev Wheel, and Pro Comp. Combined, the new package was sure to get Dave from the pavement to the trailhead in short order, maximizing his dirt riding time.

It took less than a weekend to get this F-150 up and ready for some dirt action, with a stop by Desolate Motorsports to lift the truck and install the wheels and tires in just one day, and then a few hours at home to get the Pro Comp light bar and lights onto stock front bumper.

Follow along as we go bigger with a pint-size fullsize.

2006 Ford F150 Lil Red No More Skyjacker Kit Overview

02. Skyjacker’s 6-inch lift kit for the ’04-to-’08 F-150 is based on a set of replacement steering knuckles. The stock lower control arms drop down via brackets, with the stock upper control arms staying put. The rear suspension is lifted using an add-a-leaf with our kit, though full leaf springs and blocks are also options. Replacement shocks go on all four corners. Included but not shown is a complete set of required hardware to complete the job.

03. A close-up of the forward-most lower control arm drop bracket reveals highly aesthetic welds, precision-bent plate, and an overall high-quality feel. The real test, though, is how easily (or not) it installs on the truck. Would the holes all line up? Would the bolts fit without being forced? We’d know soon enough.
03. A close-up of the forward-most lower control arm drop bracket reveals highly aesthet
04. New shocks span the extra distance the lift components create.
05. Replacement cast lift knuckles make for an easy overall installation. With the lift knuckle spanning the extra distance between the control arms, the upper control arms get to stay put, saving time and effort under the truck.
05. Replacement cast lift knuckles make for an easy overall installation. With the lift k

2006 Ford F150 Lil Red No More Rev Guillotine Wheels

06. We’d seen Rev Wheels in photos and wanted to get our hands on a set for this occasion. Rest assured that they look as good up close as they do in photos from a distance. These are Rev’s 845 Guillotine wheels, 17x9 inches with zero offset. These alloys are burly, strong wheels. If you want wimpy lightweights, look elsewhere. Before getting the tires mounted, we tried the wheels on to make sure they’d clear the brakes and steering components. When going from stock to aftermarket wheels, you’ll need a new set of lug nuts almost every time, so plan ahead.

2006 Ford F150 Lil Red No More Toyo Open Country Tires

07. Toyo’s Open Country A/T is a perfect choice for running a variety of off-road terrains with a healthy dose of pavement in the mix. The open shoulder and overall void ratio make them shed water competently, while the siping pattern creates a tire that works well in wet and snowy conditions. In sand, all-terrain tires actually have better flotation than mud-terrain tires, again making the Open Country A/T’s a great choice. These are 325/70R17, also known as 35s.

08. Here’s the suspension’s stone-stock starting point. For this installation, we called on the talents of Greg Gilbert and Matt Carter at Desolate Motorsports. The crew at Desolate is adept with a variety of tasks, and they get stuff done quickly. Perfect.
08. Here’s the suspension’s stone-stock starting point. For this installation, we called
09. A front-end worm’s-eye view of the stock truck.
10. The lower control arms come off, as do the steering knuckles. Next, the stock steering knuckles are stripped of everything except the brake dust shields. The spindle (AKA “snout”) is then pressed out.
10. The lower control arms come off, as do the steering knuckles. Next, the stock steerin

11. The stock spindle is then pressed into the Skyjacker lift knuckle. You need a press for this. Don’t try to fake it with a sledgehammer.
11. The stock spindle is then pressed into the Skyjacker lift knuckle. You need a press f
12. Gilbert and Carter (right) began by installing the lower control arm drop brackets.
12. Gilbert and Carter (right) began by installing the lower control arm drop brackets.
13. The lower control arm drop brackets install using anti-crush sleeves and heavy-duty bolts. No drilling, cutting, or welding is required.
13. The lower control arm drop brackets install using anti-crush sleeves and heavy-duty b

14. Here’s the forward lower control arm drop bracket. Note the sleeved bolt that runs through the middle of the frame, keeping the drop bracket centered on the frame. The drop brackets all lined up perfectly, and the drills and grinders stayed put away.
14. Here’s the forward lower control arm drop bracket. Note the sleeved bolt that runs th
15. The Skyjacker kit includes new shocks, but the stock coils need to be transferred onto the new shocks. You’ll need a spring compressor and knowledge of safety around springs to successfully transfer the coil.
15. The Skyjacker kit includes new shocks, but the stock coils need to be transferred on
16. Old stuff on the left. New stuff on the right.

17. Like the lower control arms, the front sway bar also gets dropped down.
17. Like the lower control arms, the front sway bar also gets dropped down.
18. With the coil transferred to the new shock and the lower control arm drop brackets in place, it’s time to install the coilover shocks and the lift knuckles. The upper and lower ball joints attach in the same manner as stock.
18. With the coil transferred to the new shock and the lower control arm drop brackets in
19. Here’s the lower ball joint being tightened into place. The Skyjacker lift knuckle has steering stops built in.
19. Here’s the lower ball joint being tightened into place. The Skyjacker lift knuckle ha

PARTS LIST
Skyjacker 6-inch 2WD F-150 suspension - $1,428
Toyo Open Country All-Terrain (four) - $1,520
Rev Wheel Guillotine 17x9 (four) - $700
Pro Comp light bar - $170
Pro Comp Biolight (three) - $270
Total spent for the weekend - $4,088

20. You’ll reuse the stock tie rods, but they get flipped over before they go into the Skyjacker knuckles. Carter holds the tie rod into the knuckle’s tapered bore in order to get the castle nut tightened.
20. You’ll reuse the stock tie rods, but they get flipped over before they go into the S
21. The brake lines stay stock, but they get dropped down using a Skyjacker bracket. The bracket as well as the rigid portion of the brake line needed a little massaging to get the tension out of the brake line at the full-droop, full-lock position. In this case, “massaging” means “tweaking” and “pulling.” No parts had to be cut, pinched, replaced, or welded.
21. The brake lines stay stock, but they get dropped down using a Skyjacker bracket. The
22. Here’s another worm’s-eye view. This time, the Skyjacker parts are in place. The crossmembers and brackets went on easily. It’s common to need to elongate a mounting hole or two, but that simply wasn’t necessary this time.
22. Here’s another worm’s-eye view. This time, the Skyjacker parts are in place. The cros

23. An add-a-leaf will lift the rear of the truck, while an aluminum pinion angle shim will prevent driveshaft vibrations before they start.
23. An add-a-leaf will lift the rear of the truck, while an aluminum pinion angle shim wi
24. Skyjacker Hydro 7000 shocks are a basic twin-tube replacement shock that performs well and is easy on the wallet. Thanks to the ’04-to-’08 F-150’s design, they’re easy to install. Make sure you have the “can” down and the shaft up.
24. Skyjacker Hydro 7000 shocks are a basic twin-tube replacement shock that performs wel
25. Just as with the front coils, you have to know how to safely work around springs to successfully (and painlessly) install an add-a-leaf. This isn’t a substitute for real training, but we will say that Vise-Grips and C-clamps are mandatory for working with leaf spring packs.
25. Just as with the front coils, you have to know how to safely work around springs to s

26. New U-bolts come with the kit. After you’ve got the add-a-leaf and the pinion angle shim installed, cut the excess length off of the U-bolts. You can’t tell from the photo, but Greg’s wearing safety glasses.
26. New U-bolts come with the kit. After you’ve got the add-a-leaf and the pinion angle s
27. We’re adding a little extra light on the front end of this truck, too. By bolting a Pro Comp light bar to the front stock bumper, we can keep the stock bumper and low-profile look while getting some extra light to find the way back home at night.
27. We’re adding a little extra light on the front end of this truck, too. By bolting a P
28. Upon first opening the light bar box and instructions, we thought this was going to be a huge pain in the butt. In reality, we ended up taking more time figuring out how the brackets and light bar installed than actually installing the light bar. We’ll save you some time: There are four brackets included, but two are for the 2WD F-150 and two are for the 4WD F-150. Try and actually read the instructions.
28. Upon first opening the light bar box and instructions, we thought this was going to b

29. Allen bolts go through the bumper to hold the light bar on at the four places it meets the stock bumper. Four holes need to be drilled to get the allen bolts through, but it really is very easy.
29. Allen bolts go through the bumper to hold the light bar on at the four places it mee
30. Three Pro Comp 55-watt Biolight halogen lights with plastic guards for the glass lens will make a nice addition to the truck. Plus, there won’t be any crying (like there would with an HID) if a rock takes one out.
30. Three Pro Comp 55-watt Biolight halogen lights with plastic guards for the glass lens
31. We’re pretty pleased with the whole package—especially considering that it took less than a weekend’s worth of time to complete. The total parts bill came out to about $4,100—certainly not a cheap endeavor, but the truck needed new shocks and tires anyways, and now there is a little more fun afforded with the extra equipment.
31. We’re pretty pleased with the whole package—especially considering that it took less

Sources
Skyjacker Suspensions P.O. Box 1678 West Monroe LA 71294 318-338-0816 www.skyjacker.com	Rev Wheel CA 951-680-9595 www.rev-wheel.com
Toyo Tires 800-442-8996 www.toyotires.com	Pro Comp USA 400 W. Artesia Blvd Compton CA 90220 800-776-0767 www.procompusa.com
Desolate Motorsports 14070 E. Lambert Road Whittier CA 90605 562-698-1460 www.desolatemotorsports.com