LET'S LOWER A CUSTOM SHORTENED F-250 Super Duty
RollingBigPower.com (RBP) lowers their custom shortened diesel Ford…
Story & Photos by Marshall Spiegel
RBP, the diesel performance specialists of Corona, CA, built an eye-catching '04 Ford F-250 Super Duty turbo-diesel show truck by shortening the frame and fitting the vehicle with a short bed. To complete the custom look, the shortened F-250 was lowered by the installation of a DJM 3 X 5 drop kit. Shortening the frame and lowering the pickup three inches in the front and five inches in the rear resulted in a very radical pinion angle and a serious shimmy at high speed (about 80). At this writing, one of several possible cures (shims or traction bars) has not been installed. Nevertheless, the resultant ride and handling after the drop kit installation were excellent. Technician Chris Midkiff at the Custom Truck Shop of L & G Enterprises in San Dimas, CA, performed the installation of the DJM 3 X 5 drop kit. Based on replacing the stock "I-beam" with DJM's Dream Beam to achieve the front drop, the kit requires the installation of DJM replacement hangers and shackles in the rear. The rear shocks must be replaced, but, to save the customer some money, DJM has engineered the kit so that replacing the front stock shocks is not necessary. The installation proved to be straightforward and trouble-free. Check out the accompanying photos that show the highlights of the installation.
 #1. Before the drop kit installation, front ride height of the '04 F-250 SD measured 21" from the center of the wheel to the edge of the fender well. |
 #2. The rear ride height of the shortened Ford measured 24" |
 #3. The DJM 3 X 5 drop kit includes the DJM Dream Beams; right and left spring hangers; shackles with bushings installed and all necessary hardware. |
 #4. Beginning at the driver's front corner, our installer Chris Midkiff disassembles the radius arm bolt and repeats each step on the passenger side as he goes |
 #5. The brake caliper is disassembled. |
 #6. To avoid damage to the brake lines, Chris hangs the brake caliper with a metal strap |
 #7. The driver's side shock is removed. |
#8. The stock coil spring is removed. |
 #9. The stock "I-beam" with the rotor attached is pulled. |
 #10. The spindle with the brake rotor attached is removed. |
 #11. Here's a close look at the removed stock "I-beam" with the spindle still attached. |
 #12. Chris removes the spindle from the "I-beam." |
 #13. A comparison of the stock shock (right) and the DJM shock indicates they are the same length, but replacing the front shocks is not necessary for this installation. |
 #14. The DJM Dream beam is installed at the driver's side pivot point. |
 #15. The beam is attached to the radius arm. |
 #16. The spindle is then installed to the DJM beam. |
 #17. Here's a photo of the spindle installed on the DJM beam clearly showing the alignment eccentric; the ball joint and clamp bolt. |
 #18. The stock coil spring is re-installed. |
#19. Here's a close look at the coil spring in place with the brake caliper re-installed. |
#20. Chris installs the DJM shock. |
 #21. Here's how the final assembly of the driver's front corner should look |
 #23. The rear end is jacked up. |
 #24. The rivets anchoring the stock hanger are air chiseled off |
 #25. Here's a look at the DJM hanger (right) and the stock hanger just removed. |
 #26. Chris removes the rear leaf spring shackle. |
 #27. Here's a side-by-side comparison of the DJM shackle (right) and the stock shackle just removed. |
 #28. The DJM shackle is installed onto the leaf spring |
 #29. The striker pads are removed. |
 #30. The hanger is removed. |
 #31. Chris then installs the DJM shock (which must be shorter that the stock shock) on the rear. |
 #32. Here's a look at the driver's side rear nitrogen shock installed. |
 #33. The passenger side rear nitrogen shock must be installed under pressure. |
 #34. The wheels are then re-installed. |
 #35, The front ride height now shows a 3" drop, measuring an even 18" from the center of the wheel to the fender lip. |
 #36. The rear ride height now measures19". |
Here is the truck with the installation complete. |
| SOURCES: DJM Suspension, Inc. 580 West 184th Street Gardena, CA 90248 Phone: (310) 538-1583 Fax: (310) 538-0393 Website: www.djmsuspension.com |
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| L & G
Enterprises 846 W. Cienega Avenue San Dimas, Ca 91773 Phone: (909) 599-2228 Fax: (909) 599-2232 Website: www.customtruckshop.com |
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