DJM LOWERS A '04 FORD FOUR-BY

Why would anyone want to lower a 4WD vehicle? Because we at DJM are in the lowering business, we obviously have a special interest in the answer to this question. The suspension of stock four-wheel-drive vehicles is deliberately very high to provide great ground clearance. The factories suspend their four-bys high enough to clear rocks, gullies, fallen trees and whatnot usually encountered in serious off-roading. Nevertheless, there are four-by owners who would like to lower their vehicles. Recently, we met just such an owner and we couldn't resist questioning him about his desire to drop his '04 Ford F-150 four-by. "I think trucks look better when they are lowered," explained Pete. "I'm a construction contractor and I use my pickup for business and pleasure. It's my daily driver. I chose four-wheel-drive because it gets me to just about every job site regardless of how rough the location. I just wish my truck wasn't quite so high off the ground. "No, I'm not an off-roader," he continued. "But I do like vehicles and I especially like my Ford. I guess I'm convinced if it were just a few inches lower, it would be better looking and have a more attractive stance." "Beside the appearance, is there anything else about the high factory suspension that you don't like?" we asked. "I didn't think getting in and out of a high four-by would bother me," he replied. "After all, I am six feet tall. But after living with this truck for a while and getting in and out of it as many times a day as I do, I'll tell you it'll wear you out. And when you have to load something heavy into the bed or the cab, you sure realize how high it really is. "And don't think my wife doesn't complain every time she has to get in it or put the kid's car seat in it or load something in the bed," he added. "Listen to her and you'd think it's a monster truck, but she's only five-four." Everyone knows that lowering a four-by is a "no-no" because, if it's lowered, its effectiveness in the off roads is compromised. And that's true. But it all depends on how the four-by owner defines "off roads." If his off-roads are the rutted dirt roads to a job site, like Pete, or the steep driveway into the local McDonalds or the three-inch snowfall that comes every winter or the icy surfaces that follow, then lowering his four-by just "ain't" going to matter. This guy may be a serious four-by owner, but please don't tell him he's not a serious off-roader. However, for the truly serious off-roader, lowering his four-by would surely compromise its effectiveness in the off roads. From our conversation with Pete, the contractor, we realized that he was certain his Ford four-by, or any four-by for that matter, just couldn't be lowered. At DJM, we know that's not true. Not only can we lower four-bys, but we can lower them without adversely effecting their four-wheel-drive capability. We agreed to come to the rescue of Pete, the contractor, with a 3½ X 4 drop for his F-150 four-by. Times change. And like all automotive technology, the science of suspension modification advances. Witness those DJM twin sleeves that used to require drilling for grease fittings, but now come pre-drilled in all DJM kits. Like all DJM drop kits, the kit we installed here for the late model Ford F-150 4WD features a stronger flip bracket and now clamps the rear end securely and accurately so that the installer is able to adjust the pinion angle to prevent rear end vibration. The entire kit-available in 2½ or 3 ½ -inch front drop and 4 or 5-inch rear drop-is direct bolt on and requires no drilling, welding or modifications of any kind. Shock replacement is required in the rear only. Stock front shocks are retained. Full front-end travel is retained because the spring and strut have not been modified in any way. The best news is that the F-150 4x 4 works well as an off-road vehicle even after the DJM drop. Oh, sure, as we inferred earlier, ground clearance isn't quite as high and rock crawling is out of the question. But let's face it. Serious off-road motoring is a rare, if ever, experience for most four-by owners. So the DJM drop demonstrated herein will work well for most Ford 4WD F-150 owners. The accompanying photos follow the highlights of the installation of the DJM drop kit and the resultant 3½ X 4 drop of Pete's F-150 4x4. Please note that complete, easy-to-follow installation instructions for this install are available on DJM's website: www.djmsuspension.com.