When it came time to drop a Ford for this issue, we contacted another mover and shaker in the industry, Larry Wiener, from Performance West Group (PWG). Larry partnered with Jason from Hulst Customs to build a killer set of Fords for the SEMA Show, which are featured in this very issue. Both of the trucks were statically dropped using DJM gear at Hulst Customs. The '09 F-150 features a new set of lower control arms to bring the front down, while the '08 F-350 uses a new set of dropped I-beams. Out back, both trucks received a flip kit and some shackles to close the gap between the truck and the ground. Both trucks roll on Pirelli rubber and big shiny wheels to complement the new stance. Check out the sidebar for more information on the rolling stock.
What's In The Box?
F-150: To drop the F-150 3/4, Jason picked up this kit from DJM. It consists of a set of Calmax control arms for the front and a flip kit out back. The Calmax control arms are made from seamless DOM tubing and feature urethane pivot bushings with twin-tube sleeves. The Calmax arms lower the truck by moving the spring pocket down and the lower ball joint up, relative to each other and the frame. The flip kit moves the axle from beneath the leaf spring to on top of the leaf spring. DJM makes the flip kits with adjustable axle locator brackets, which gives you the ability to rotate the axle to the proper pinion angle instead of using shim plates.
F-350: To get the big F-350 down, a set of DJM Dream Beams and another flip kit was used. The Dream Beams are tubular in design, using thick-wall DOM material. Each tube is larger than the next so that they can be slipped together and welded in a radial manner. This prevents the beams from tweaking during construction for a more precise fit. DJM does it this way because there is no way to adjust caster with beams because it is set by the construction of the part. All of the suspension products from DJM feature a hammer-tone powdercoated finish for good looks and durability.
1.The truck received more...
1.The truck received more than just drop kits at the shop, but luckily Larry shot enough pictures to show some of the suspension work. Here is the front already in process. Because the front of this truck features a strut, the lower arm comes out pretty dang easy. Once the truck is in the air and the suspension is at full droop, all that is needed is to pop out the lower ball joint and unbolt the lower arm.
2.Before the arms could be...
2.Before the arms could be installed on the truck, the twin-tube sleeves need to be assembled. This is fairly straightforward. A good slathering of the supplied grease is applied before the tubes are slipped together. The twin-tube design will prevent the urethane bushing from squeaking because the inner bushing is a tad longer than the outer, which avoids over-tightening the bushing and producing a squeak.
3.Here is a good look at the...
3.Here is a good look at the Cal Max lower control arm installed. Since the arms move the spring mounting point and ball joint, the ride quality will stay factory-like, just a few inches lower.
4.Moving out back, the rearend...
4.Moving out back, the rearend will be moved from below the spring pack to above it. To make this easier, the springs were removed from the truck, and the center pin that holds the spring pack together was flipped over.
5.The springs went back into...
5.The springs went back into the truck, this time under the rearend. The flat perch that used to sit against the springs is now on the wrong side, but the DJM brackets fix that issue. These brackets are left a bit loose so the pinion angle can be adjusted later. Proper pinion angle is a must if you want a vibration-free ride.
6.A new, shorter shackle will...
6.A new, shorter shackle will lift the back of the truck just a bit. If you want a deeper drop you could retain the factory shackle or pick-up some of the other options DJM offers. Not shown is the installation of a new urethane bumpstop to prevent metal to metal contact.