2017 F-250 Build Makes this Beast Even More Badass

Forum member’s Super Duty is super-cool with its new wheels & lift kit. And its amped-up sound system ensures it sounds as good as it looks.

In stock form, the 2017 Ford F-250 FX4 is a solid off-road machine, but adding new wheels, tires and suspension transforms this hard-working heavy-duty pickup into a badass beast of a truck. One of our members beefed up his new F-250 and he put together a build thread detailing the process – giving us a chance to see his truck before, during and after the common upgrades.

The Introduction

This 2017 Ford F-250 FX4 build project was originally shared in the forum by “Bigaaron“, who is the lucky owner of this great-looking Super Duty. He explained what he planned to do and why, along with sharing a picture of his big Ford pickup in stock form.

I ended up going to King Shocks today and spoke with a tech. I also picked up my first mod for the new truck. I got a King steering stabilizer that is a direct replacement upgrade for the factory one. If this doesn’t end up being enough, I could always add one on the axle. The dude that helped me actually has a Ford F-250 with a similar setup to what I will have, and he said he really likes the way their bolt-on replacement works, and didn’t feel any need to make it a dual setup.

We also decided that a 2.5″ IBP shock with the remote adjuster should be plenty for my purposes. It’s not like I’ll be prerunning for hours, so the extra capacity of the 3″ really isn’t needed. The 2.5″ version is also about $800 less than 3″, so that helps O.o The IBP gives you extra bottom out resistance in the last few inches of travel, and the compression adjuster on the remote reservoir lets you quickly dial in the compression for different conditions. I love tuning shocks and being able to dial in the valving, they can get me in the ball park right off the bat, and then I can make an adjustment if needed after a test session. I am going with a separate coil spring and shock because it allows for more wheel travel than the coilover conversions. The coilover only gives you about 7″-8″ of travel. With my setup I would like to have it in the 11″-12″ range.

After almost 2 weeks of online research my list is looking like:
King high mount steering stabilizer
King 2.5″ x 12″ internal bypass shocks with compression adjustment on the remote reservoir
Pure Performance 4 link conversion (X Factor Plus, without the rear lift blocks or u-bolts)
Deaver progressive rear springs (stock height with a little less spring rate and more wheel travel)
20″ Ion 134 wheels (20″x9″, 0 offset, 8×170)
37″x13.5R20 tires (maybe 38″)

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

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