Supercharged 5.4-liter V8, a big lift setup and big tires make this F-150 an off-roading beast.
This week’s “Muddy Monday” video comes to us from the YouTube channel of Jacob Strickland and it features a 2002 Ford F-150 pickup that packs SVT Lightning power. Unlike the Lightning, which was designed to dominate paved roads, this supercharged half-ton has been built to conquer the worst off-road conditions in a hurry.
Lightning-Swapped Mud Truck
The truck in the video above is a 2002 Ford F-150 SuperCrew pickup with a big lift and even bigger tires. According to the video details, this truck has “about 22 inches of lift” with a four-link front suspension featuring with 16″ King 2.5 shocks while the rear is leaf sprung with traction bars. This upgraded suspension setup makes plenty of room for the massive 44×19.5×20 Pitbull Rockertires at all four corners and the combination of the tires and the suspension upgrades would transform a standard 2002 F-150 into an admirable mud machine.
However, it never hurts to have more power and that is where this F-150 differs from your average 2002 Ford mud truck. The owner has replaced the original engine with a supercharged 5.4-liter V8 from an SVT Lightning. The engine has been modified with a new camshaft, ported cylinder heads and a new blower pulley, so this Lightning V8 is packing even more power than the 380 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque that the go-fast pickup offered from the factory.
Lightning Power in the Mud
The video begins with the Lightning-powered F-150 slowing approaching a mud pit, easing into what appears to be fairly shallow slop at first. As the truck gets further into the hole, the mud gets deeper, the truck sinks in and the rear tires begin to sling mud.
Realizing the rear-wheel-drive isn’t going to conquer this pit, the driver engages four-wheel-drive, backs up and gets another run at the mud. This time, spinning all four tires allows the supercharged F-150 to clear the mud as planned.
"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.
Slideshow: Called the Fortress, the 850-horsepower pickup combines Raptor underpinnings with military-inspired features, survival equipment, and a starting price of $285,000.
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