Recently North Shore Off Road was engaged in an interesting project to build a monster 2001 Ford Super Duty V-10 show truck for a customer in Japan. With very little terrain available in Japan for actual four-wheeling, those who enjoy trucks generally have to indulge their passion through car shows and four-wheel drive exhibitions. The new owner of the truck wanted a rig that would make jaws drop but at the same time it had to be modified in a safe and durable manner. We believe that our build-up succeeded in the goals established by the owner.

Planning the parts that would go on the Ford, proved challenging but not as difficult as the actual build-up. Even though the truck was destined to be a show truck and not a daily driver it was of the utmost importance to construct this rig in a structurally safe manner. When modifying a vehicle to these extreme levels every aspect of the original engineering is pushed to the limit, one modification leads to a multitude of changes to compensate.

It was decided that the springs would be limited to a maximum of 14" of lift. New, very custom NSOR springs were used on all four corners. No body lift was used for this build-up. For this amount of lift it was decided that 42" TSL Super Swampers would be the maximum tire size to use. If we had also decided to use a 3" body lift it would have been possible to fit giant 44" tires but the truck was already a monster. With springs that have this much lift, all aspects of the truck are affected. Steering, suspension links, shocks, driveshafts and brakes had to be heavily modified in order to work safely and effectively. Particular attention was paid to making the steering work properly. On the steering box a standard dropped pitman arm was used but the steering arm is what sets this setup apart from any other. OTT Industries manufactured a one of a kind steering arm. With the development of this arm OTT has set the standard for steering arms for full-size vehicles. Machined from a single block of high quality billet steel this arm is not welded at all, setting it apart from other products on the market. Modifying the stock shock mounts on both the front and rear allowed the use of off the shelf Rancho 9012 adjustable shocks. Brake lines and drive shafts were custom modified in order for them to fit the lift. The mounts for the panhard bar were also specially modified to maintain proper geometry. Now that the altitude of the big Ford was set, the 15x42x16.5 tires mounted on Weld Sidewinder wheels were the final touch.

The finest steering arm available. Custom built for this application, OTT machines the arm from a single block of high quality billet steel. No welds!	The custom modified upper panhard bar mount.	A complete Borla exhaust system was installed from headers to tailpipe.
For this amount of lift the springs have a radical arc. No block stacking was required though.	The stock rear bolt on shock mounts were moved to the top of the axle and welded on.	Dual Rancho steering stabilzers were mounted for extra control of the tires.
The completed front end. Steering and suspension links corrected. Sway bar mounts extended.	Dual Rancho 9012's were used on the front. The panhard mount was also modified.	Almost finished!

Powering this Ford is a Triton 6.8 litre V-10 that was upgraded with a complete Borla header and exhaust system. With over 300 hp and 400 ft-lbs of torque mated to the 6 speed standard transmission, this power plant should prove to be very reliable and more than powerful enough for the intended use of this vehicle.

When the build-up of the big Super Duty was completed it was amazing to see how much attention the rig enjoyed from customers who stopped by the shop, we can only imagine how many heads this truck will turn in Japan.