When it comes to vehicles I seem to be at one extreme or the other.
Usually it’s expensive european metal. Preferably of the variety with a way higher power to weight ratio than is necessary for the street. And five doors because wagon.
But part of me never left Texas, and I love obnoxious diesel trucks. And I can’t help but think about doing stupid things to mine.
Lately I’ve been thinking about ripping out my old rusted out leaf springs and going full retard on my ‘99 7.3 Super Duty by going with a 4-link suspension conversion.
These caught my eye because after installing brand new Bilsteins - granted they are not the fanciest shocks available - my Super Duty rides only a little less like shit. My buddy’s 7.3 rides far better than mine, but it has considerably fewer miles than the 250+k on my truck. So, I’ve been suspecting it’s a combination of the worn out body mounts and the ancient leaf springs.
I was mulling over replacement leafs at all four corners (and simultaneously adding a 4" lift) when I remembered that another friend’s 6 liter Super Duty rode like a freakin cadillac compared to mine. Those of course run a four link, coil spring front suspension.
But heck, if I’m going to look at 4 link suspensions, I need to pick a really good set of shocks to match with it. This truck is destined to live on my property on Hawai’i, after all, which is pretty much out in the sticks. And all trucks out there are brodozed so it gives me a good excuse (also, I grew up in Texas, so a lifted diesel truck would greatly appease my inner redneck).
So here I am, rolling down the slippery slope from replacing my shocks to contemplating a 4 link conversion and fancy coilovers for a 21 year old truck.
I should at least replace the yellowing headlights and sagging headliner first...