Ford Super Duty Versatality: How To Enhance The Vehicle Features

Photography: Boyd Jaynes

It’s pretty hard to beat the versatility of a fullsize pickup truck. They can haul a ton of gear in the bed and tow lots of weight. Get a four-door and you’ll have plenty of room for the whole family or lots of friends. Modern trucks are extremely reliable and very comfortable. Spend some extra coin and you can get one with an interior rivaling any luxury car. Opt for a heavy-duty truck, and it will come with some serious towing and hauling capability straight from the factory.

When Ford first introduced it twenty years ago, the Super Duty was primarily a work truck focused on moving lots of weight. Since then, it has evolved into the perfect example of a modern heavy-duty truck. Big, comfortable and capable, the Super Duty can take on any task thrown at it. From work truck to daily driver to tow rig, the Super Duty can pretty much handle it all.

The Super Duty’s versatility and capability are what attract many to it. This owner wanted a capable vehicle to tow his trailer, be comfortable on road trips, haul his family around, and even commute to work if needed. A 2017 Ford F-250 Super Duty checked all those boxes for him, making it an easy choice.

While it might sound like smiles and sunshine with a happy ending, one area where the big Super Duty is somewhat lacking is off-road capability. While it’s not all that bad in stock form, there is major room for improvement. Luckily, there are now lots of options to help make the Super Duty better in the dirt.

The goal for this truck was to maintain the Super Duty’s versatility, while radically enhancing its prowess in the dirt. Of course, the truck had to look good when its transformation was all over, too. The team at 4 Wheel Parts went to work installing a selection of parts from Pro Comp, LRG, Smittybilt, G2, and others. The result is a great-looking, multi-missioned Super Duty that is as comfortable in the dirt as it is on the highway.

The new Super Duty is a great-looking truck straight from the factory. The right modifications put it over the top, and this truck gets plenty of attention wherever it goes. Besides looking good, it can haul, tow, and offer a comfortable place to spend time on longer trips. And when it leaves the pavement, it is way more capable than it was stock. It is definitely mission accomplished to keep it multi-missioned.

The Super Duty isn’t as low to the ground as many modern fullsize trucks, but it can still use some extra altitude. A Pro Comp four-link 6-inch suspension system was chosen to give extra clearance and clear the way for 37-inch tires. It replaces the factory radius arm setup and frees up the suspension for more articulation as it cycles. Controlling that movement are a set of slick-looking Pro Comp Pro Runner 2.5 remote reservoir shocks.

The temptation was to go with 40s and an 8-inch lift, but the goal was to retain the Super Duty’s ability to tackle lots of truck tasks. Plus, there are a lot more tire options available in the 37-inch size. The tires of choice are 37×12.50R20 Pro Comp Xtreme MT2s wrapped around LRG’s new and seriously swanky 20×10 Blitz 118 wheels. A good combination, the setup gives the Super Duty the ability to get into the dirt without losing any of its versatility.

The Smittybilt M1A2 bumper for the new-generation Super Duty is good-looking, and very functional. It protects the nose of the Super Duty, and gives a solid place to mount a Smittybilt 17,500 lb. XRC winch, along with two recovery points. It also comes with plenty of options to mount lights, including 4 Pro Comp 7-inch LED Motorsports lights across the top, two single row bars on the sides, and two cube lights down low, all in a package that is both lightweight and protective.

You’ve heard us talk about the need for rocker protection before. Even with a lifted Super Duty on 37s, smashing the rockers is a possibility in tougher terrain. A crew cab has even more exposed rockers just waiting to get mangled. To keep that from happening, a set of Smittybilt M1A2 sliders were put into position. They protect the Super Duty, and flare out to provide a solid step to aid ingress.

Additional gear oil capacity is always a good idea for any hard-working truck. To add some extra fluid and better protect against trail impacts, a G2 differential cover was added. It looks way better than the factory cover, making it a win-win. Helping minimize kickback to the steering wheel are twin Pro Comp NFS steering stabilizers.

A Smittybilt M1A2 rear bumper matches the front, but the upgrade wasn’t just for looks. The M1A2 rear bumper provides two additional D-ring mounts to aid in recovery. It has built-in mounts for additional backup lights to aid reversing on dark roads. A handy deployable step is built in to help getting into the bed, and it works with the factory hitch and parking sensors, so there is no loss of function.