Junkyard-Style Leaf Spring Swap
Ford Fixes We could write an entire magazine on how destructive rust has been to our aging '97 Ford F-350. For us, the thought of rust as being nothing more than an eyesore is over. Truck cancer (as it's often called) can corrode the most vital components on our vehicles, and even render them immobile. On a recent trip to the dyno, we noticed that our Ford was sagging in the rear on the passenger side. Upon further inspection, we found one of the leaf spring shackles broken in half, and the leaf spring was wedged underneath the truck's bed.
| 1997 Ford F350 Rearend Fix rusted Rearend
Luckily, we weren't far from Diesel Tech in San Jacinto, California. So we limped the truck into the shop and were given a bay to work in. What followed was two days of parts hunting, disassembling, and replacing rusted, corroded suspension components. The end result was worth it-we got the truck back on the road for next to nothing.
Super Duty Suspension
Suspension components from '99 to '10 Super Duty model trucks can be made to work on the old-body-style Fords. CT Performance sells Super Duty leaf spring kits for older-model trucks. One of its most popular items, which also helps improve an older truck's ride tenfold, is its reverse shackle modification utilizing front Super Duty leaf springs. The kit comes with longer front brake lines, longer (and correctly valved) Bilstein front shocks, and an adjustable track bar as well. Many of CT Performance's customers with '941/2 to '97 Power Strokes have Super Duty front and rear suspension components (even axles) under them, which is much easier than trying to hunt down discontinued parts for your early Power Stroke, 6.9L, or 7.3L IDI.
