2003 Ford F-250 - High-Altitude Joyride!

As part of our approach to writing feature articles, we like to ask owners how they got started. Their stories are almost always unique and it's fascinating to see how past events shaped their future. When we photographed Jonathan Joy's lifted F-250 at the Southeast Showdown in Lawrenceville, Georgia, Jonathan told us it all began one day when he walked out of a restaurant in Tennessee at the tender age of eight. He saw an extended cab, longbed, Dodge Ram rolling on 38s. Ever since that moment, Jonathan has been a fan of lifted trucks. That event lit a fire that shows no chance of burning out anytime soon, and at the age of 24, he is on his third lifted truck. Two previous Dodge 1500 Rams set the stage and his current '03 Ford F-250 was chosen for its crew cab. It even became a family affair, since Jonathan's wife drives an F-250 crew cab with 10 inches of lift and 40-inch Pro Comps!

Back in 2003 when Jonathan bought his F-250 new, the changes started out slowly, with a conservative 8-inch lift and 38-inch tires. Everything changed, however, when he met Jason Katterheinrich of Kat Kustoms in New Knoxville, Ohio. Jason is the third generation in the family fabrication business and specializes in full custom vehicles. Jonathan and Jason began working out the details for the F-250 and the build began in earnest in March of 2004. Jonathan shaped the outcome by specifying a pair of 2 1/2-ton Rockwell front axles with 6.72 gears and Detroit lockers.

Jason began the upgrade by removing the body, filling all the holes in the frame, then priming the chassis and painting it Dupont Hot Hues True Blue Candy. He fabricated a central cradle that holds the straight four-link suspension up front, equipped with crossover steering with a hydraulic assist. The triangulated three-link in the rear incorporates rear steering with a mechanical lock. It's controlled by a rocker switch in the door that activates a hydraulic pump in the spare tirewell. All four wheels are stabilized by 3-inch King coilovers with reservoirs, held in place with custom shock mounts. A custom-built disc brake system with 15-inch rotors and calipers from an F-350 upgraded the original Rockwells. Oversize sway bars and limit straps were added to control body lean. Ouverson engineering tied it all together with its 1 5/8-inch chromoly axleshafts energizing the Rockwells. It's not a mud truck and rarely goes into four-wheel drive, but it's there if needed. Getting the big rig rolling are 49-inch Interco Super Swamper IROK tires (21/49-20LT) mounted on 20x16 Stazworks two-piece wheels. The suspension work was completed in September, 2004.