DirtyMax

Personalized Pickup
Christopher Otero from Goodyear, Arizona, wrote to tell us: “Hello, I’ve got a 680hp ’08 Ford F-250, and I have it personalized. I love the magazine and would like both of them to be one.” We’re not sure what he means by “both of them” but…here’s a photo of his truck!

Avid Reader
“I’m an avid reader of 8-Lug,” Trevor Larimore wrote. “This is my work truck (yes, I know it’s a ½-ton). I’d love to see it in the Bragging Rights section one day.” The truck has a Pro Comp 6-inch lift, 35x12.50x17 General Grabbers, Pro Comp wheels, an Edge Evo programmer, AFE air intake, Airaid throttle body spacer, MagnaFlow exhaust, 5 percent window tint, N-Fab nerf bars, Bushwacker OE-style flares, and a TracRac ladder rack system.

Phillip Waddell
Diesel trucks are a hobby for Phillip Waddell. His ’07 Dodge 5.9L Cummins Mega Cab dualie 4x4 puts out 1,215 lb-ft of torque and 603 hp on the dyno. This truck has a 5-inch Fabtech lift, Ultra Goliath rims, and six Pro Comp Xtreme A/T tires. A Western Hauler headache rack dresses things up while the Ranch Hand front and rear bumpers toughen up the appearance. The stereo system has two 12-inch subs in a custom-built ported box, an Audison 1,200-watt amp, two Kicker amps, Hertz door speakers, and a Kenwood flip-out head unit. It’s all powered by a Kinetic power cell. Other cool parts include a FASS fuel system, Industrial Injection PhatShaft 64, South Bend dual-disc clutch, Smarty 260hp TNT-R programmer, Westin step bars, and a whole lot more.

Shortbed Rocket

Ruben Tovar points out that although you don’t see as many shortbed Ford F-250 trucks on the road as longbeds, they have better weight transfer and get better fuel economy. “I’ve put a lot of hard work and long summer days and nights in to get it where it’s at now,” Ruben told us. The ’00 truck features a Banks Power Quick-Turbo housing, a Bully Dog tuner, a full MBRP 5-inch exhaust, and a Snow Performance methanol injection system. The front of the truck is a full ’07 front-end clip. Ruben used a DJM lowering kit and 20-inch black XD wheels.

Welding Skid

Jason Dawe’s GMC 2500HD often carries a welding skid for work, but the truck was designed to look good while doing it. The TrailReady front bumper has a custom gunmetal powdercoat and the N-Fab steps will soon be coated to match. The 20-inch Fuel Kranks wheels are wrapped in 33-inch Toyo M/T tires. A Bestop rear step and B&W box hitch make things easier every day. A Cognito leveling kit with Fox shocks makes the truck look right while the Rancho steering stabilizer made a big improvement in the handling.

Ben Williams

Hi, my name is Kaitlyn Blanc from Culpeper, Virginia. I was hoping to get my brother-in-law’s truck in your magazine. I love this truck as if it were my own, so it would be a dream come true for both of us. It is an ’04 2500 HD Chevy Duramax 4x4. My brother-in-law, Ben Williams, has put a lot of time and money into her. Here is a list of a few things he has upgraded or added on: PPE boost valve, Alligator intake horn, Airaid intake, performance injectors, PhatShaft turbo wheel, and the Bully Dog Power Pup programmer with the Bully Dog Outlook Monitor. He also had the Allison trans rebuilt, added Rockstar rims and a lift kit, and recently installed an 8-inch stack.

Tim Largent

“Hello, my name is Tim, and I just wanted to share some pictures with you,” wrote Tim Largent. “My mods include an AFE cold-air intake, 5-inch MBRP exhaust, Edge Juice with Attitude (always on Level 7), TS Performance MP-8, Mag-Hytec diff cover, 6-inch Tuff Country lift, and more. The wheels are 22-inch Rockstars with 37-inch Nitto tires.”

Marine’s Dodge

“I am an active duty U.S. Marine Gunnery Sergeant and do most of the wrenching on my ’06 Dodge 3500 Mega Cab myself in the driveway,” wrote GySgt Aaron K. Johnson. “The list of mods is ever growing, and I have a little five-year-old helper who knows the difference between a diesel and his mother’s Hemi! He even has his own toolbox. I am a good example of a working-class enthusiast who has to make sure the bills are paid before searching for the best deal and then buying parts. My truck has 140,000 miles on it. It’s a beautiful truck, but I use it like it’s a truck. When I sit and look through the most current issues of the diesel mags, my son is right there (magazine in hand) looking, too. Every time he sees a black Mega Cab, he asks, ‘Daddy is that your truck?’ I tell him, ‘Nope, that’s not it. One day it will be in there, you just gotta keep looking.’ I just think it would be really awesome if he opens to a page to see my truck in your magazine one day.”

Dad’s Truck

“Hello, my name is Cayden,” the email began. “I am 17 years old. I have an ’05 Chevy Silverado that I would love to have in your magazine! It is an immaculate truck I have been working on since I was 15 years old.” The truck is lifted with 35-inch tires and has a turbo-back exhaust, Banks intake, PPE transmission and tuner, and the list goes on and on! Cayden added, “My dad bought it new. He passed it on to me when he was diagnosed with ALS. It is a terminal disease. He only has a few months left. He would be so proud to see his truck in the magazine or on the website.”

Tom Cusano

My name is Tom Cusano, and I live in Wexford, Pennsylvania. I am submitting pictures of my ’11 F-350 Power Stroke that I use as my daily driver. I am always striving to improve it thanks to my wonderful and understanding wife. The truck has a four-link BDS 6-inch suspension lift with dual steering stabilizers and 20x10 chrome XD Diesel wheels on Toyo Open Country M/T tires. The front and rear Fab Fours bumpers have been coated inside and out with bedliner material and fitted with a Warn 15,000-pound winch. I have also installed Amp PowerSteps and Recon lighting on the taillights, cab lights, and mirrors. The truck also has HornBlasters locomotive horns and a CO2 power tank, as well as Bushwacker flares that have been coated with bedliner material.

High-Mileage Road Runner

Jim Springer built this Dodge Ram by himself (with some help from good friends) in a 26x26-foot garage. “All the brackets were plasma cut out of a 4x8 sheet of 3⁄16-inch steel,” Jim said, “I also made my own link bars, front and rear. I made the bumpers out of 3⁄16-inch and ¼-inch steel plate, and my good friend painted them.” For power, it has a Cummins diesel with Stage 5 Bully Dog injectors, a K&N cold-air intake, 5-inch exhaust, Edge Juice with Attitude monitor, and a Fass 150-gph lift pump with ½-inch fuel line and a draw straw. Nitrous is on the way. The lift is 4 inches, and there’s a 3-inch body lift, too. The truck runs 18-inch Moto Metal wheels with 355/65-18 Kumho A/T tires. Jim drives this truck every day for work, which averages about 150 to 200 miles a day—and that includes the Hermitage, Pennsylvania, winters, too!

Tony Fehrenbacher

This ’11 Ford F-250 Lariat proudly rolls on 20x9 XD Hoss series wheels with 37-inch Nitto Trail Grappler tires. Tony made room for the tires with a 6-inch Rough Country lift and recently added a dual steering stabilizer. Next up on the list of things to do is a tuner.

Here’s My Baby

“Hey, this is my truck,” wrote Kyle Mihalko of Binghamton, New York. “It’s an ’08 Ford F-250 with a 10-inch Rough Country lift, 18-inch Fuel Octane wheels, and 38-inch Kumho Road Venture M/T tires. It also has 4.88 gears. In the near future, I’d like to install some 41s. Anyway, this is my baby, and I love it. And I absolutely love your magazine and would really like to see the two together…lol.”

Connecticut Cruiser

Alex Adams lives in Bantam, Connecticut, and has a landscaping/excavation business. He always wanted a Dodge and looked forever to find this one. In fact, he found this stick shift truck on Truck Trader in Illinois. Alex and his buddies started sled pulling recently, and they now go to every fair and sled pull around. Next year, drag racing is going to go on the slate. Alex would like to thank Aaron Weik, Jarred Tanuis, Tim Wright, Dave Jacobs, Paul Adam, Matt Aleksandrowicz, Jay Mooney, and Dennis Fonda for all their help.

Great White North
Adam Perreault’s Dodge Ram 2500 has a 6-inch Revtek lift and sports 35-inch Kelly tires mounted on 17-inch Moto Metal 951 wheels. The gas truck has a Hemi with a Superchips programmer, Mopar throttle-body spacer, cold-air intake, and performance exhaust. “Full-length, aluminum running boards were added because my wife likes to step off into the 2-foot snow banks in style,” Adam told us. A Lund cap keeps the stroller clean when making the 100-mile trek to the city for groceries. The truck is used for everything from hauling firewood and cars to getting soil and going to the hospital in blinding snowstorms.

Custom Ride

Jeffery Bass is an avid 8-Lug HD Truck magazine reader. His truck, an ’03 Chevy Silverado Z-71, is not an eight-lug truck. No matter. He’s a reader, and this is his ride. A 6-inch Pro Comp lift kit combines with 20-inch BMF S.O.T.A. Death Metal black wheels and 35-inch Toyo M/T tires for a nice-looking ride. Fox 2.0 remote reservoir shocks on the front and Bilstein 5150 shocks on the rear keep things comfortable. Escalade door handles compete with the Street Scene Speed Grille and black powdercoated Bow Tie for attention. An AEM Brute Force kit takes care of the intake while True Duals turndowns handle the exhaust.

Just Wondering

“Hi, I was just wondering if I could get my truck in your mag’s readers’ rides section—or even a mini feature,” wrote Jason Mitchell. Well, of course you can, Jason! We always say that it’s the easiest thing in the world to do here at 8-Lug. Just send a photo and some info about the truck (and yourself) to Bob.Carpenter@sorc.com. Jason’s ’03 Ford F-350 is a daily driver with a lot of mods. The 8-inch Pro Comp lift sets the tone and makes plenty of room for the 20-inch KMC Moto Metal wheels. A Sun Coast HP tranny and Sun Coast HP triple-disc torque converter keep the truck on the road. A Mag-Hytec tranny and diff covers protect and cool the vital oils. A Banks Techni-Cooler and Quick-Turbo housing and compressor wheel kit increase the boost. A Banks BigHead turbo actuator combines with an Edge HP programmer (stacked with the Banks Six-Gun and Big Hoss) to really boost the horsepower.

We'd Own It

Jim Vohs’ ’05 F-250 rides around Brookfield, Wisconsin, on a 6-inch Superlift kit with Bilstein shocks, 18-inch Moto Metal wheels, and 37-inch Pro Comp Xterrain tires. A Fabtech grille guard with KC lights sets the tone of this bad boy truck, and the 4-inch MBRP exhaust with 5-inch dual black chrome tips provides the soundtrack. Jim works on his truck nearly every day, and it shows. He attends the Jamborees in Lima, Indianapolis, and Rochester, New York.

8-Lug Facebook Works!

“I am a fan of 8-Lug magazine, and I posted a picture of my truck on your Facebook page the other day,” Maria Palubeski of Wellesley, Ontario, Canada told us. “Today I received a message asking me to send the photo in to you so it can be in the magazine. Well, here it is!” Maria is proof that posting on our Facebook page (Facebook.com/8LugMagazine) works! The truck is an ’07 Dodge Ram 2500 with the 5.9L diesel engine, four-speed automatic transmission, Edge Attitude programmer, K&N cold-air intake, 5-inch MagnaFlow exhaust, and a lot more.

Jason Williams - '08 Ford

“My name is SSG Jason Williams,” the email read. “I am currently stationed in El Paso, Texas, but I am originally from Plainfield, New Hampshire.” This is Jason’s ’08 Ford F-250 with a 6.4L diesel engine. “I have personally installed every component on this truck,” the Army soldier stated. The Ford has a 6-inch Pro Comp lift with 37-inch BFGoodrich Mud Terrain tires, Moto Metal 915 rims, Firestone airbags, Banks Monster Exhaust and intake, and a Mini Maxx programmer with DPF delete.

Wild In Wyoming
Garrett Borgiall, of Newcastle, Wyoming, is 16 years old and says he has had some wild times in this Dodge W250. The truck has an AirDog 165-gph fuel pump, M&H M3 fuel pin, ATS three-piece manifold, S300 62/65/12 turbo, and lots more. Garrett says the truck has some slight body damage (no doubt), some chipped paint and fading, and 172,000 miles on it. It’s a faithful companion.

Chris Damm's '00 Ford
This F-350 dualie has a 7.3L Power Stroke engine with 165,000 miles on it. The owner, Chris Damm, uses it as a daily driver and to haul dirt bikes on the weekends. The 20-year-old lives in Mesa, Arizona, and works full-time at Boeing while attending school part-time to become a mechanical engineer. The truck has 16-inch KMC Rockstar wheels, an Auto Meter triple-gauge pod, SCT programmer, S&B cold-air intake, Harley-Davidson headlights, Westin lightbar with lights, Recon smoked cab lights, and much, much more.

Totally Custom
Corey Zakeosian has had a lot of fun building this ’86 Ford F-250. It started out as a two-wheel-drive automatic. He converted it to four-wheel drive with a manual transmission. Then he shortened the wheelbase to 115 inches (from 133) and built a custom bed (made of a utility trailer). The rear fenders are basement window wells and the front fenders were cut open 4 inches and now have 30-gallon trash cans for inner fenders. Sounds funny, Corey said, but works great. The 6.9L diesel engine has an ATS turbo with the wastegate plugged.

Built Tough
"I am a big fan of your magazine!" the email started out. "I buy it every time I see it in the PX. My name is Aubrey Hanson, I am 19 years old, from Reynoldsburg, Ohio, and currently deployed to Iraq. The good thing about being deployed and a diesel enthusiast is: 1.) I will have my truck completely paid off by the first of the year. 2.) I have nothing but time to read magazines and search online for the best deals. 3.) I have a huge pile of parts waiting to go on the truck when I get home." Aubrey's truck is an '06 Ford F-250 extended-cab longbed 4x4 with the 6.0L Power Stroke. Every time he goes home for a visit, he works on the truck. The last time he installed Recon smoked mirror corners, an in-dash DVD/navigation system, and an SCT tuner from Adam at First Coast Diesel Performance with custom tunes from Eric at Innovative. Parts waiting for his next leave include: H-11 head studs; 190cc injectors from Full Force Diesel; a 64mm turbo from Danville Performance; a Stage 3 Snow Performance kit from Adam at FCDP; an AirDog 2 to keep the injectors happy; a sump from Truck Source Diesel to keep the Airdog happy; Harley-Davidson-edition headlights; a new grille, roll pan, and front bumper that will be painted to match the truck; Recon Smoked LED taillights; and more.