"As far back as I can remember, I have always been a big truck type of guy," says Amos Ulibarri, the owner of this '05 Ford Super Duty. Ulibarri recounts that monster truck races were the catalyst for his love of fullsize iron. "My father would take time to take my brother and I to monster truck shows," he says. "I remember saying to my dad, 'Someday I'm going to own my own monster truck.'" Well, his prediction eventually came true, and Ulibarri now pilots this monster trucklike, high-flying Super Duty.
But this is no ordinary Super Duty, folks. You see, Ulibarri wanted a rig that could jump like a jackrabbit off-highway or glide down the paved road like a roadrunner.
Needless to say, that's a tall order. Interestingly, he filled that order with a tall truck.
Ulibarri says, "On the day my dad first laid eyes on my truck, he stood still and studied it for a while and then turned and said 'Looks like you finally got your monster truck, son.'"
The custom paint is by Julan Trujillo. All of the factory emblems were removed from the truck, and Bushwacker fender flares were added before Trujillo applied the OE red with black accents and matched the grille to the body color. Other exterior mods include '06 Outlaw OE lights and a custom trailer hitch. The 14-inch-lifted Ford rolls on 20x10 Weld Racing Velociti 8 XT wheels. These big wheels are fitted with a set of grippy Toyo Open Country M/T tires.
Any rig can catch big air. What happens when the rig lands is another story. In an effort to ensure that this Super Duty lands as graceful as its flies, Ulibarri had One Up Offroad fit the rig with its 500-Series Coilover Suspension System. In this photo, you can see one of the front 2.5-inch Sway-A-Way Race Runner 12-inch-travel remote-reservoir coilover shocks. All four of the shocks found on the rig are nitrogen-charged and revalved to work in conjunction with their specific spring rates and axle weights. The front coilovers use King 500-pound over 700-pound dual-rate springs. The rate of these springs was chosen in part by analyzing the overall frontal weight of the vehicle so that under load, the springs would compress without binding (springs don't make good bumpstops). The front shock towers are tied together via a crossmember that is bolted under the frame and does not enter the engine compartment. It is made from 0.250-inch laser-cut steel. The bottom of the front coilovers mount to new lower axle brackets. Poly Performance limiting straps keep the shocks from overextending during jumps.
Like the front, the rear suspension features a truss/cover combo that helps provide protection and support for the Sterling 10.5-inch axle. It also serves as a lower mounting point for a pair of Poly Performance limiting straps. The rear 2.5-inch nitrogen-charged Sway-A-Way Race Runner 12-inch-travel remote-reservoir coilover shocks have been revalved and fitted with King 90-pound over 400-pound dual-rate springs. The bottom of the coilovers bolt to beefy mounts made from laser-cut steel plate. These mounts are fully adjustable for pinion angle and are fastened to the axle via big 0.750-inch U-bolts. Like the front, the upper end of the coilovers bolt to a shock tower/crossmember that is made from 0.250-inch steel. This assembly does not intrude in the bed and features triangulated frame stiffeners that help distribute load from the crossmember to the frame. In an effort to eliminate bumpsteer, the rear 2-inch, 0.125-inch-wall chromoly track bar is exactly the same length, and it's mounted in the same position as the front track bar. Also like the front, the rear track bar features big 1.25-inch spherical rod ends, and the radius arms are built from 2-inch-diameter, 0.125-wall chromoly tubing with 1.5-inch spherical rod ends at the center crossmember. The result is 12 inches of wheel travel, and the 40-inch Toyo's travel freely without contacting the springs, radius arms, or fenders.
One Up Offroad's front truss cover combo provides protection for the Dana 60's ring-and-pinion; it strengthens the axle from bending due to loading; and it keeps the axle from flexing under power when the tires try to drive the axletubes forward in the truck. It also serves as a mounting point for the hydraulic-assist steering ram. Speaking of steering, there are a pair of beefy chromoly 1.75-inch, 0.125-wall tie rods that mount directly to each end of the center-mounted, double-ended hydraulic ram. Both ends of each tie rod sport 0.75-inch chromoly spherical rod ends with big 7/8-inch threads. The beefing continues to the chromoly 2-inch-diameter, 0.125-wall track bar with 1.25-inch spherical rod ends and the 2-inch-diameter, 0.125-wall chromoly radius arms with 1.5-inch spherical rod ends at the crossmember. What does all this mean? First, the suspension and steering is able to take a beating. Second, the front suspension has a full 12 inches of wheel travel and less than 1/4 degree (!) of bumpsteer. Third, the 40-inch Toyo tires do not contact the springs, radius arms, bumper, or fenders at any point during suspension travel.
The One Up Offroad crossmember cradle system uses an Attitude Performance transfer-case indexing ring to ensure that the front factory driveshaft and the rear Albuquerque Driveline Specialist-built CV driveshaft can spin without binding at full suspension droop. The crossmember cradle bolts to the Super Duty's frame and pulls double duty as the mounting point for the front and rear radius arms and as a frame gusset to strengthen the frame. It also replaces the factory transmission mount.
GENERAL
Owner: Amos Ulibarri, Alcalde, New Mexico
Vehicle/Model: '05 Ford F-250 Super Duty Crew Cab
Estimated Value: $70,000
ENGINE
Type: 7.3L Power Stroke V-8 diesel
Aspiration: Fuel injection, turbo
Output, hp/torque (estimated): N/A
DRIVETRAIN
Transmission: Stock
Transfer Case: Stock, Attitude Performance indexing ring
SUSPENSION
Front: One Up Offroad 500-Series three-link Coilover Suspension System, 2.5-inch Sway-A-Way Race Runner 14-inch-travel remote-reservoir shocks, King coil springs
Rear: One Up Offroad 500-Series three-link Coilover Suspension System, 2.5-inch Sway-A-Way Race Runner 14-inch-travel remote-reservoir shocks, King coil springs
AXLES/DIFFERENTIALS
Front: Dana 60, hydraulic-assist steering, One Up Offroad tie rods and truss cover combo/open
Rear: Sterling 10.5-inch, One Up Offroad truss cover combo/open
Ring and pinion: 4.88:1
WHEELS/TIRES
Wheels: 20x10 Weld Racing Velociti 8 XT
Tires: 40x15.50-20 Toyo Open Country M/T