When Brian Machnach of Manchester, New Jersey, bought this '93 Ford Flareside in 1995, it came with a 4-year, $400-per-month payment book. Funny how that works. For this reason the truck stayed mostly stock until the last coupon was ripped from the payment book in 1999. With the truck paid off, it was game on, and Machnach began the process of modifying the truck for serious off-highway travel. As you can see, the mods really took off.
Machnach, a plumbing contractor, did almost all of the work on the truck himself with some help from his brother Steven and his buddy Kyle Finny of Sic Industries. The end result (so far) is a functional fullsize that has plied trails in Vermont, but specializes in conquering New Jersey mud.
Up front the factory TTB suspension has been replaced by a custom leaf-spring setup and a high-pinion Dana 60 scavenged from an '89 F-350 that had suffered a cab fire. Before installing the new system, Machnach made a number of modifications to the F-150's frame. The mods included boxing the forward section with thick 1/4-inch steel, and he installed F-350 shock towers to hold the new Bilstein 5150 shocks. Custom-made 14-inch-lift Atlas leaf springs suspend the axle and they're mounted to factory F-350 and custom extended mounts. The axle itself sports 35-spline outers, Yukon 5.13 gears, MileMarker hubs, and a Precision Gear Powr-Lok differential. Other mods to the front of the truck include a Skyjacker pitman arm, a Skyjacker steering stabilizer, and ORU crossover steering.
When it came to the exterior, Machnach spared no expense. As long as that expense didn't cost over $80, which is just what the Krylon ultra-flat camouflage paint cost. He sprayed it himself and then modified it with tree scratches during a wheeling trip in the woods. Other exterior mods include a custom front bumper by Machnach and Sic Industries, front frame-mounted D-rings, a Lund rear rollpan, and front and rear Class III receiver hitches (holding a pintle hitch up front and Warn shackle in the rear). The rig rolls on 44x19.5-16.6 Boggers on 14-inch-wide black steel wheels.
 By trail truck standards the...  By trail truck standards the interior is pretty nice. The carpet and seating is stock, but Machnach added a Grant GT steering wheel, a Midland CB radio, a JVC/Boston Acoustic audio system, and Husky Liners floor mats. |  The same donor F-350 was tapped...  The same donor F-350 was tapped for the Sterling 10.5-inch rear axle. Like the front, it has Yukon 5.13 gears, but it has low-buck welded spiders as opposed to an off-the-shelf locker. The suspension consists of Bilstein 5150 shocks and custom Atlas 14-inch-lift leaf springs mounted to dropped factory hangers and a Sky Manufacturing 4-inch shackle flip kit. |  The manual-shift Borg-Warner...  The manual-shift Borg-Warner 13-56 transfer case bears the signs of past trail adventures. It's bolted to the stock Griffin-cooled AOD transmission (which Machnach says has been very reliable), and it sprouts a pair of Mr. Driveshaft custom CV driveshafts. Here you can also see the transmission crossmember that was lowered 1.5 inches and modified to make room for the front driveshaft. |
 Machnach has found the 5.0L...  Machnach has found the 5.0L V-8 to be adequate for most wheeling situations, though he did add JBA headers and a 2-inch-diameter dual exhaust to help it exhale better. The engine is kept cool by a Griffin aluminum twin-row radiator and Flex-A-Lite dual electric fans. Other underhood mods include underdrive pulleys, an Optima YellowTop battery, Bosch spark plugs, and MSD plug wires. In an effort to ensure that the engine can get air if the mud and water gets too deep, Machnach fabbed up a snorkel using 2-inch-diameter tubing and it draws air into the airbox from near the roof of the truck. | | |
Specifications
General
Owner/Hometown: Brian Machnach/Manchester, New Jersey
Vehicle/Model: '93 Ford Flareside
Estimated value: $31,000
Engine
Type: 5.0L V-8
Aspiration: JBA headers, 2-inch-diameter dual exhaust
Output, hp/torque (estimated): N/A
Drivetrain
Transmission: AOD, Griffin cooler
Transfer Case: Borg-Warner 13-56
Suspension
Front: Atlas 14-inch-lift leaf springs, Bilstein 5150 shocks
Rear: Atlas 14-inch-lift leaf springs, Bilstein 5150 shocks
Axles/Differentials
Front: HP Dana 60, 35-spline outers, MileMarker hubs, ORU crossover steering, Skyjacker pitman arm, Skyjacker steering stabilizer/Precision Gear Power Lok
Rear: Sterling 10.5/welded
Ring-and-pinion: Yukon 5.13:1
Wheels/Tires
Wheels: 16.5x14 black steel
Tires: 44x19.5-16.5 Boggers