In the dirt, form follows function. Brian Binkert of Bink Designs purchased this 2005 F-150 Supercrew brand new, planning to use it as a daily driver. Desert duty wasn’t the truck’s primary role back then, so Brian installed a lowering kit along with a set of 22-inch Foose wheels. It was perfect for the pavement.
A pavement truck that stays on the pavement never has an identity crisis and rarely gets damaged. The trouble is that Brian’s business, Bink Designs, takes him to off-road events including desert races, short-course races, and informal gatherings in the dirt. As a slammed street cruiser, Bink’s F-1 was getting stuck or getting parked whenever dirt was involved. Something had to be done.
Even though his truck needed a re-do for the dirt, Brian had a working, driving vehicle: reliable transportation. Planning down time is tough, so it was somewhat serendipitous when he lost control in the rain and slammed the front into a brick wall. Down time—and a rebuild—had come a-knockin’!
The brick wall had hit the Supercrew hard, destroying the front clip and tweaking the front of the frame. A visit to a frame shop smoothed out the structural wrinkles, but the ’05 front clip needed to be completely replaced. Since the truck was being rebuilt as a desert truck, replacing the stock sheet metal didn’t make sense. A Fiberwerx 2009-and-newer conversion clip, with its wider coverage and larger fender openings, was a natural choice. This was a perfect time to re-skin the bed to match the front. To that end, a pair of Fiberwerx flared bedsides was installed. The rest of the stock bed was retained, right down to the functional tailgate.
In place of the lowering kit, you’ll find a Brenthel Industries long-travel kit up front these days, damped by Fox coilover and bypass shocks. Out back, the F-1 has been returned to stock, but plans are in the works for long-travel Deaver leaf springs and another pair of Fox shocks.
For the finishing touch, Brian went with a color scheme that sets the truck apart yet remains on the subtle side. This is no rolling billboard, and that’s a good thing.
Down time is hard to plan around, especially if your off-road truck is also your daily driver. We don’t recommend the “brick wall” approach to rebuild scheduling, but Bink’s F-1 shows what can happen when opportunity comes knocking, and knocks hard. Once slammed for the street, it’s now dialed for the dirt.
Specs | |
Vehicle: | 2005 Ford F-150 Supercrew 2WD |
Owner/Hometown: | Brian Binkert/El Cajon, California |
Engine: | Ford 5.4L Triton V-8 with K&N intake, Bully Dog programmer, Magnaflow exhaust |
Transmission: | Stock automatic |
Front End: | Brenthel Industries Baja Kit long-travel system. Five inches wider per side, fully fabricated upper control arms, lower control arms, and steering knuckles. Fox coilover and bypass shocks. Wheel travel: 18 inches |
Rear End: | Stock Ford 9.75, stock leaf springs, stock shocks. Big changes coming. |
Ring and Pinion Ratio: | 4.56:1 |
Tires: | 37x12.50R17 General Grabber |
Wheels: | 17-inch Method Race Wheels with simulated beadlocks |
Interior: | Stock seats, Alpine audio head unit, Kicker subwoofer and amplifier |