Project Dirt Toy is coming along nicely. We’re not quite in the home stretch yet, but the finish line is in sight. We’ve previously made the necessary additions to increase the reliability of this 2003 F250 6.0L by adding a bunch of good stuff from Bullet Proof Diesel. Last time, we lifted the truck up from its stock stature to ride a little bit higher. At the time we mistakenly stated that the kit was a 2-inch BDS kit, when it was actually a 2.5-inch lift kit from Zone Offroad. In the time since installation, the kit, which also included a track bar and steering stabilizer, has performed above and beyond our expectations. Zone Offroad makes a wonderful lift kit and we couldn’t be happier with its performance. We wanted this truck to have stellar off-road handling and Zone Offroad knocked it out of the park with this kit.
Normally in these write-ups we try to have a theme, but this month it’s simply “Make it better.” Some of the additions are external, some are internal, but they all will serve to make this truck the best it can be.
Bumper Crop
The very first thing you’ll notice about the truck now is that we got rid of that old brush guard bumper that was rusting and falling apart and replaced it with a Magnum RT Series HD front bumper. Take a look at that thing. It just looks mean. We love it. This particular configuration comes with square holes to mount LEDs (coming next installment), as well as a winch mount for up to a 16,500-pound winch (also coming next time).
Installing the bumper was relatively simple. In fact, the two hardest parts were removing the stock tow hooks and simply lifting the new bumper into position (it’s a heavy bastard). Luckily, with the old hooks removed, you place the mounting hardware in their place and then it’s just a matter of getting a person on either side and just hefting the Magnum into place.
We were immensely pleased with how the bumper looks and the aggressive appearance it gives to the front of the truck. To match it in the rear, we used Magnum’s HD rear bumper, which was also very easy to install. Both bumpers are constructed out of heavy-duty cold rolled steel and feature integrated tow hooks, which is a great additional feature.
Toe The Line
Since bumpers are going to take the brunt of the elements when you’re out and about, we wanted them to be as protected as possible. We took them to Line-X of Idaho Falls to get a new coating of Line-X Ultra. Josh Warnberg, who runs the shop, did a fantastic job on them. They came out a deep, rich black and have a great texture to them that will be able to stand up to the worst that the elements can throw at us. He also applied the Line-X to our set of EGR fender flares, which will help preserve the sides of the truck from any errant rocks thrown up by our bigger, more aggressive tires. They also look fantastic on this older truck and transform into something a little bit more special.