In Your Face

Building up Ford's 2011 6.7L Power Stroke Super Duty

Published in the December 2010 Issue December 2010 Build, PowerStroke Ryan Harris

splash From the looks of it, Ford has hit a home run with its latest Power Stroke diesel engine, and the 2011 Super Duty is a great truck for the power house motor.

All we wanted to do was make it even better.

We teamed up with Powerlabs Diesel, one of our local shops that has helped us out with installs and previous project trucks, to do a project build on a brand new 2011 Super Duty with the 6.7L Power Stroke diesel. While there weren't too many performance products readily available for this first article on the project build aside from the TS Performance rail pressure box, we were able to find a handful of new products designed for the latest Super Duty to get it on its way to having a one-of-a-kind, in-your-face look.

The project started out with a lift install. The goal was to get the truck up about eight inches higher, but we wanted a high-quality ride out of it. To achieve that we needed a full-package kit, not one that just drops the factory control arms. After looking around at different options for the 2011 Ford, we chose Skyjacker's 8.5-inch suspension lift system.

The Skyjacker 8.5 kit we installed on the truck features replacement control arms, Softride leaf springs for the rear and coils for the front, Nitro shock absorbers, steering stabilizer dual kit and all the hardware for a complete install. The kit even had braided steel brake lines and a drop-length pitman arm.

The Skyjacker system installed very easily compared to some other systems we've dealt with. The fit and finish of the components was spot-on and clean.

However, the most impressive aspect of the Skyjacker 8.5-inch lift is the ride quality. Over the past couple years, we've worked on a Ford Super Duty with an 8-inch lift-the typical tire store cheapo lift. It looked good, but rode like a pioneer cart. This Skyjacker kit on the 2011 Ford is a different story entirely. Its ride has the plushness you'd expect from a stock suspension, without sagging out under the weight of a dirt bike like some setups. There's no bounce or harsh jolt to the 8.5-inch lift, and the dual stabilizer steering components keep even the large 37-inch Nitto Dirt Grapplers in check. It's a sweet suspension lift system.

Right before we went to press with this issue, TS Performance sent out its new 6.7L Power Stroke fuel rail pressure box. TS Performance claims the pressure box can boost the 6.7L's output by up to 100 horsepower at the rear wheels. Powerlabs installed the pressure box and we drove the truck to see what our initial impressions were. Let's put it this way: the stock 6.7L Power Stroke has an incredible bottom end with near-instant throttle response and a very broad torque and horsepower curve. The TS Performance pressure box makes it so much stronger in all areas of the curve. We'll spend some time dyno-testing with it for future issues.

Edge Products also supplied an Insight CTS and back-up camera. The Insight CTS is a color touch screen monitor that is capable of displaying any and every parameter that the truck's ECM will feed to it. You can also add multiple auxiliary sensors for the Insight CTS to display. Again, more to come in future issues.

We're also running an AFE intake on the truck, which was reviewed in the October 2010 issue of Diesel Tech.

Inside the truck, Powerlabs has added Roadwire seat covers and heated seat controls.

Outside, the truck features the original AMP Research PowerStep running boards. The AMP Research boards tuck away completely beneath the ne Ford body, and extend out for a solid platform when the doors open.

An Access Laredo Tonneau bed cover provides weather-resistant protection for bed storage.

The truck has 37-inch Nitto Dirt Grapplers on 22-inch Mamba Type M1 wheels, and is running an Iron Bull front bumper. Custom white paint accents are done by Broadway Ford Collision and Repair. The truck will get Bush-Whacker flares soon, too.

Follow our 2011 Ford project build in coming issues of Diesel Tech.