Every diesel driver knows that the possibilities behind the wheel are virtually limitless. It’s pretty much impossible to find a task that a diesel cannot perform. Whether taking it off-road or towing a heavy load up hill, the power of diesel continues to prove it has what it takes to get the job done. It’s no wonder there are so many diesel engines on the road today. The term ’work horse’ has become synonymous with diesel trucks and one person who knows this better than most is Ben Doyle.
Ben and his wife, Andrea, needed a strong and reliable towing platform to haul boats and heavy equipment around their repair shop, Quality Auto and Repair, LLC, located in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Ben had owned several Ford trucks in the past, and knowing them to be amazing work trucks, decided the obvious choice for his next work truck would be another Ford, leading him to his 2008 F-350 6.4L King Ranch.
The power of the King Ranch stock was already impressive enough to get the job done, but the phrase “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing” is a reoccurring theme for diesel owners. Ben and Andrea needed a strong towing truck for their business, and with the thought of overabundant power in their minds, the already high performance King Ranch was taken a few performance pegs higher.
The Only Option
Quality Auto and Repair is a business that specializes in automobile and marine vessel repair. Ben’s mechanical finesse and understanding of engines led to the founding of the eclectic repair shop. Everything from gas to diesel, as well as watercraft big and small, have made their way in for repairs. One of the issues inherent in a business that works with heavy equipment is how the equipment makes its way around. Broken down trucks and boats have a hard time moving on their own, and the obvious remedy is a truck that is capable of towing and is equipped with the strength and durability of a diesel engine.
Ben understood what amazing capabilities a diesel truck offered, and without hesitation went straight for the 6.4L King Ranch. With the Super Duty already built as a work horse, it was the obvious solution for Ben’s towing needs, but like most diesel drivers, better performance is always on the mind, and he had bigger and better plans for his Power Stroke.
The Right Stuff
The Doyle’s business needed the King Ranch that by itself had the power to do the job, but there is never any harm in giving the massive F-350 a little extra performance to make the job easier.
“I use the truck to haul just about everything,” says Ben. “These trucks are built to pull heavy loads, and a lot of the work I do is with heavy equipment such as the boats that come through here. My F-350 hauls 10,000-pound yachts around on a daily basis.”
The first thing that was changed out was the lift kit. In place of the stock lift, a 6-inch Pro Comp lift kit with front MX coil-overs and shocks. To accommodate for the higher lift, AMP Research power steps were installed, which not only gave Ben a good footing to get into the massive truck, but added flair and personality to the Ford. Next, to dial in on the power that the truck was putting out, an H&S Mini Maxx race tuner was installed, giving Ben the luxury of customizing the King Ranch’s output and it made towing heavy equipment a lot easier. To increase the ease of towing, an Airlift Airbag suspension system integrated with a wireless remote was installed. This gave Ben an opportunity to customize his suspension and ultimately give the truck more stability when pulling the heavier loads.
With the necessary performance upgrades in place, the next vital additions to the towering F-350 were new wheels and tires. To ensure that he was getting optimal traction, Ben wrenched in a set of Pro Comp Xtreme wheels and covered them with Toyo 35-12.50-18 tires. For a little extra flair and durability, the stock bumpers were replaced with Fusion’s rear and front bumpers. A new MagnaFlow 5-inch turbo back exhaust, muffler and tip were also installed and a Warn thermometric self-recovery winch was added to make the King Ranch the perfect towing platform.
There wasn’t a need for a complete overhaul on the F-350, so only enough performance installations to increase its towing capabilities were added in. But these key additions to the truck’s performance gave it significant power, leaving Ben astonished with the results.
“The truck has met every work task with ease,” says the owner. “It rides like a half-ton SUV with the comfort to match, pulls like a locomotive and has the looks to turn heads. With trucks like these, some new owners have issues with the fuel consumption. But the personal touches, like the exhaust and tuner, made my miles per gallon increase from 10 to 18. This truck is just amazing.”
Even with the incredible jump in MPG, the truck didn’t suffer any drawback in power. In fact, each performance install eventually led the truck to a staggering 600 horsepower. The F-350 never had any lack in power to begin with and easily performed the jobs Ben needed done, but with each high-performance part installed, the truck became more durable and remarkably more powerful.
Happy with the King Ranch’s new and amazing performance, Ben now has the perfect work truck and has made it one of his key tools for any job. Whether it be a simple trip to the shop, or moving a massive 10,000-pound boat, the 6.4L King Ranch was fitted with an overabundance of power to make any task an easy one. For Ben, moving massive and heavy equipment is simply business as usual. For his Ford, towing is its business, and business is good.