Street Smarts
Want to know a quick, easy way to improve the look of your truck? Replace the side mirrors. They’re something that usually gets overlooked in a lot of builds but is a really nice touch. We decided to use the mirrors from a 2008 Super Duty to spruce things up a little. You can’t just go the junkyard for these, though, because the mounting design is different. What do you do? You find a company like Trail Ridge that makes newer mirrors that are compatible with old models. The mirrors attach with a handful of bolts and one simple cable that hooks up to the truck’s electronics to allow adjustment. The mirrors come with your choice of shell, either chrome or gloss black, so accentuate the look you’re going for. We chose the gloss black to complement the gray and black that’s already prominent on the rest of the truck.
The last thing we did for this installment was a set of wheel-to-wheel Magnum RT steps from ICI in, of course, a matte black powder coat. The wheel-to-wheel steps because they feature a third step right in front of the rear wheel that is great for getting into the front of the truck bed. Installation is also straightforward and pretty painless, though the pile of nuts, bolts, and washers was a little intimidating at first. The mounting brackets bolt on using the existing holes that run along the pinch weld below the truck body. It’s definitely a two-person job, but everything came together easily. There’s even an extra support strap that goes from the rear of the step up to the underside of the bed to make sure it’s as stable as possible.
We already love the differences in this old beast. With the combination of the Bully Dog GT, the S&B intake, and the previous Bullet Proof modifications, this feels like a brand-new truck. That said, there is still a lot to be done before we’re trail ready. Check back next month!