A work truck with a rock-crawlin' attitude . . .

We spied this seemingly mild-mannered Ford parked outside our palatial offices this morning. It seems at first glance to be a sensibly built (i.e., not one of our) project rigs, and on closer inspection, this SD has quite a few novel tricks up its sleeves, particularly in the suspension department.

Up front, a trick suspension setup that we’d normally associate with flatfender Jeeps: Inverse-mounted (and very lightweight) two-leaf spring packs (from a YJ, maybe?) slung over the axle and running extended shackles; a pair of Donahoe Racing remote reservoir shocks help to dampen the ride. We didn’t get a chance to test this thing on a ramp, but we’d guess it’s plenty flexy.

In the back, the Ford’s work manners have not been neglected, with leaf springs and overload springs perched over the Sterling axle; a pair of airbags of unknown manufacture provide damping, leveling and hauling assistance. Thirty-seven inch Pro Comp Xtreme A/Ts mounted on 17x9 rims comprise rollin’ stock.

In the steerage compartment, mods are minimal, with an Allied toolbox and a plywood “bedliner” the only noticeable upgrades. This SD might be set up to flex on the trail, but it’s still obviously used to haul lots of stuff, and ya gotta like that work ethic.