Steeda F-150 - Truck &Suvtrends - American Car

Steeda Autosports has a well-deserved reputation for building sturdy, high-performance Fords, backed by years of motorsport experience. Although the bulk of Steeda's business is manufacturing, producing components for FoMoCo and the aftermarket industry, the true-blue company also transforms hundreds of bone-stock Fords into personalized, fire-breathing street demons each year.

We recently toured Steeda's immaculate south Florida facilities and sampled their latest project vehicles at nearby Moroso Motorsports Park, including this comprehensively upgraded F-150.

The suspension was tweaked with a sport package, including springs, shackles, shocks, and an uprated front anti-roll bar. The trick here is moving the rear axle above the leaf springs with flip brackets, U-bolts, and wedge spacers to create a cost-effective solution to axle hop. An expensive upgrade, pizza-pan-size, 14-inch Brembo disc brakes were added, effectively filling up the space behind the 18x9.5-inch Steeda Forgeline wheels.

Output from the 5.4-liter V-8 was boosted through a Steeda/Vortech S-trim supercharger, along with a K&N Filter Charger, mass airflow meter upgrade, ceramic headers, and Bassani cat-back exhaust system. The automatic transmission is enhanced for a sporty, crisp shift feel, and the stock 3.55:1 axle was discarded for a more aggressive 3.73:1 cog. Peaking at 9-psi-worth of boost, the supercharger elevated rear-wheel power from 215 horses to 355, as measured on the Steeda dyno. Hitting 300 horsepower at 4100 rpm, the blown engine reached its heady peak at 5300; torque also rose from a dyno'd stock 279 to an impressive 387 pound-feet at 4500 rpm.

The exterior was finished off with a set of 295/45ZR18 BFGoodrich Comp T/A tires, runningboards, wheel flares, bug shield, and graphics. On the inside, a graphite dash kit, floormats, and custom upholstered seats completed the transformation.

Heading to the track, the truck felt surefooted, eager, and refined, with the exception of supercharger whine from this prototype unit. With slight understeer before edging into controllable oversteer, the F-150 proved quite tractable and fun to drive. Despite being able to carve corners with aplomb, the suspension upgrade reportedly does not diminish the tow rating. We can attest that the sporty ride remains more compliant than the near-rigid Ford Lightning's.

As tested, our Steeda truck wore about $19,000 worth of modifications, pushing the total price well past the Lightning's $30K sticker, though performance is comparable. Steeda also offers the ability to create a personalized package reflecting your preferences on any truck configuration, rather than being limited to the least utilitarian body style, like the Lightning. While there are suggested packages, Steeda can work with each customer to tailor a modification regimen specific for individual needs and budgets-many of which will also work on, say, a Navigator, Super Duty, or Excursion.

GM TrucK PowerThe General clearly has had enough of those pesky Ford V-10s and Dodge Cummins Turbodiesels kicking torque in its face. So when the new medium-duty GM trucks bow next year, they'll be packing two potentially spectacular new powerplants.