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(Mar 05)

GET ELEVATED
How To Install The Edge Tri-Arm 6-Inch System

From being able to go places where other vehicles cannot, to being a symbol of pure brute force, a four-wheel-drive vehicle certainly has its advantages. From the factory, howev­er, four-wheel-drive trucks simply do not reach their full potential in either the rugged, go-anywhere or looks departments. This is easily remedied by the addition of larger wheels and tires, which obviously go hand in hand with a suspension lift to provide that extra clearance and size.

When lifting a truck, usually all of the suspension components are simply lowered from their factory posi­tion by some type of bracket assem­bly. While this does give the desired lift, it may not increase overall ground clearance and can lead to a rather messy appearance. The Edge Advanced Suspension from Donahoe Racing addresses several of these issues with its 6-inch Ford F-150 Tri-Arm lift kit.

Using a unique third relay arm in the factory lower control arm posi­tion, The Edge kit retains the factory mounting for the torsion bars and transmission crossmember. This max­imizes the ground clearance beneath the truck and maintains a clean streamlined look along the framerails. The relay arm is connected to the relocated lower control arm through a relay link that transfers the torque of the torsion bars down to the suspen­sion. It also allows The Edge to modi­fy the torsion bar to shock motion ratio for better control over spring rate, and dampening for improved ride quality and performance.

In addition to the relay arms, The Edge kit also includes fabricated steel knuckles instead of the standard cast-iron units usually found in factory and aftermarket suspensions. This steel knuckle has improved kingpin and scrub geometry for superior han­dling, tighter steering and better return-to-center. Special Bilstein shocks and custom-designed brackets allow for increased wheel travel and a high-quality ride, while aluminum skidplates finish off the appearance and protect the differential from acci­dental impact damage.
To see the kit installation in action, we went down to SDHQ Offroad in Gilbert, Arizona. With years of experi­ence in the off-road market, the crew at SDHQ made the installation look like child's play. Follow along with the photos and see just what is involved in elevating your stock F-150 to a whole new level. 4x4

Profiles

The Edge Advanced Suspension Dept. 4x4 2841 E. White Star Ave., Ste. E Anaheim, CA 92806 714/632-3033 www.donahoeracing.com

SDHQOfiroad Dept. 4x4 525 E. Baseline Rd., Ste. 108 Gilbert, AZ 85233 877/969-2929 www.superdutyheadquarters.com