Nose Job Part 1: Freshening Up the Front of a Super Duty

While Ford Super Duty trucks are just as popular today as when they were first released in 1999, the truth is that the older trucks are beginning to look a little dated. Aside from the usual wear and tear, their once bold styling looks a little pedestrian when compared to the current generation of trucks. While upgrading to a newer model is an option for some, the hefty price tag puts the newer trucks out of reach for many budgets. Plus, many Super Duty owners have spent a lot of time and money upgrading their trucks and accessorizing them to suit their exact needs, and the thought of starting over with a new truck just isn’t that appealing.

Such was the dilemma facing the owner of the 2006 Super Duty that’s the subject of this article. Aside from having relatively low miles, the truck had already been outfitted with a host of accessories, including a water-meth injection system, side steps, leveling kit, and a host of bed storage and other upgrade accessories. The usual known issues of the 6.0L under the hood had all been addressed, and the owner wanted to avoid dealing with the complicated emissions equipment of the newer trucks for a few more years, namely DEF. In short, he had a truck that was exactly the way he wanted it, yet he wanted to do something that would freshen up the looks of the truck for a more modern feel.

1. The subject of our nose job is a 2006 Super Duty. It's already equipped with lots of nice accessories but the front of the truck is pretty pedestrian. The owner of the truck wanted to fix that. — 1. The subject of our nose job is a 2006 Super Duty. It’s already equipped with lots of nice accessories but the front of the truck is pretty pedestrian. The owner of the truck wanted to fix that.

2. The stock bumper, while decent, won't take much of a hit and is a big reason why the front of the truck looks so ordinary. The truck’s owner made the decision to replace it with a burly, all-steel, TrailReady bumper with a built-in prerunner guard. Weighing in at nearly 200 lbs., it’s constructed of ¼- and 3/16-in. steel. Make no mistake, this bumper is a beast capable of taking a licking and keep on ticking. The decision was made to go with one that doesn't have a winch mount, though TrailReady has a version with a hidden winch platform built in. Note the windows cut into the front of the bumper, which help with cooling and also provide access to the winch on winch-ready models. — 2. The stock bumper, while decent, won’t take much of a hit and is a big reason why the front of the truck looks so ordinary. The truck’s owner made the decision to replace it with a burly, all-steel, TrailReady bumper with a built-in prerunner guard. Weighing in at nearly 200 lbs., it’s constructed of ¼- and 3/16-in. steel. Make no mistake, this bumper is a beast capable of taking a licking and keep on ticking. The decision was made to go with one that doesn’t have a winch mount, though TrailReady has a version with a hidden winch platform built in. Note the windows cut into the front of the bumper, which help with cooling and also provide access to the winch on winch-ready models.

One of the most dramatic ways to completely transform the look of any truck is to change the front end, so we focused on two key areas: the front bumper and grille. Both components are easy to swap out, yet they make a huge difference in the attitude of the truck when finished. To see just how big a difference two upgrades can make, we chose to install a TrailReady front bumper and a Royalty Core grille insert. This month, we’ll follow along as the crew at 4Wheel Parts of Phoenix, Arizona, tackles the bumper install, and next month we’ll show you all the details on installing the Royalty Core grille. The end result is dramatic and much easier on the pocketbook than a whole new truck. DW

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