2020 Ford F-450 with a 13-inch Lift on 28×14″ Wheels

John Mata Jr. . November 13, 2023 . Diesel World

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A Ford F-450 with Aerospace Industry Ties

For those who pay close attention to the world of diesel trucks, the Liberty Forged brand is most likely very well known—especially in the segment of badass wheels. Steven Statton is the head of operation and sales at Liberty, and he has built a company that offers some of the most incredible wheels for lifted truck applications.

A huge part of its success is due, in part, to Liberty’s roots in the aerospace industry. Steven’s father, Kenny, has owned a CNC machine shop that they now operate together called MST Manufacturing, which specializes in aerospace and defense flight-critical wing components. With a history this deeply solidified in the stringent standards used in both atmospheric and outer space operations, who wouldn’t trust a brand like Liberty Forged to deliver the highest quality wheels for their rig?

The build took Steven just about three months to finish, and since his F-450 has been completed, it has visited the largest shows in the country.

LARGE AND IN CHARGE

To promote the awareness of both businesses, as well as jumping on a perfect excuse to build a new truck, Steven began transforming his 2020 Ford F-450 to serve as a towering monument of mobile advertising that is impossible to ignore. The Ford had to be insanely impressive when the project was all said and done, and to accomplish that, Steven embarked on a complete frame-off build in order to assemble a crazy chassis system first and foremost.

To make this happen, a complete suspension lift package from Wicked Customs was utilized but has since been replaced with a full 13-inch hydraulic-assisted lift package from Any Level Lift. The patented airbag subframe provides an adjustable spring rate that allows Steven to lower his F-450 back down to factory ride height if so desired, but that doesn’t happen all too often.

Once the Any Level system was test fit underneath Steven’s F-450, it was then disassembled and sent off to powdercoat, as was the driveshaft and both axles. Jazz Blue, the powder color of choice, was then accentuated by a strategically orchestrated BAMF underbody lighting system that showcases the freshly coated suspension components any time of the day.

To fully furnish the totally reconstructed chassis system, Steven outfitted his Ford with a set of 28×14 Liberty Forged LBTY18 Super Dually wheels that have been encased in 37×13.50R28 AMP Mud Terrain Attack tires. To say this truck was looking large and in charge at this point would be a massive understatement, but there was still much more to do to further improve upon the visual impact of this heavy-duty F-series.

STILL MORE TO DO!

With an actual blank slate to work with in the F-450’s sterile Star White paint, Steven planned to outfit its exterior with a few interesting upgrades, starting with a custom grille from Boost-Bars and color-matched accessories by Roy Jones at Highway 20 Collision for a much more cohesive appearance. Road Armor Identity Series front and rear bumpers and a Cervini cowl hood were then combined to improve the overall look of the truck.

Since the build was done in part of placing the Liberty Forged brand at center stage, Steven asked Apex Wraps to design and apply a vinyl Liberty logo between the bed and rear cab door on both sides. While the logo isn’t over the top by any means, it does stand out and is simply impossible to miss—chalk that up as a major win!

The next phase of the project was to outfit the factory 6.7L Powerstroke with a Maryland Performance Diesel intake, and a 4-inch Flo-Pro stainless exhaust system. The upgrade combo allows the diesel engine to breathe easier while amplifying its aggressive growl. The cab was soon overhauled with black-, blue-, and white-colored Alea leather upholstery and stitchwork by Code Zero Customs, and the interior plastics were also painted to match. Next, a full PowerBass audio system complete with a custom subwoofer box and amp rack was wired into place to deliver better quality sound along with an interesting presentation within the interior landscape.

The build took Steven just about three months to finish, and since his F-450 has been completed, it has visited the largest shows in the country. This Ford has been on full display SEMA ’21 and ’22, Lone Star Throwdown, Orange Beach Invasion, Daytona Truck Meet, Lifted Truck Nationals, and Michiana Auto Mania. Steven has successfully gained lots of attention to his truck as well drummed up more awareness for Liberty Forged. Never has a mixture of business and pleasure looked so damn good.