Currently, Ron's Zex nitrous...
Currently, Ron's Zex nitrous system utilizes a .076-inch jet, but, along with more tuning, he plans on stepping it up in the near future. His setup uses two solenoids, the first (NOS) helps spool the turbo on the line, and the second activates at wide-open throttle.
A Zex nitrous system provides the potent 6.0L with an extra performance kick as well. The dry system utilizes two solenoids (one for spooling, one for full-throttle), and has helped the 8,000-pound truck blast through the quarter-mile in 12.9 seconds at 104 mph. Ron claims the truck laid down 536 horsepower on nitrous last February, but believes his current engine and nitrous setup could make upward of 580 hp and 950-1,000 lb-ft.
Did we mention that Ron wasn't afraid of going big? The truck was also fitted with an 8-inch suspension lift from Fabtech with 8-inch Deaver springs and two 5150 Bilstein shocks in the rear. Up front, Ron used 2-inch Daystar spacers and four 5150 Bilstein shocks. He then wrapped a set of 37x13.50R18 Pro Comp Xtreme All-Terrains around 18-inch Diamo wheels, and added a set of Amp Research Power Steps to get in and out of the truck easier. Ron also added a cowl hood from Reflexxion, and had it painted by Autobody USA.
One look inside the truck's interior and you notice how well kept, and laced with aftermarket components it is. A mixed set of gauges from Gale Banks Engineering and DiProcol Optix allow Ron to keep an eye on boost, transmission, and EGT levels. Creature comforts such as a Pioneer GPS, a serious stereo system, CB radio, backup camera, and Viper alarm grace the interior as well.
Believe it or not, Ron promised to leave this truck alone when he purchased it in 2004. Obviously, he broke that promise long ago, and we're glad he did because the truck looks, sounds, and runs awesome! Ron told us he gets a real kick out of being beside a Mustang or import car at a red light, then blowing their doors off when it turns green! Heck, if we had a truck this big, making this much power, we'd probably do the same.
 The Fabtech lift consists...  The Fabtech lift consists of 8-inch coil springs, and is accompanied by six 5150 Bilstein shocks with reservoirs, four up front, and two in the rear of the truck. |  Ron had John Wood Automotive...  Ron had John Wood Automotive install 4.30 axle gearing in both the Ford 10 1/2-inch rear and front Dana 60 axles. Ron also added Mag-Hytec front and rear differential covers, as well as a Mag-Hytec transmission pan. |  A set of Diamo 18-inch wheels...  A set of Diamo 18-inch wheels is wrapped in 37x13.50x18R Pro Comp Xtreme All Terrains. |
 Rather than mount the bottle...  Rather than mount the bottle in the bed, Ron mounted his Zex nitrous system out of view, along the driver-side framerail, utilizing his own mounting brackets. Notice the remote bottle opener, which he can control from inside the cab. |  These CalTracs traction bars...  These CalTracs traction bars from Calvert Racing Suspension help handle axlewrap, a common problem when lifted diesels are making big power. They came in handy last February when Ron ran a nitrous-assisted 12.91 at 104 mph in the quarter-mile at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. Not bad, considering the large Lariat weighs more than 8,000 pounds with a driver and a full tank of fuel. |  Typical gauge cluster, right?...  Typical gauge cluster, right? Not exactly. While the bottom two gauges measure exhaust gas and transmission temps, the top gauge reads drive pressure, and the one below it reads boost. Ron's reasoning behind this is to see how close he can get to the ideal boost-to-drive pressure ratio of 1:1. |