So now that the drags are over and the truck has been out in public, I'm able to talk about the truck I am apart of and helped build.
Started as a 2004 dodge rc/lb ranch truck. Yes I know.... a dodge. My buddy mark is big into them cause he doesn't know dmaxes well enough and has always had cummins (until recently where his personal trucks are dmaxes). Plus the fact we could make 1000hp on a stock bottom end was appealing for a budget build and to make the races this past Saturday. Mark and Fred decided to build this truck in mid January and make it run 10s, possibly 9s by the nhrda event. Not an easy feat.
I was called up by Mark to see if I would build the 8.50 or slower legal cage to help keep things on the down low. I agreed to the challenge and the build started beginning of feb. Took me a week to build the cage as I got pretty sick the Sunday after I started on it. First cage I have done to nhra spec. Boy did I learn a lot. It's not the first cage I have built but it is for drag racing. You certainly can't hold the rule book to be the "this is how it should be" let alone other certified cages you may have seen. It all comes down to how the inspectors determines the cage. Initially I built the cage how Mark wanted it while keeping the stock dash and still let him get in and out of the truck easily. Via the rule book, it was done correctly though with my off road back ground, I wanted to add more bracing. This would have to be done later when the inspector first checked it out and agreed with me. Again, I was just going by the rule book and what my buddy wanted though initially. I will be doing things different on the next build. There are a couple guys wanting cages from me now, go figure lol.
After finally meeting with the local inspector, he agreed that more triangulation was needed so these bars were added
It was certified last weekend and is good for the next 3 years now. Cage is all mild steel 1 3/4" .134 wall so we are not under the .118 min wall thickness. I would have made it from chromoly but I do not have a TIG.
I also lowered the factory seat 3", put belts in, changed the rear open diff to a limited slip, help setup the cal tracs, put a limit strap on one side to keep the drive shaft from hitting the hoop (I didn't fab them, didn't have the time and we all know how pre fabbed things go), built a new hot side intercooler tube, built the exhaust tube for a good stack, wired up the gauges with mark, built a trans shifter stand and in sure a host of other things I'm forgetting. Mark and fred tackled the trans and engine top end (built 48re with full manual valve body, tci shifter, cam, valve springs, push rods, head studs, electric fans, different coolant resi, dual fueler, LARGE injectors, 476 t6 with a 96mm turbine, yards yadda yadda). Basically is running a decent sized single and nitrous as well that we installed.
I became more than just the cage builder as I saw how far behind they were for race day and next thing I know, I'm apart of the team and helping build a truck to compete in nhrda lol.
Ran into issues last weekend testing at the track. Could not get the charger to light at all when staging. Had a bad combo of converter stall, turbo size and tuning.
We changed turbo housing size and got some good tuning that allowed us to get on top of the charger decently but we will be changing the converter to a higher stall. It will help staging and 60ft immensely.
Mark raced the truck this weekend and first pass was a 12.2 with draining rail and poor launch. All fuel. Second pass was 11.7 with another poor launch and a 75shot. Third pass was eliminations and we red lighted but got a good launch finally and changed the tune to help hold rail. Ran a 11.2 all fuel. Being out, we ran tnt the rest of the day and got two more passes in. Biggest thing is getting use to shifting this thing. 4th pass he launched hard and got a 1.5 60ft with spinning radials, shifting issues hindered a good time and ran a 11.7. Mark came right back around and ran again soon as they let tnt go again and this time took his time, set up for a good launch and nailed his shifting and hit the button right into 2nd gear. Another 1.5 60 and ran a 10.53 at 131mph. We were ecstatic being all the little issue holding the truck back.
We got a few things to change up and logging to do but with all the help we had out there from other teams, it was awesome.
Here is a video of the last pass.
[youtube]zVtP--tr5F8[/youtube]
Started as a 2004 dodge rc/lb ranch truck. Yes I know.... a dodge. My buddy mark is big into them cause he doesn't know dmaxes well enough and has always had cummins (until recently where his personal trucks are dmaxes). Plus the fact we could make 1000hp on a stock bottom end was appealing for a budget build and to make the races this past Saturday. Mark and Fred decided to build this truck in mid January and make it run 10s, possibly 9s by the nhrda event. Not an easy feat.
I was called up by Mark to see if I would build the 8.50 or slower legal cage to help keep things on the down low. I agreed to the challenge and the build started beginning of feb. Took me a week to build the cage as I got pretty sick the Sunday after I started on it. First cage I have done to nhra spec. Boy did I learn a lot. It's not the first cage I have built but it is for drag racing. You certainly can't hold the rule book to be the "this is how it should be" let alone other certified cages you may have seen. It all comes down to how the inspectors determines the cage. Initially I built the cage how Mark wanted it while keeping the stock dash and still let him get in and out of the truck easily. Via the rule book, it was done correctly though with my off road back ground, I wanted to add more bracing. This would have to be done later when the inspector first checked it out and agreed with me. Again, I was just going by the rule book and what my buddy wanted though initially. I will be doing things different on the next build. There are a couple guys wanting cages from me now, go figure lol.
After finally meeting with the local inspector, he agreed that more triangulation was needed so these bars were added
It was certified last weekend and is good for the next 3 years now. Cage is all mild steel 1 3/4" .134 wall so we are not under the .118 min wall thickness. I would have made it from chromoly but I do not have a TIG.
I also lowered the factory seat 3", put belts in, changed the rear open diff to a limited slip, help setup the cal tracs, put a limit strap on one side to keep the drive shaft from hitting the hoop (I didn't fab them, didn't have the time and we all know how pre fabbed things go), built a new hot side intercooler tube, built the exhaust tube for a good stack, wired up the gauges with mark, built a trans shifter stand and in sure a host of other things I'm forgetting. Mark and fred tackled the trans and engine top end (built 48re with full manual valve body, tci shifter, cam, valve springs, push rods, head studs, electric fans, different coolant resi, dual fueler, LARGE injectors, 476 t6 with a 96mm turbine, yards yadda yadda). Basically is running a decent sized single and nitrous as well that we installed.
I became more than just the cage builder as I saw how far behind they were for race day and next thing I know, I'm apart of the team and helping build a truck to compete in nhrda lol.
Ran into issues last weekend testing at the track. Could not get the charger to light at all when staging. Had a bad combo of converter stall, turbo size and tuning.
We changed turbo housing size and got some good tuning that allowed us to get on top of the charger decently but we will be changing the converter to a higher stall. It will help staging and 60ft immensely.
Mark raced the truck this weekend and first pass was a 12.2 with draining rail and poor launch. All fuel. Second pass was 11.7 with another poor launch and a 75shot. Third pass was eliminations and we red lighted but got a good launch finally and changed the tune to help hold rail. Ran a 11.2 all fuel. Being out, we ran tnt the rest of the day and got two more passes in. Biggest thing is getting use to shifting this thing. 4th pass he launched hard and got a 1.5 60ft with spinning radials, shifting issues hindered a good time and ran a 11.7. Mark came right back around and ran again soon as they let tnt go again and this time took his time, set up for a good launch and nailed his shifting and hit the button right into 2nd gear. Another 1.5 60 and ran a 10.53 at 131mph. We were ecstatic being all the little issue holding the truck back.
We got a few things to change up and logging to do but with all the help we had out there from other teams, it was awesome.
Here is a video of the last pass.
[youtube]zVtP--tr5F8[/youtube]
