First hook of the year.

[Sledheadxp800r]

YEAH WAHAHAWHOOO!!!!!!! :roflmao: sounds like the videos my friends take when I pull.

What are you running for tie rods and centerlink? It looks like it holds the 14" wheels pretty good but then again the conditions aren't the best.

 

[CurtisEmery]

The truck looks like it was hooking pretty good for the conditions. You probably are just out of wheel speed. If you grabbed 4th and lost 1000rpm your wheel speed would still go up 4mph. I think the lower pressures would help up front too. And get that rear end dropped to help make that thing bite!:thumb:

 

[bubba2400]

Does the truck not have traction bars in the back? Rear axle looks like it may be moving around some without the spring clamps on. The long chain on the sled does not help make the truck hook either, but nothing you can do about that.

 

[RPM Motorsports]

YEAH WAHAHAWHOOO!!!!!!! :roflmao: sounds like the videos my friends take when I pull.

What are you running for tie rods and centerlink? It looks like it holds the 14" wheels pretty good but then again the conditions aren't the best.

Lol, don't even know the guys. Tie rod sleeves is all I've ran since 07. Front suspension is stock other then the lift. I have only busted a CV so far.

 

[duramaxsandwich]

if its a dedicated pulling truck i would put some 4.56 gears in it and grab 4th i think that would put you around 12.4 iirc. i had good luck unlocking my converter at the end of a pass if it drug me down. i'd put an unlock switch in it too. good luck

 

[Briggs0130]

What about switching to a 35" tire. I know some guys who are in the 600-650 range and don't have enough power to carry 4th gear so they are running 35" tires and that seems to get them a lil more wheel speed with the power they have. Just a thought if you are thinking of getting new tires.

 

[ikeG]

Running 35s was the best thing i ever did with stock gearing on my truck. Tightened up the gap between me and the true 2.6 trucks in the class and shot me ahead of all the other street trucks like mine at the pulls.

 

[moss]

If the tracks have hard soil/clay under the loose sandy soil, I'd air the tires UP. This will cut thru the loose stuff better & get down to the tight stuff. The aired down tires on loose tracks won't let it eat through to the good stuff. Just my opinion from the very few times I've been around horse arena pull tracks (very unusual here as most tracks here in KY hook very hard but there are a few backwoods places that lack).

4th isn't going to work with stock gears w/o more power unless it's loose IMO. If you're hitting 4500 & climbing hard still at half track or sooner, bump er on up to 4th but you'd most definitely want an tc unlock switch if you do.

this!!

if you can ever get a first hook, try 4th and see what happens. if bad, turn it down and go again

 

[g man]

Try to get the truck set up where there is less lift in the front under load. Right now the truck is pulling a lot from the rear tires. You want to get more traction (than you currently have) on the front end. Hanging weight isn't the only way to keep the front in check. Look over the set up. Someone earlier mentioned getting the rear of the truck lower. I believe you said the front lifted more when you tried a shorter rear block. Different tires (less aggressive) in the rear may help you as well. If your surfaces are always that loose, you may need a more aggressive front tire. You know your track conditions better than I do. As previously mentioned, my region has parts breaking traction. Someone else mentioned traction bars. Adding traction bars could help you spread traction forward as well.

I LOVE the crazy wide wheels!

Have fun!

BTW, the pic in my avitar isn't the best stance for traction from all four corners. That is an old pic from a magazine article years ago. That was the old "nose down, azz up, lots of weight on the front" line of thought. We learned and got better at set up since then. I never had the chance to prove my theory, but I believe something close to opposite of that setup would work better....

Also, I agree with moss about trying 4th if you are lucky and draw first hook. If track conditions for you guys pretty much stay the same throughout the class, use a first hook draw to try new ideas, that way you have close to a "back to back comparison" to see how they affect performance.

 

[RPM Motorsports]

Unfortunately our pulling org. Frown if you want a second hook. The only way they are cool with it is if you pull less then 100'. Tried some of the thoughts/ideas posted at last nights hook. The truck felt real good, can't wait to try it in the arena I pulled in a few weeks ago. Conv. Unlock switch is next. Ended up pulling 8" short of 2nd place in SSD last night.

 

[CurtisEmery]

Glad to hear things worked out for the better!

 

[RPM Motorsports]

Here is the video. I'm going to drop the rear even more. I'm kinda sneaking up on it to see the changes. Also going to fab/test a set of bars from the top of the diff forward to the frame. My thought is it will pull the bar instead of push the bar and want to lift the front. Any thoughts on doing that?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWWjFE2yQzc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[CurtisEmery]

Looked good man! I have no experience with top side traction bars. I am of the belief that the chain has more to do with the front lifting. Hitch geometry and ride height make a big difference in how the chain is able to manipulate the trucks frame.

 

[bubba2400]

Curtis is correct. Don't get too caught up on what the traction bars are doing. Hitch geometry and the chassis setup will matter much more.

 

[SmokeShow]

How long are your traction bars now? How close are they to parallel to the frame and/or ground? I'd have think harder but if they're long like most peoples bars, the forces being transferred have a good bit more force "aimed" forward than upward therefore not providing a great deal of uplift. Frame rigidity, hitch/chain geometry & weight (ballast) will have MUCH more effect on front end uplift than the traction bars.

Short traction bars with steeper angle up to the frame will surely create uplift... At least at the frame connection point. Hence short bars have bent frames that weren't sufficiently reinforced at the attach point. They plant a rear hard too. If solid susp is allowed, the added loading from the short bars won't matter as much I don't think and you'd be equally served with long flatter bars as they're then just needed to keep axle wrap at bay & keep axle located front to back.

 

[RPM Motorsports]

I've never ran with traction bars, but I will be soon. Just noticed that my driveline has made contact with the DL hoop, and it's a good 1/2" clearance. Found a better clip from a closer view on YouTube below. Damn truck still looks like a wedge even after pulling 2" out lol. Front end feels like it lifts way up as soon as I come out of the hole. Going to be level next hook for sure...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H84uO2cXl5I&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[RPM Motorsports]

Looks like I need atleast one motor mount lol..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrzwHPCp94k&sns=em

 

[Sledheadxp800r]

Probably looks like this

 

[arneson]

Wow. Motor really moves around. Looks like u sbould prolly do both. Lol

 

[Leadfoot]

Also going to fab/test a set of bars from the top of the diff forward to the frame. My thought is it will pull the bar instead of push the bar and want to lift the front. Any thoughts on doing that?

IMHO a BAD idea.

When you run a bar on the bottom and the pinion tries to rotate up, the force on the bar is compression and it puts tension on the leaf spring (equal and opposite forces). When you run a bar on top the bar is subject to tension (pulling as you described) but then it puts the leaf spring under compression, this causes the spring to "S" and still allows the pinion to rotate up....both of which are BAD.

How much damage you do depends on how stiff/weak your springs are and how much they can resist bending. If they are a weak spring you are in trouble.

Edit if you run a ladder bar setup where it attaches to the frame at one point but is tied to the axle top and bottom it might be a different story (as the bar itself will keep the pinion from rotating).