Ok I know what you’re thinking, what’s this lunatic up to now…well I bought a 288k mile 05 4.7 truck purely out of the fear of me cutting, hacking and other wise molesting the Purple example of awesomeness (yes, I REALY dig that truck). This 05 Truck was a parts truck, bought for the bed by the guys who I bought it from, the 4.7 knocks, trans is junk, rear is 3.92 trac lok(yeah)
So now I have an 05 truck to make in to a purpose drag truck, I’m going to see if some of the tricks I’ve learned for the 70’s trucks will transfer over to this 05, could be an exercise in futility but you can’t make French toast without baking some bread. This truck will be a test bed, it will get hacked molested and other wise disfigured.
it’s going to go on a street racers diet, NHRA Class weight break for the 02-04 truck ss/ class with 5.7 Hemi is 3650lbs…. I’m going to beat that number like it’s double bass drum in a trash metal band
…...disclaimer…don’t try this at home boy and girls…. Un less it’s proven to work.
I do these different than most, I build a” race project” from back to front.
The goal is 10s NA somewhere in the 400CI range EFI…keep in mind this will weigh in under 3600 race weight so HP level only needs to be in the 500-600 @ rear wheel range.
A bigger Hemi down the road, but for now I want to work out the suspension and body weight.
Should be track ready next April (2018), a lot of the work won’t start till after the 05 GTx is converted over to manual trans…I need to concentrate on one project.
Truck will get a handmade step bed, I’m thinking 14-gauge (0.063) aluminum for the sides. For the front panel, I’ll do ¼ inch, stake pockets probably 14 gauges, tailgate depends, I still have a fiberglass mold that we use to make tailgates out of, might see how that measurers up. The bed floor mostly likely will be steel something in the 18-16 gauge…. part of me wants to do a wood plank floor with stainless slats. Now I know the .063-gauge Alum is a little light, but keep in mind the only function of this bed is to cover the rear tires, hold the fuel cell and inspire head scratching.
Fenders on the step bed will have to be fiberglass, it’s been ten years since I used or owned English wheel, so that leaves out forming them in aluminum. As for style of rear fender I’m thinking a combo of the 55-85 fenders with the trailing edge formed from the 02-05-tail light section,
I’m still in the planning stages of making the step side bed. These 02 and later trucks have such a long cab, and the forward section of the bed is inches shorter than the pre-94’s. With the bed being made mostly from aluminum & fiberglass that will allow me to add weight back into the truck where I want to put it. My dad and uncle Tony found that the 70s trucks bit hardest with weight added just after the Cab and in the rear spring front hanger area and over the rear wheel, behind the rear wheel worked well but was not as effective as the front spring hanger area.
These trucks ride on 31&1/4 Inch front and 32-inch rear segments, great for ride and weight carrying, not soooo much for traction. After a lot of thought and debate I’ve decided to move the springs in to the frame rails, that will give me a few more inches of tire clearance and allow me to move the front spring eye location with ease (*side note)
Toying with the idea of B-body (66-72) with a 22-inch front 36 rear, but leaning towards 97-04 Dakota they are 24 fronts 32 rear, if you make the front segment to short, you run the risk of being too stiff, made that mistake on my 2000 Dakota, moved the hanger, used a set of Moperformance A-body SS springs, ……. all it did was sit and spin. Moved the hanger again and used B-body XHD springs and that Dak would hook on ice if it had to.
Rear axle, leaning towards 9.25 04-05 Durango rear, if I do decide to go race only than it’s going Dana 60
Trans is either going to be an all-aluminum a833 or TKO 600, again depends on full race or some street. I can’t see using a 5 speed for track only.
Full roll cage, fenders are going to be made out of fiberglass, hood same deal. If it doesn’t make the truck go fast it won’t be retained.
More to follow,
(side note, Greg is swapping Red Truck over to the Nascar/truck arm rear style suspension, it’s good package and should be used more in the drag community, honestly It wasn’t even on my mind for this project till I read Redtruck's never ending tale.... today (7/23).
So now I have an 05 truck to make in to a purpose drag truck, I’m going to see if some of the tricks I’ve learned for the 70’s trucks will transfer over to this 05, could be an exercise in futility but you can’t make French toast without baking some bread. This truck will be a test bed, it will get hacked molested and other wise disfigured.
it’s going to go on a street racers diet, NHRA Class weight break for the 02-04 truck ss/ class with 5.7 Hemi is 3650lbs…. I’m going to beat that number like it’s double bass drum in a trash metal band
…...disclaimer…don’t try this at home boy and girls…. Un less it’s proven to work.
I do these different than most, I build a” race project” from back to front.
The goal is 10s NA somewhere in the 400CI range EFI…keep in mind this will weigh in under 3600 race weight so HP level only needs to be in the 500-600 @ rear wheel range.
A bigger Hemi down the road, but for now I want to work out the suspension and body weight.
Should be track ready next April (2018), a lot of the work won’t start till after the 05 GTx is converted over to manual trans…I need to concentrate on one project.
Truck will get a handmade step bed, I’m thinking 14-gauge (0.063) aluminum for the sides. For the front panel, I’ll do ¼ inch, stake pockets probably 14 gauges, tailgate depends, I still have a fiberglass mold that we use to make tailgates out of, might see how that measurers up. The bed floor mostly likely will be steel something in the 18-16 gauge…. part of me wants to do a wood plank floor with stainless slats. Now I know the .063-gauge Alum is a little light, but keep in mind the only function of this bed is to cover the rear tires, hold the fuel cell and inspire head scratching.
Fenders on the step bed will have to be fiberglass, it’s been ten years since I used or owned English wheel, so that leaves out forming them in aluminum. As for style of rear fender I’m thinking a combo of the 55-85 fenders with the trailing edge formed from the 02-05-tail light section,
I’m still in the planning stages of making the step side bed. These 02 and later trucks have such a long cab, and the forward section of the bed is inches shorter than the pre-94’s. With the bed being made mostly from aluminum & fiberglass that will allow me to add weight back into the truck where I want to put it. My dad and uncle Tony found that the 70s trucks bit hardest with weight added just after the Cab and in the rear spring front hanger area and over the rear wheel, behind the rear wheel worked well but was not as effective as the front spring hanger area.
These trucks ride on 31&1/4 Inch front and 32-inch rear segments, great for ride and weight carrying, not soooo much for traction. After a lot of thought and debate I’ve decided to move the springs in to the frame rails, that will give me a few more inches of tire clearance and allow me to move the front spring eye location with ease (*side note)
Toying with the idea of B-body (66-72) with a 22-inch front 36 rear, but leaning towards 97-04 Dakota they are 24 fronts 32 rear, if you make the front segment to short, you run the risk of being too stiff, made that mistake on my 2000 Dakota, moved the hanger, used a set of Moperformance A-body SS springs, ……. all it did was sit and spin. Moved the hanger again and used B-body XHD springs and that Dak would hook on ice if it had to.
Rear axle, leaning towards 9.25 04-05 Durango rear, if I do decide to go race only than it’s going Dana 60
Trans is either going to be an all-aluminum a833 or TKO 600, again depends on full race or some street. I can’t see using a 5 speed for track only.
Full roll cage, fenders are going to be made out of fiberglass, hood same deal. If it doesn’t make the truck go fast it won’t be retained.
More to follow,
(side note, Greg is swapping Red Truck over to the Nascar/truck arm rear style suspension, it’s good package and should be used more in the drag community, honestly It wasn’t even on my mind for this project till I read Redtruck's never ending tale.... today (7/23).
