Does anyone have a pulling truck?

[swampthang]

I have a 76 F-250 hi-boy that I've always wanted to turn into a pulling truck for the local truck pulls. Does anyone on here pull trucks? Anybody have any pointer or advice on how to get started setting up a truck? I know the old hi-boy F-250's are a pretty stout machine to start with. What do you all think?

[jays375]

There will be a lot of trial and error.You are going need a good clutch,drive shafts,ujoints.No big mudder tires and lift kits,just makes the truck hop.Also super low gears are overkill,like 456s.The truck needs to get out of the hole and going.The killer is going to be the power plant.I wouldn't want anything smaller than a 390 to start with.Whatever it is the motor needs to run good.No crappy worn out Holley carbs.When you stomp the go go pedal it needs to come alive.Make sure to get a rule book and see what you can do and can't do.Don't know how much money you have to spend but a big wallet is a big help.Have fun!

[plastikosmd]

I modeled my f250 daily driver after a puller. We put a locker in the rear D60 (which i just destroyed), switched out the front D44 to a D60, went with 4:11 as do use it to drive, converted a 460 2 bolt to a 557 4 bolt, upgraded the transfer case/tranny, put in heavy duty center carrier bearing and F550 shafts cut down to fit with upgraded joints, hoops for all the driveshafts etc. Also went as far as to do electric header dumps, lotta fun on the street

[swampthang]

My truck has a stock 360, 2 barrel carb,and has the c-6 automatic with the divorced transfer case. D60 rear axle and I think a d 44 hd front. I'm not sure on gears but I'm thinking 4.11 Truck is full time 4wd just has high and low then you can lock it with power transfered evenly to all 4 wheels. I dont have a lift on it but it is the old hi-boy and I have a brand new set of mastercraft courser mt's. Motor runs good but it stock and old not very inpressive. I've had the truck for about 7 years now and always wanted to build something out of it. Too damn heavy to mud race, so I think it would make a good puller.

[plastikosmd]

sounds like a lot of fun. it seems, like most things in life, if you wanna compete u have to spend money. I cant quite remember but I think mine is running around 600 hp and 700 ftlb torque. Not crazy numbers but that is with a mild cam, iron heads (40 hrs in the porting job) and mild carb (950 dbl pumper) and no nitro on pump gas. Even to make that little bit of power it was pricy. Add to that that it breaks things. Gettin into it last fall it blew out the rear, $3500 down the drain
smokin the 35" tires through all the gears, till it broke free again in 3rd, u can hear the rpm go back up again, that can get scary quick when u break the rear free again goin 50mph. Turn up the sound!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnooTmEkdW4&context=C416f3f4ADvjVQa1PpcFOji7lbny7GgD0cMsp33zm7 WCAeGXH2ETI=

[swampthang]

sounds like a lot of fun. it seems, like most things in life, if you wanna compete u have to spend money. I cant quite remember but I think mine is running around 600 hp and 700 ftlb torque. Not crazy numbers but that is with a mild cam, iron heads (40 hrs in the porting job) and mild carb (950 dbl pumper) and no nitro on pump gas. Even to make that little bit of power it was pricy. Add to that that it breaks things. Gettin into it last fall it blew out the rear, $3500 down the drain
smokin the 35" tires through all the gears, till it broke free again in 3rd, u can hear the rpm go back up again, that can get scary quick when u break the rear free again goin 50mph. Turn up the sound!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnooTmEkdW4&context=C416f3f4ADvjVQa1PpcFOji7lbny7GgD0cMsp33zm7 WCAeGXH2ETI=

Neat, sounds like a pretty healthy motor. Do you have any pictures of the truck? Yes like everything it takes lots of money to have fun. I'm in no hurry to complete the truck just something to work on every now and then. I've had it for awhile and dont plan on getting rid of it and I really want to build some kind of truck to either race or pull. Theres a local guy around here that builds some pretty mean ford pulling trucks. They dont look like much but always pull like crazy. He must be able to build one hell of a motor. I think I might try to talk to this guy sometime to see if he could give me some ideas. Prolly wont though these guys seem pretty tight lipped about there secrets.

[plastikosmd]

motor
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j5/plastikosmd/dyno.jpg

workin on the exhaust
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j5/plastikosmd/newexhaust1.jpg

truck
http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j5/plastikosmd/backwithnewmotor.jpg

[swampthang]

^ Thats a sharp looking truck. I always liked the supercabs and the crew cabs. I'd love to have a Crew Cab Short Bed Ford someday as a daily driver with somekind of modern fuel injected engine.

[plastikosmd]

dunno bout that, yours looks SWEET. I prefer your grille style to mine (ford on the hood not in the grille). I have not decided if I am switching out mine for yours and filling the hood. I will be starting to prep mine for paint. Nothin big, gonna go with the same green but 2 tone it with white between the 2 chrome rails

[swampthang]

Does anyone know of a good website for info on building a pulling truck? Only thing I can find is about the full on custom build pulling trucks not anything about street trucks.

[plastikosmd]

I go to 460ford.com under the 4x4, pullers, crawlers etc section. U reminded me to update my posts there

[swampthang]

Pretty neat site. So far it has more info then others I've been on. Motor wise I think I would stay with the block I have now. Mostly because I've read that putting a 460 into a Highboy is a PITA. I've been reading that the 360fe is the same bore as the 390 just different crank and rods. Also heard you can use a 428 crank and rods to make it a 410ci without even boring it.

[plastikosmd]

lot of smart people on there, of course there also is ford-trucks.com
there is a section for your year and also down the bottom there are area get-togethers based on your state etc. not sure on the engine swap on the highboy but i would say run what you got. I had a 460, tho not factory for that truck it still had factory cruise control, AC, PS,PB etc that I wanted to keep in the new motor so I went with boring out a DOVE 460 block as big as I could go to make the build easier