Well i delivered my old Highboy to its new owner Sunday morning and picked up my new truck. The highboy was for sale to fund some work on my new 79 bronco, but i found something i had never seen before and worked out a trade.

First off, it does have six wheels but only four of them power the truck. The very rear axle is a tag axle with tortion knuckles that pivot depending on the weight of the load on the rearend of the truck. The rear also has airbags which makes for a pretty awesome ride. The truck has the D44 and 9" which will probably be getting swapped with a pair of D60s. The motor is a 351 bored .060 over with a mild cam, ignition, all that good stuff. It purrs like a kitten but doesnt have near the power i wish this thing had. Im thinkin maybe a 7.3L swap in the future :dummy

I was shocked when i got in this thing and drove it. The interior is all brand new, carpet, headliner, seat, dash, it is spotless. The only thing that doesnt work is the fuel gage which is very inconvienent. The wheels and tires have less than 500 miles on them. When i picked the truck up i could still see the remnants of the **** on the tires. The airbags look brand new and the frame looks like it was recently painted with some sort of por 15 or some protective coating.
It is no show truck, but definately a blast to drive. It drove straight as an arrow down the interstate at 75 mph, so im pretty happy with the trade even though i hated to see the old highboy go.

Leaving the driveway

Fueling the trucks up (and no thats not my dodge, i bleed blue)















I think with a few upgrades this thing could be a serious tow rig. I want to somehow build tool box drawers/chest in the area behind the cab as well as incorporate a large fuel cell. A powerstroke or cummins would also be nice, as well as bigger axles, 22.5 alcoa's, blah blah blah...
I will get some better pictures

 

I am pretty traditional when it comes to my Fords so I would miss that beautiful highboy as well. I do appreciate something a little different and that truck is definitely different. I think it would make a really cool work truck. I only say work truck because it seems that would be its true purpose in life. It would be a shame to see that ox hauling groceries.

 

It has a definite cool factor. I liked it right up until I saw the rear wheels are just floaters (without at least a monobeam). But I guess if it were a true 6x6, like I've seen with the ones I've been involved with, they are real power drainers, and if you think these trucks get bad gas mileage now...make a true 6WD and find out what bad fuel economy really is. Rear steer would be badass. Hydraulic of course...

This is what a true 6x6 would look like:




But I'm not planting ideas in anyone's head...

 

That thing is really cool!!! It's very unique. i bet you will really miss your old hi boy. the hi boy was nice looking too.

 

is your truck a true 6x6? either way it's really nice look. WOW that other truck is crazy cool.

 

At least he doesn't have to worry about the bedsides rusting out...for the next 20 years.

 

Wow your old orange highboy sat beautiful,hate to get off subject, but what size tire and wheel, and what size lift?

 

That is a mean looking truck too, im curious how he got the rearmost axle power, i cant tell if there is a tcase there or what...any more pics of the rearends of that truck would be great.

also the highboy looks good, but it had a few spots here and there. It was stock height running 38x12.50x16.5 swampers

 

I don't have anything else on that Dodge. It used a "chain box" that bolted on to a bracket on the pinion support. There's only two axles that it would work on: GM 14 Bolt (pictured) and the Ford 9". The company that did all that stuff is no longer in business (long story, criminal activity is only one of the problems that brought it down), but while I worked there, I saw alot of crazy stuff. Stuff that didn't look like it would work, but it did. That Dodge in the picture rode like a Cadillac. We drove it through a 4' ditch and never felt it. Wicked articulation. Alot of wasted talent when they went under. Google USA 6x6.

 

well i have heard about them, but im sorry to say i haven't heard good things. I never personally dealt with them, but from what i have heard Daniel didn't run things the right way, which i believe is why they went under. Some of their creations looked cool, but i would go a different direction and probably run a SCS gear-driven drop box between the axles with a 4 link and airbags or coils.

I love the thought of two rear drive axles but in the end it would probably cost anywhere from $3k-$5k and i would need a motor to power all that first. So for now, im kinda looking for a diesel powerplant to swap in sometime in the future

 

That thing is pretty ba. You should defintly think about makin it a twin screw. Possibly put a screamin 2stroke detroit in it with a 9 speed. I can see a lot of possibility in this. Haha. Let us know what ya do to it.

Lane

 

I worked there for a month, pretty much fresh out of the Army, and had never heard of them. They needed temp help with the Tornado Chaser for the Discovery Channel. It wasn't until after I was there that I saw all the badass stuff they'd built there. Little did I know the wheels were about to come off the wagon. I did learn everything I know about fabrication from the guys there. I started getting suspicious after I overheard a phone conversation between Daniel and Sean Casey of "Storm Chasers" over money and why someone's credit card was maxed. The problem was with the man at the top. Alot of people got screwed...not just customers, but employees. A couple employees got their vested interest back by "acquiring" some shop equipment. I almost got screwed into a house I didn't want. But that's a whole nother story. End hijack.

 

I love it!! THAT is cool. I think a built 429 or 460 should provide enough motive power. I like the color too.

 

I have a 1996 f150 whith a 5.0 engine and a 8.8 differential, I like to put a 9.75 newer differential in it, My question is if my motor will handle it or is it to big and what problems I might have.

 

so on e the white truck, how is the second rear axle held in place? I can't tell from the pictures.