I have a 71 f100 4x4 pretty much stock few aftermarket goodies.It is just a trail rig. I want to build a mud bogger/all around 4x4 . I found several places that have organized mud boggs in california most are pits that are 4ft deep with 2.5" to 4" deep mud. I want to compete in these events but also want to be able to drive some of my favorite trails. I was told to buy a Ford F350 4x4. I would like to know what upgrades or options to build into this truck.I am searching for a F350 4x4. I know the 460/c-6/np205 is good and the D60/D70U difs, but what about the engine / tranny stuff like carbs,cams and torque converter stall speed? Tire size and how much lift ?How its been done and what works? Torque or HP? I have questions that probably arent listed here but ill start with these. Thanks to all that have sent me advice in the past like Proeliator and Tellico Racing you guys rock.

 

And stroking my ego never hurts either

You've already figured out your axles, engine, all GREAT choices (more specifics on engine later), and x-case. You'll want 44" Boggers, and as much lift that will clear the pits you run (you won't want to go as high as I did if you still want it really trail capable). 8"-10" sounds good. Weld up custom ladder bars to limit axlewrap. Don't go with super stiff springs or shocks because they will beat you to death or even bounce you out of your bog lane. Rear mount radiator to keep it clean and working. Auxilary cooler for your C-6. This is the tranny you'll want to run, and go with at least a 2000rpm stall.......I run a 2500 stall. If this is a trail/bog truck stick a spool in the rear and a locker in the front. Don't even try to competitive bog with open diffs....I've seen it and it isn't pretty.

Tell me how much you have in the budget and we'll work from there on the engine.

 

Hey thanks Pro.... I knew I could count on you. I have roughly 6-7k for engine build.....but it comes about 1500.00 at a time.

 

Thats plenty of dough for a nasty 460. Does it matter if its highly streetable and will run off pump gas? Let us know exactly what you want this engine to do and we'll get into specifics. 6-7k is plenty though, I've only got @5k into mine and it shreds in the lanes, AND it will run off premium (although I run better gas when I compete). I gotta run but I'll check back in back tonight and we'll crank you out on paper a chevy-eating 460

 

I have my daily driver truck. I want to build a truck to mud bogg and trail ride I would like to put 87 octane . If it will not hurt performance. If it will then at least 91 octane. I want to afford to fill it up so I can drive it.Thanks .Ill check back tomorrow.

 

Okay, first off, I'd stick with cast iron heads. Why? Because you don't care about saving weight, they cost half the money, and I know a guy who can get Dove heads to WAY outperform any aluminum head out of the box. Also, you need to run higher compression with aluminum heads to get the same horsepower figures due to the thermal factors of aluminum, and you sound like you want to keep your compression down. Anyways, contact
Contact Scott Johnston at: http://www.reincarnation-automotive.com/ He is a world class head porter and sells Dove heads ported and decked to your specifications. I run them myself. Top with roller rockers. He can also get you a custom cam ground for your engine. You are going to want a 10:5.1 compression motor. It will run off pump gas (premium), but will be a great performer. My formula is to stroke it (always the secret to huge numbers), keep it to a 514 for what you want...just make sure the pistons (say .30 over) give you 10:5.1 compression with the heads. Then theres the little stuff like throwing on a pre '72 dual roller timing set. All the later ones were 8 degrees retarded. Intakes? I prefer the bigger Stealth. Believe it or not that thing flows like crazy. A dominator would work good on this set up, or a demon. That should get you started, but talk to Scott cuz he can take care of pretty much most of your stuff. One last unorthodox thought. Go with a Davies Unified Ignition. MSD is okay, but the D.U.I's are just as powerfull, way more reliable, and you get a custom curved dizzy for your engine to boot. Hey, wait a minute, this is starting to sound like MY engine

edit: a last thought, if you change your mind and want it to be all race, just stroke it a bit more, bump the compression up to 11.5:1, and run a victor intake with the dominator. Otherwise the song remains the same...

 

I am a little confused...you say the mud bogg pit has only about 4 inches of mud in it? I would call this mud drag racing.

The boggs that I run are so deep that you hook a pull back cable to your truck before you run. So deep even Pro's truck would be swallowed up

I guess you will have to decide what class you want to run, obviously a super modified class truck would have problems trail riding.

I run what we call pro street class, which is trucks that could be street legal but are heavily modified. We do have a factory street class so the guys with sissy trucks can compete. The starting line for them is farther back ...on higher ground so they can get a little run at it hahaha.

As an anecdote... the mud bogg I went to this past july had a mid 60's chebby suburban on 38's all restored, looking nice, sounding tough.........got stuck before he got all the way to the starting line and netted a score of minus (-) 6 inches hahaha JUNK!!

 

sorry for mistake.....the mud is deep I asked and they are running very deep...i just guessed on depth before i did not know it affected the build up. so deep pits and deep goo.

 

mud boggs are always fun they cal them mud-a-thons here in missouri. they consist of the nastiest deepest clay missouri mud you could find. i run my truck in the stock class (35's and below) mildly modified motors mostly street legal trucks. the last one i entered in this young kid with an 84 blazer boasting 44"ground hawgs and running open class proceeded to talk smack on my truck but when the "stock class" FORD with a 302 and a granny-low 4spd went 42 feet farther than his "open class" chevy with 44's he quickly figured out how stupid he was

 

I found that the 44 pro street class is good for me....and I run 40" tires. I have won more money in that class than the 40" class.

Most trucks on 44's that I see are also running open diffs and 3. something gears. They look cool but if you cant turn them then whats the point?

Trucks like Pro's on 44's can usually beat me.....but not always, It depends on the running order, the line taken at the start, and of course breakage.

 

Tellico raises a very good point. Too many guys slap on 44" Boggers and think they are competitors. You've got to have massive motor to move them, the right gears, at least lockers, and the drivetrain that can handle all that. I think the build we've thrown out for '71 will give him a real competitor, that could still see some trail use. I get placed in the pro-modified class, just below the open class. Thats good, because the guys I see in the open class would usually EAT me. There was a guy in a tube jeep that had 12k into his alcohol fed bigblock, the last run...talk about serious.

Good catch on the depth Tellico, I just assumed he meant four feet, which is pretty darn good. Four inches would be a joke...seems like most competitions out here run a minimum of two feet.

 

Here you could run the 44" pro street class, which is probably about the same. The next class would be modified, in which you can run, alcohol, nitrous ect. Then comes the open class...which is pretty much open lol.

 

Does anyone know what class they base the tires on? I ran 33s in A class, but am going to up my tire size. I was thinking 38s,, maybe 36s. I just don't want to hop in with the smallest tires in class.

 

Dont rule out tractor tires a buddy of mine won a mudrace in his blazer with a fairly mild 454 punched out to a 468 and he also ran the same truck out on the trails in dresser this past memorial weekend. This year im running the same gears (4.10s) and 3/4ton axles under my 76 dodge with only a stock 360 turning them. slow or fast tractors will stay fairly clean and will keep digging.

 

Wow you really dug this one up.

Here in SC
A class = stock truck with up to 33" tires
B class = Mod'd engine but no aluminum heads and tires up to 38" Must be street legal.
C class = engines must pull a certain vacuum but otherwise not street legal DOT tires
D class = unlimited DOT tires no nitrous
E class = unlimited with cut tires and nitrous
F class = Rails