Hey y'all...My boy's wanting to put his 1997 F250 HD 460 gasser on the hook end of a pulling sled tonight to compete in a gasser street class at the local county fair. This is a bone stock truck other than 3" duals, Warn lockouts, and 33x14.5x16 Swamper LTB's on 16" Weld Stonecrushers.

I'm hearing all kinds of nightmare stories about what could happen to his truck. Is it really that big of a risk of breaking something on an HD like this? Hell, I thought these trucks were built for abuse.

Can anybody make any suggestions that would help limit the risk of breaking? (other than not pulling). Chevy guys on another site play down the breaking part, but they do talk alot about lowering torsion bars all the way down and strapping tie-rods to cross members to keep from bouncing and bending tie-rods into horse shoes. Sounds about right for a "chevy". But what about this ******* 97' with it's dual-I-beam IFS? Is it going to fall out from underneath the truck if it gets to bouncing? What about the transfer case? Axels? U-joints? Drive shafts? Isn't all this stuff virtually bullet proof on the HD's? I guess I'm asking...Where's the weak links on this beast?

Hell, should we just take up group knitting?

Your opinions are welcomed. It's his daily driver, so I hate to see him tear it up and have to borrow my truck to get to work on Monday. He's just wanting to shut up his Chevy driving buddies that are entering the pull too. I was the same way when I was his age.

Thanks,
Hairy

 

hairy i haven't been in a pull but watching them i do learn a little. Every thing has a breaking point on any truck. But when they start breaking things is mostly when the truck is bounching and they keep going. and the back drive shaft gose. But from watching if it bouching real bad stop if starting to bounce then let of untill it stops and get back into it.
Thats what i say i can be wrong if so correct me!

And out pull those chevys

Nick

 

Yeah, bouncing is real bad like.

If there is a weak spot, you'll find it by bouncing.

If it's an auto, getting the tranny hot has negative affects too.

You only live once though, give 'er hell.

 

Those trucks get to bouncing bad in the rear. The springs aren't very strong and the rear shackle also moves back and forth too easy. Make some clamps for the rear springs or block the rear end up between the rear axle and the frame. If you can do something to keep the shackle from moving that would help also.

 

ive heard of people makeing the axle solid like green was saying. they say it eliminates drastic pinion angle changes, and of course hopping. not sure if thats the best way to go but ive heard of it.

 

if the class allows for it, put blocks between the axle and the frame, jack the truck up by the frame and put a block in there then let it back down them secure it so it doesn't fall out. (if you look at hte dedicated pulling trucks they do not have a rear supsension) the HD moniker is a joke, sorry those trucks are not indestructable, they have weak points and bouncing will find each and every one of them. front axle joints are a good place to look before you even go to hook, lock the truck in 4lo jack up one tire at a time and rock the tire to see if there is ANY slop in that joint if so replace it before you evne think about it. do the same thing with every ujoint and it's best if you take them off the truck and feel if they have any slop or sticking in them if so replace them cause otherwise you WILL break them and probably tear up something else too. next check how much play you hve in the tcase chain, if it's a lot then replace it before hooking or it most likely will end up snapped and could take out the case with it.
That would be a good start to making sure the truck survives.

 

Wow...thanks for the excellent string of response guys. I appreciate the input. Sounds like some sensible advice in every regard. Unfortunately, I didn't make it to my computer before we had to be at the fair to register, so I didn't have the benefit of any of your posts. But, it's not all bad news as it turns out.

He pulled, and without consequence. Not a very good pull, about 170', but nothing snapped. Regardless, the boy got out of his truck smiling from ear to ear, and has yet to quit smiling. He's hooked I'd say.

Street class doesn't allow blocking or clamping, nor do they allow weights of any kind. Other than that, it only has to be a licensed and insured street legal truck. Ladders...okay, Chips...okay, Shaved Tires...okay as long as they are DOD approved, Bolt On Horsepower...okay as long as it's on the factory block (eyeroll) yeah that's keeping it a competitive class. Of the 5 gassers there tonight, 3 were serious pullers brought in on trailers, but all had legal plates, so couldn't really protest. The other gasser was another first timer in a 454 chevy dually. He took third. Do dually's have an advantage with 6 tires to the ground?

Baby's post scared me because the upper ball joint on the passenger side is marginally borderline. It's what I consider to be "acceptable" play in a b-joint. This was a good test for it. It held, but it's coming off this week for sure.

I'm not sure this pull was a good test of the trucks durability. We had no certain idea about what gear to pull in, so we put it in 4Lo and drive(3rd) with O/D turned off. I read this advice on a Chevy forum from several various pullers that claimed this was the best way to let the tranny find the right pulling gear. Didn't work for us though. Our truck up shifted out of 2nd and into third, and then down shifted back into 2nd, 3 times during the length of the pull, which cost him severely. All the other guys in the gasser class pulled over 200', with a couple of "ringers" going over 250, but these were trucks that were ladder'd, geared down, etc., basically trailered trucks that were allowed to compete in the street class, but hey,...whatever. One things for sure, the other drivers at the event didn't want to share their knowledge with a young first time driver. My boy asked every driver in his class for advice AFTER he had finished last, and not one of them offered a cent of help. Pretty sad if you ask me. Not like he's going to take their living from them by smoking them next week, or next month.

He did vow however, to make several upgrades to his drive train, suspension, and motor before next year, and take ALL of their money, EVERY weekend, next year. I hope he does. He'll sure have my support with every dollar I can contribute. But for now, it's a street class truck with some good potential, so we'll take everybody's advice here and strengthen the truck where we can, and let the boy learn how to drive with time in the seat.

We have another pull next weekend, and intend to try 4Lo, but this time start off in 1st, then shifting manually into 2nd when it rev's out. He'll stay in 2nd through the end of the pull and see what that gets us. There was one guy in the diesel class that told him to try 4Lo while staying in 1st through the entire pull, but he also warned that it could result in boiling a tranny. That would suck.

What to do, what to do.

I'd like to see a forum specifically for pulling Fords. Diesels and gassers alike.

Thanks again my Blue Oval brothers.

 

glad he had fun. did he start spinning, or did it just loose *****? did he have any serious axle wrap or hopping?

 

Here's my baby's, baby. He had it for sale because he wanted a 2006 F250 Diesel. I convinced him to keep it and pay it off before he gets a new one so he can use it for a puller. He's a good kid. Send your words of encouragement to him at Littleskeeterpro@aol.com

He'll get a kick out of that.


http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/img_po...2&photoIndex=0

 

It just lost ***** when it up shifted the last time. He has brand new Swamper LTB 33x14.5x16's that seemed to be working...just didn't get the power to the ground I guess. No axle wrap or bouncing at all. The Diesels had a bad night with hop, though. Half of the 45 diesels there didn't even make half track, which I thought was odd.

 

What does it have for gearing?

 

Um...I believe it's got 3:73's, with Dana 60 rear and Dana 44 front. I know a 4:56 would be better for pulling, but geeze...he's only getting about 12 mpg now...lol. Fifty six's would for sure put him at about 7 mpg...YIKES!

 

lower gears dont always kill mileage, alot of times with a big truck they can help it, and they almost always help it when towing. he could make a compromise and go with 4.10's. is it an open rear end, or a ls? while your in ther you could go to a locker, or ls of your choice. i believe its a dana 50 front end since its a 250, but not possitive

 

Ya know, I think you're right on the Dana 50 front. Yeah it's open I would guess. He want's lockers. He's got 500-dollar-itice, big time. Every modification he wants to make is $500, or more, and there are several to be made. Guess he'll just go on less dates...lol.

That's interesting about the lower gear and mileage. I've been told the opposite all my life, but never proven the theory either way.

 

with higher (numerically lower) gears, you have to have your foot into it more, causing alot of fuel to be dumped into the engine to try to catch up. with lower gears, you dont have to get into it as much, even though it will rev higher. this is multiplyed when towing because you really have to get on it.