okay here is what i am TRYING to accomplish. i have a 1978 F-250 currently on 17x40-16.5 gumbo monster mudders, i am tired of breaking WIMPY 3/4 ton axles and i'd like to run bigger meats. not to mention the stock 351M just isnt cutting it down in the power department. but for $850 i cant really bitch, it is one hell of a base vehicle for my project (see details below). but i'd appreciate it if anyone can tell me where to find any parts i have mentioned below. im sure i will be forgetting some things, so i will have numerous questions, just please bear with me everyone. pictures will be posted as they become available.
What i'd like to do; transplant a 429 (preferred), 460, or 514 into my truck to turn some bigger better tires. i have most of my parts, just odds and ends to scavenge up and then a torch and some 7014 welding rods to start this project. i am currently seeking an engine, a PTO winch, and wheels & tires. i am also having trouble tracking down a 203/205 doubler kit. i also have an idea for the clutch if anyone wants to hear it or cant think of something better (i expect to crank about 500-700+ horses when i am finished). now the kicker...to solve the breakage problem i have purchased a set of 5 ton rockwells(10 wheel studs not 6 ). i am trying to get an airride system figured out, but i cant find any REALLY tall bags. also cant find any 20"x {20-26}" (tall x wide) 10 bolt wheels. i'd LOVE to run 48x25-20 ag tires, but at $800+ a peice i think i'll just get some 50" IROKS unless i can find the latter a bit cheaper. questions, comments.....contributions? lol thanks in advance for the help everyone!

 

Whats your plans for the truck? Mud, rocks, trails?

 

if your running 5 ton rockies you need to run AT LEAST 53's to justify the massive amount of weight and ground clearance loss

if i were you i would run 2.5 tons or 1 tons and 44's....once you go over the 44" mark you pretty much have to have chromo axles and joints etc etc...if you plan to beat on it

but like jmudder said, what will be the purpose for this truck?

 

AG's shouldn't be $800 per tire. You could get some 53" michies for that if you just want big.
I'm not a fan of airbag suspension... is it possible that you could go coilover?

5 tons? why not 2.5 rockies?

and why the 429 over a 514? Wanting 700 hp out of a 514 is a WHOLE lot easier than wanting it out of a 429. not that they are bad engines, just between the two... remember "there's no replacement for displacement."

Most of those parts just take a lot of searching. I live west of the DFW metroplex and I got my Div 205 in OKC. It also took me 2 months just to find one. The next closest one was in Louisiana...
They hydro winch you might be able to get from a military liquidation sight.

other than that, check your local J-yards man.

 

Those 5 tons are way huge! Or should I say, way too huge, and heavy. The 2.5's should be alright. You know, that a D60 is hard to beat with the right stuff inside. Plenty of guys beat on them plenty hard with much success. If you are dead set on the mini monster truck thing, then you should be fishing in the monster truck yard sales. Lot's of used nitro shocks out there from these guys just waiting to be installed in a truck like yours. If you are planning on running rocks, or keeping it streetable, then you have got much work ahead of you. Oh yeah, many guys have tried the airbag thing with mixed results. They just don't seem to offer enough articulation that make up an ample offroader.

 

has anyone ever seen bigfoot in its younger days? or how about jeff gotz's "fordzilla" in the 2005 Top Truck Challenge? 2.5's have their limits and i dont have the bank account for dana 60's or coilovers. 53" xml's are too narrow. This truck will do a little of everything, BUT mainly mud, and some hill climbs. the reason for the 429 over the 514 is 1) initial price; 2) 429 revs like a 302 compared the 514, so it should be easier to "keep alive" in the mud. HOWEVER, i am not dead set on a 429. the 5 ton rockwells also came with 3 different gear ratios (mine are 6.44:1) and are not very close to the ground at all. not to mention they are different! if it wasnt for the ride, i'd just run leaves but i still want my back to be in one peice after a few rides. i have seen a few ppl run bags and do pretty good.check out what this guy did to his F-150, this is probably as much flex as i will ever need: http://claycounty4x4.com/photos_air_suspension.htm

 

there is no reason you cant run bags, they flex very well esp at lower pressures. there was a guy in a previous years TTC thatr ran bags and did extremely well!

i wish i had the funds to try bags

-cutts-

 

bags with what kinda suspension? 4 link, 3, or what?

 

sounds like your already set in what you want

 

1) If you're concerned about the price difference between a properly built 429 and a 514 then you REALLY need to reconsider whether anything about the project is within your budget. I see champagne dreams on a beer budget here. Not that there's anything wrong with building a budget wheeler but don't expect 700hp (for more than a few minutes) with 48's on 5 ton axles. If it were that cheap and easy we'd all be running around with them.
2) A properly built 514 will rev plenty high enough for you. There are guys here on this forum wrapping engines with larger strokes up past 7,000 rpm. A 429 with stock rods won't be going that high without blowing up. Plan on spending a minimum of $6000 on the engine for what you're expecting to get out of it. That would be a budget build. A really stout build will cost you about double that.

Don't forget the tranny. A 700hp engine will require a built tranny to handle it. You can go with a manual tranny and a race clutch/ billet flywheel which will only run you about $800 but this isn't the best setup for mud or hill climbs. Ideally, a built C6 will be the optimal choice (since you're looking to copy the old BigFoot builds you're probably already familiar with the woes of the manual tranny in wheeling apps). Expect to spend $1500-$2500 for a built tranny and properly matched custom stall converter. For the 203/205 doubler check www.stazworks.com. I believe they sell them for about $500.

5 ton axles: Consider the fact that you'll be limited in options for aftermarket parts, such as lockers. An open carrier truck, even with 5 ton axles, is not a competent wheeler. I've seen monster trucks with welded carriers but they also need a LOT of room to turn. The other crappy thing is that you don't really have good options for wheel brakes unless you want to run air brakes and drums. So you need to pull that junk and go to a single driveline brake. While they do work they heat up FAST and can put you in hairy situations if you get off camber.

For wheels you might check out USA 6x6 (sorry KO, they're the only ones I know of that make wheels like that custom). They'll make any width tire you need with whatever lug pattern. They won't be cheap. I'd guess $400 each for the width you want.

The truck you linked (Joe's truck with the airbags) uses what are called "rolling lobe" airbags. They're used in Semi-trucks. Check Goodyear's website for those bags as they're the ones that make the bags you're looking at. The 4 bags will cost you about $1000 total. You'll need VERY heavy heims for a 4 link to handle the weight of that truck with those axles. I'd recommend Evo's heims which are rebuildable. Complete with tube inserts and misalignment spacers they'll cost you $100 each, 8 for the front and 8 for the rear if you 4 link the truck so figure roughly $1600 for heims and then the DOM tubing for the links. Last I checked the 2.5" OD DOM ran roughly $400 to complete 4 links so $800 to do front and rears. So assuming you don't need too much in the way of extra materials or parts I think you could have your 4 link air suspension for $3500.

Even bare bones budget I don't think you can build the truck you're trying to build for less than $10,000. Realistically you're looking at more like $15,000-$20,000 to get it done.

 

usa 6x6 sucks

 

im not necessarily set on the 700 hp either (probably more like 500 but who knows?), but thanks for bringing all that to my attention. i do beleive that a c-6 has its advantages, but in my experiences (which isn't VAST but also not brand new) i have had better luck with a manual. im aware that the 5 tons do have a limited after market which is a drawback i have been prepared to deal with. i have seen lockers, custom wheels, ect for the 5 tons; even manual hubs for these things at truck shows, so i beleive it'll take research (a lot) but i am not COMPLETELY optionless. i have been doin some picking and think i might have found a way to run wheel brakes but it'll involve machining new bolt patterns on some rotors...if its possible. also, im not 100% worried about the MAX rpm out of a 514, i myself know a few people in the local pulling circuit who ran a 514 back in the 80's doing nearly 8,000 rpm. but wouldnt a 429 reach high R's quicker than a 514 due to the shorter stroke? or is that even right? i'd love to run a 514, but 514's are hard to find outside a parts catalogue. this thing is SORT OF a budget monster-wheeler, for now...come to think of it, would you know how much hp/torque you'd NEED to run around on those 5tons with 6.44:1 gears on 48/50" tires? and which would you recommend between the two (irok or terra grip)?

thanks for the hook-up on the doubler, the cheapest i could find was almost $800! i do have an abundance of spare parts laying around. i was thinking of doing giant radius arms (from a monster-esque sub-frame) for the suspension similar to an f-150, as i dont need to be able to stand on the tire and touch the inner fender with the tips of my fingers. the design seems pretty strong, and not as complicated as a four link. i think they will offer all the "flex" i will need. any advice? i really appreciate the tips, by the way that is one sweetass truck you have, i like the old supercab fords. never seen one on 44's. thanks again!

 

Your build is starting to sound more like jeff goltz's fordzilla.

 

why even bother with a 429? 460's are a dime a dozen and have a lot longer stroke and build way more torque.. if you wanna turn 50's with authority on those axles you're gonna need more than a 429 could ever offer.... they say every ten pounds of rotational mass robs 5 horsepower, or something to that effect. there's alot of math involved to get to a final rough, and i mean rough, figure- but then the ? is this- What's your idea of an impressive motor?

 

I thought you liked them.

Didn't you like your rims so much that you tried to pay for them twice, but then Daniel wouldn't let you.