New Pro Stock Diesel build - 2 D Max

This is just fascinating. I love it when folks share the intimate details about these rides that some of us would never know otherwise. Thanks for sharing with me/us.

Where is the camper shell?!

awesome michael! its gonna be sweet!

2 DaMAX!!




and where did you you get the picture of the blue one done up at???

SCHOOL BUS said:

and where did you you get the picture of the blue one done up at???

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It might look a little familiar - it is the MBRP artwork of DirtyMax for their current advertisements and posters. MBRP was kind enough to send me their original to "photoshop" into my truck. I used a freeware program called Gimp2 to remove the MBRP logos and change the color.

best of luck michael, if anyone can do this its you!!! no more driving other peoples junk!!! get some buddy!

SCHOOL BUS said:

2 DaMAX!!

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This or performax. Our truck gets called "max dee out" at nhra events when they don't know the truck, so don't assume that they will understand the verbage.

Glad you took on this project Mike. Right man for the job.

Glad there is going to be another pro stock out there.

I would maybe go with performax.

Right on Michael, looks like there may be more Pro Stocks being built than Pro Streets, should be some great competition soon. I like the PerforMax also.

Malcolm

Another vote for PerforMax. Gonna be a fun build!

I like any name you like Michael.

I weighed it tonight, with me in it, and equivalent weight for the trans, additional tubing, windows, etc. I forgot to add weight for battery, fuel tank, fuel and wiring. I figure a fabricated 9" Moly housing with aluminum center section, lightweight brakes and driveline will weigh about the same as the braced Dana 60 in it less carrier. I was pleasantly surprised at the total weight, but would like more to be on the rear. Here are the corner weights:
792 729 (Front)

451 390 (rear)

Yup, that's 2362 total! Even with the stuff I forgot, and a big-arse atmospheric turbo, we should be under 2500 race ready! For really fun theoretical math games, calculate the horsepower of Max'd Out's engine, then see what the same horsepower could theoretically run at 2500 lbs!

I will probably move the engine back in the chassis (I can move about 5" back without major mods), and also move the rearend forward about 5" (and shorten the bed by that much). I'll also mount the radiator and trans cooler in the bed (as well as battery and fuel tank), so we should be approaching optimum weight distribution.

Oh yeah - I also played with the front suspension travel a bit, and it yields the WORST bump steer I have EVER seen in a chassis. This thing must have been a nightmare to drive on the top end. Whoever did the chassis originally had no clue about bump steer. When I move the engine back I'll re-do the front suspension and steering too. When I bought my gasser originally (as a back-half chassis with a Pinto rack & pinion added on), it had horrible bump steer as well. When I re-did the chassis I eliminated that, and it drove like a Cadillac!

Well you may have us by about 300lbs. We are figuring we should be around the 2800lb mark

Hey Michael, what gears are you going to run in the new truck?

Malcolm

Michael said:

It might look a little familiar - it is the MBRP artwork of DirtyMax for their current advertisements and posters. MBRP was kind enough to send me their original to "photoshop" into my truck. I used a freeware program called Gimp2 to remove the MBRP logos and change the color.

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Congrats on the truck man! But how will you pilot your truck and the DirtyMax? LOL Just kiddin' ya! I love that gimp program once you get the hang of it, and that was nice of MBRP to share their stuff too...makes it easier to try different things. As for the name of your truck, I think it'll come to ya eventually as you progress through your build. Good luck and look forward to seeing on the track!!

cranked_dodge said:

Well you may have us by about 300lbs. We are figuring we should be around the 2800lb mark

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That's still pretty light for a Cummins powered truck (and a full sized one to boot)!

24VChevy said:

Hey Michael, what gears are you going to run in the new truck?

Malcolm

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Probably 2.90 if I can find a set without giving up my firstborn child. Once we go with a built long block (and more MPH) we'll probably need a taller gear unless we can get the engine to make power at higher RPM.

Very nice Michael. Good luck on the build, can't wait to see what it'll run.

Another vote for PerforMax

Here are some updates and more photos:














After more measuring and research, it looks like the optimum weight distribution would be 52% on the front (similar to what my gasser is without any ballast). To achieve that with a Duramax I would have to move the engine back 26" from where it sits now!!! While the wide cab would allow this (with me sitting right next to the engine), after seeing some catastrophic engine failures I don't think I want the risk of taking a connecting rod to the side of the head or abdomen! It would also involve a "tunnel" over the engine like a van, and that would add its own set of headaches. I think I will move the engine back 12", which still keeps the rotating assembly only as far back as my feet. I can build a pretty good shield to protect my feet in the event of a failure, and will also run a 360° flexplate shield.

I've been taking a lot of measurements and studying both the SFI specs and the Dave Morgan chassis book, and just ordered the Jerry Bickel chassis book. I also started practicing with my TIG welder, I want to be damn good and "in practice" when I start welding the tubes on this thing! There are a few "gray areas" in the specification, and I plan to get the NHRA chassis cert technician to "pre-OK" my interpretations on these. At a recent race I spent a bunch of time peeking in the fast doorslammers to see how they did their parachute mounts and interior tinwork. LOL, some of this was in the staging lanes against people I was potentially getting paired up with, they probably thought I was weird or trying to psych them out!

I have learned that the front struts on the chassis are from a Datsun/Nissan 240Z. Apparently this was a semi-popular option before modern struts were available. It's weird given the late 90's timeframe of this chassis build, but maybe the customer was just being cheap! Given the awkward geometry of the struts (and the aforementioned nose-heavy weight issues), I'll probably try to work a set of aluminum Strange or Lamb struts into the budget. The ultimate would be to get a double-adjustable set of struts, but I'll probably be content with single external adjustments.

Michael,
I am hoping that's what we can get the weight to with our truck. We may be around the 3000lb mark but who knows from there.

Cant wait to see your truck done and I would post some spy pics of our truck but, I am going to save the suspense for Phoenix.

I ordered the Rick Jones Chassis book from RJ Race Cars (quartermax) and it has helped out quite a bit as well to figure out geometry and whatnot.

Just a quick update - after a long couple weeks of SEMA prep and the actual show (including an emergency trip to support an install at an OEM customer), I am back to work on this project. I picked up a plasma cutter yesterday, I figured it would pay for itself with all the tubes I am moving around. Going to play with it on scrap stuff for a while (same thing I am doing with my TIG welder), while I work on the design of the changes to the chassis. At SEMA I talked at length with Chris Alston Jr., Jeff from Strange, and Rick Lefever (who built his own Pro Mod Quad Turbo Mercedes), getting chassis setup and building advice. Rick was particularly helpful, as he'd like to see me break the record of his former employer (and no, he didn't work for Wade)