2.6 vs 3.0 what class to start with?

BigRed02

BigRed02

Environmental polluter
Joined
Jun 21, 2014
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17
Okay me and my dad have talked about it and talked about it and we cant decide what direction we want to go. So im posting it here for your guys opinions. I want to know what you guys think about building a truck for either class and which would be more fun and less expensive (because pulling is cheap :hehe:). And post how you got into pulling the class you do if you want! :thankyou2:
 
I Agree with Weston, I've been building mine for about 3 years now almost, even at 2.5 is not cheap at all to be competitive, i can only afford a part every few months lol... but if you have lots and lots of money and time build a 2.6 truck...

consider 10-25k in the motor, 3-8k in the driveline, 1-3k in a charger, 6k in all the miscellaneous... it's not cheap... how competitive you are comes down to if you're either extremely intelligent with new ideas or how deep your pockets are, mostly both...

Cheaper to buy a pulling truck than to build one, consider that too...
 
Northwest Ohio, even workstock you'll need 800hp at the wheels, 2.5 1000hp.

Find what class that majority of the pulls around you offer. Start there.

If it was me. I'd build a 2.5 truck, then work to jump to 3.0. But that's my $.02
 
If I had it to do over I would start out 3.0. I'm 2.6 now and wanting to go to 3.0. But have a bunch of money spent on driveline parts. That I now have to spend again to go 3.0. Just start with open driveline and be done with it
 
You also don't need to keep a truck in your garage building it until it's a top runner. You don't need to start with duals and a ported runner intake head. What's the fun in that? I put together my truck in 3 months this year and I've had an awesome time going to the pulls and learning something new every hook. Personally seeing something sit I'm my shop for more than a year would kill me. These trucks are never finished, so why try to start with the end product?
 
Sarafin said:
You also don't need to keep a truck in your garage building it until it's a top runner. You don't need to start with duals and a ported runner intake head. What's the fun in that? I put together my truck in 3 months this year and I've had an awesome time going to the pulls and learning something new every hook. Personally seeing something sit I'm my shop for more than a year would kill me. These trucks are never finished, so why try to start with the end product?
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I see someone is following my build thread. LOL On a serious note, it does suck having a project go as long as mine but I did plan for it before I even started buying parts to put it together. I would agree with the pervious comments, if I had to do it over again I would start with a 2.5 truck and build on it from there. I am in my project a ton of cash and I haven't even fired the engine yet, I would also start out with a complete running truck instead of a pile of parts like I did. Complete running ready to hook trucks have been offered for sale here for about what I have into mine right now. Good luck whatever path you choose.
 
I feel like 2.5 or 3.0 is the way to go, what I like about 3.0 is that its open driveline and I don't need all the street things like a interior or working electronics so I can basically buy a junkyard truck throw a motor in it a drop box and a sqhd and not have to worry about much. with a 2.5 truck im basically using a good truck for a donor to butcher
 
If you're planning on going that big already I'd just start with an open driveline. Save money not spending it twice to change it again later.
 
Just remember that there isn't many 3.0 pulls. Since most of the pulls are running MVP rules.... It's workstock and 2.5. Not even a 2.6. But driving to the south, you'll find some.
 
Several trucks at Scheid Diesel Ext. this year. A 2.6 I looked at for $25000.
 
First have you ever pulled before? Building a truck isn't something the normal person who has never been down the track before does. There is a lot that goes into the chassis that you only learn from experience. I would start small, learn what it takes then progress from there.
 
DISTURBED said:
First have you ever pulled before? Building a truck isn't something the normal person who has never been down the track before does. There is a lot that goes into the chassis that you only learn from experience. I would start small, learn what it takes then progress from there.
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Some background on why I want to build a truck, Since I was about 10 I have pulled antique tractors with my grandpa. For the past 7 years me and my dad and my uncle have pulled mini rods with Central Ohio Mini Pullers. I got tired with tractors and decided to hook my work truck a few times. Along with that about 6 or 7 of my friends have trucks and pull, so that's were the bug bit me.
 
BigRed02 said:
Some background on why I want to build a truck, Since I was about 10 I have pulled antique tractors with my grandpa. For the past 7 years me and my dad and my uncle have pulled mini rods with Central Ohio Mini Pullers. I got tired with tractors and decided to hook my work truck a few times. Along with that about 6 or 7 of my friends have trucks and pull, so that's were the bug bit me.
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I have been pulling for 6 years now with me current 2.6" puller and I can say if I were to start over I would have built a 2.5" truck. Start with some driveline, chassis work, and motor work before you start gutting the truck. At the rate 2.6" is going it wont be long before its just 2.5 and 3.0 anyhow.
 
And some more background on why I'm into pulling.
[ame="http://s991.photobucket.com/user/Kingofdiesels/media/imagejpg1_zps34be5a37.jpg.html"]imagejpg1_zps34be5a37.jpg Photo by Kingofdiesels | Photobucket[/ame]

This tractor was built by my grandpa, uncle Rog and my grandpas best freind in the 1970's, in 1978 it won the national farm machinery show. And if any of you went to NTPA pull in BG this year you probably seen it in the retired tractor museum. I had a hand in rebuilding it and getting it ready for the museum. Along with that in 1974 and 1975 my grandpa Joe Adams won the NTPA grand national mini rod points. So I come from a long line of tractor pullers.

Now back to the thread, does anybody have anything against using a v10 5spd as a donor truck and putting a cummins in it? There are a lot to be had around me for around $1500.
 
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If it were me. I would start in the workstock class. And get your feet wet. And build up the truck and move up. I feel we get more experience and feel for the truck if you start small and work up. Less breakage too. Some people start out in 2.6 and can't handle the power and end up break 9 outta 10 pulls. Might get lucky that one time. I pull workstock class. In and around ohio. I started with a basically stock truck and built it up from there. And it's getting competitive now in ws. And sometimes 2.5. And it's been alotta fun starting out small and having fun. And not fixing it every week. That's my thinking.
 
I wish I would have just built a 3.0 truck years ago. I would have saved soooo much money.
 
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