Stock truck to rookie pulling tuck..what would you do?

JBradley500

JBradley500

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Jan 21, 2010
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What are the things you do? Ladder bars, stacks, driveshaft loops, a certain style of hitch or what? I guess i never have been around a pulling truck of any type but if i wanted to go to an event and do it, what would be needed?
 
read the stickies at the top of this section to start... then come back with any additional questions...


you have seriously never been around a pulling truck??? wow!
 
id watch some before you try it...only way you will ever move the sled is if you have a stack:poke:
 
I would find the rules for the association you would be pulling with. Some classes do not allow traction bars, so reading up on the rules will tell you what you can and cannot do. There are ususally some helpful pullers within the association you may talk to and find out how to build your truck.
 
The only reason i said stack was because i have read some classes require an upward pointing exhaust... im assuming they mean that would do.

Where i am originally from we do a lot of dirt/circle track stuff. I think i went to the truckpulls in hamburg NY a long time ago but i dont remember it. Now im in the mid-west and i think its a bigger deal out here and i have always loved watching the stuff on tv and the clips on the internet so i figured id see where the rookies start.

I have friends in Syracuse/Fulton area that do it on the weekends too but i didn't live by them, my mother does, so i never went.
 
Some people put a 90* elbow and a short stack on the exhaust if it exits rearward.
 
Main thing is to start out small and work your way up. Start out in a work stock class first... read up on the rules to see what you can and can't do first. Me personally i wouldn't compete at a pull that didn't allow traction bars and suspension blocks. Those 2 components alone can really help on saving your drivetrain... It would also be a good idea to haul your truck to the pulls when you can. Anything can happen and everyone on here will tell you that breakage isn't a matter of IF it happens, its WHEN and HOW BAD.
 
weight bracket and tractor weights up front, most classes allow what? an 8000 pound max? on my quad cab short bed i can hang 1000 pounds on my weight rack. water/meth is a good idea too, though some organizations dont allow injectables (water/meth, propane, nitrous) and those that do will bump you up a class, say you have a 2.6 turbo, here they will bump you to the 2.8 class IF you run water
 
most of our local pulls are run what ya brung. you wont have a problem running traction bars, and some we are allowed to hang weight some were not.
 
kino_fab said:
what kind of truck to do have?
Click to expand...

Just copied this out of my signature from another site...
92 W250(5qt Getrag)- Denny T, 8x.011" Injectors, 366 Spring, AFC Valet, 1/4" Timing, 4090 BHAF, Pump "Tuned", Piston Pump, Top-hat Ground, Boost/Pyro, Pull Cable. 33" MT/ATZ's.

its nothing wild... lots of stock parts like exhaust, turbo, clutch, suspension, differentials. my next things to do are a s362/65/12 or 14 turbo and 4" exhaust.
 
Well since you won't really be able to watch any pulls for a little while I would recomend searching youtube and just watch some videos. Some can be learned by watching other guys.
2nd dont think about a turbo first thing you need is a good clutch. You can have the best turbo out there but if you don't have a clutch to put the power to the ground it's pointless.
3rd get your traction bars and safety stuff addressed. Usually just need drivehshaft loop in the back but the front is a good idea as well. bolts in exhaust, and your exhuast upwards. The traction bars well help put the power to the ground and save on parts.

Then when you go pull go up to some of the pullers and talk to them. Most of us are real nice guys and well help anyone out (but occasionaly theres a few a-holes). Got any questions it never hurts to ask them.
 
X2 on the above post.

You will need a good double disk clutch no doubt, unless you are planning on running a turtle speed gear, but then you will not have enough ground or wheel speed to put on a good show.

Since you are running a 1st gen with leaf spring front suspension, i would fab up a set of front traction bars aswell and mount them above the axle housing to prevent leaf spring coil up and bouncing. Bad bouncing will lead to broken parts.

As for a turbo, I would just stick with the stocker for now and get your feet wet in the game and see how you like the sport of pulling first... Its not for everybody.

When you do go for a turbo upgrade, and you plan on doing alot of pulling, I would just go ahead and go for a 2.6 turbo (64-66mm). Another thing i would look into would be to ditch the Rotary injection pump and do a p-pump conversion. Lots of other upgrades would be needed to be competitive overtime, but like i said, start out small and see how you like it first.
 
lots of good info id like to try again...i hooked once with my already slipping weak single disk and made more clutch smoke than anything else. traction bars are next my sig is current
 
I agree with the clutch.. This is my daily driver and i dont plan on going hardcore with it. I figured id do a lot of the mods that 1stgenjake does. clutch, same turbo, exhaust and studs. I know the ppump is more powerfull but it costs money that i dont have really. I will just keep the ve pump and see what can be done with it. I can make a lot of smoke without too much heat so im assuming i could make a few more ponies with the turbo upgrade. Also i really like the idea of at least rear traction bars even for a daily driver. I think they look sweet if nothing else.

I think ill go to the events when they start and see what the trucks look like. This sounds like any other motor-sport, it sounds like it could be done cheap but it never is.
 
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