Competition Street Class Pulling for Dummies

[WadePatton]

Yeah, I'm the dummy.



My local VFD holds a sled-pull fundraiser twice a year. And I've gotten quite interested in pulling in the street class. There were three fords in that class this time--maybe two last time. So we're going to get some TDR power out there next time! (in August)



Any pointers for us novice pullers?



And I'd like to get a second truck in 4WD and set it up for street-class and hunting, farming, mud, and whatnot. It'd probably be a 12v with a 5-speed.



What pull specific things should I do to it? Can I tune it to any level as long as it is licensed to run on the street? Or are they going to fuss when I put out as much smoke as the big tractors?



[EDIT] I found some rules and such at Mitchell's site. Looks like things can vary quite a bit.



I'm thinking dual 5" stacks, pulling clutch, 370's, pump timing, fuel plate and all that 12v stuff necessary for 450-500 RWHP.



And I'd probably go to a few other pulls after I got it sorted out.

 

[Got Smoke?]

When you get that correctly valved truck Wade come see me and my buddy over in Gallatin. We're still looking into doing some performance stuff on the side. Only thing we won't do right now is clutches.



I had a buddy over here tonight I tried to break into his pump but the crappy screwdrivers I had here at the house (forgot my good ones @ work ) kept stripping the groove I cut in the tamper proof screw.



I'm thinking seriously about getting some business cards made up with mine and my buddy Ken's names & #'s on them, but we're only able to do small stuff right now and it would probably have to be done on like Saturdays or Sundays.

 

[WadePatton]

Info FROM the novice

Don't worry about cards Mark, word of mouth (the BEST business builder there is)in Wilson Co. will get you more work than you can stand.



And then maybe you can buy another set of tools.



Sure I'll come around for guidance, but remember I put my OWN clutch in and ground my OWN flywheel. I do all my work 'cause I can screw it up just as good as the factory trained tech--but haven't yet.



New clutch holds, truck not hot, NEED more FUEL!



[edit]

I have found a couple of local sources of information on my own. The problem is that "street diesel" is a rare thing around here. Three is the largest field I've found results for.



Here's the skinny as I've determined so far:

1. Not enough street diesels pull around here for anybody to care how they're set up.

2. Safety rules carry over from any "street" class. Helmet, fire extinguisher, and the Crossville group requires Harmonic Balancer guard.

3. Most of the time my proposed "hot street diesel" would run in the street diesel or run-what -you-brung class, or exhibition if'n nobody wants to go up against it.



More information is at http://www.crossvillepullers.com/ My local event is "Woodbury" on their calender. Too bad the next one is the same weekend as Sheid's event.



And wow, we even have a Mid TN group at: http://midtnpullers.tripod.com/ --yes it's a PIA, pop-ups from hell, tripod site.



If I find the competition half as friendly as Dave Mitchell says it is, then I've got a new hobby. Sounds like the road racing (SCCA) group--we love helping each other out. As opposed to the NASCAR bunch who tend to be cut-throat, nasty, tough luck, competitors.



Great excuse for another BOMBed CTD I say.

 

[WadePatton]

Go to the locals for info.

Since this thread isn't getting any replies and I got rained out of the garden today, I went over and paid a visit to a local puller. He was last year's points champion with his gasser truck.



First, he told me which other nearby pulls would have some diesel "street" trucks in them. Then we talked all about rules and trucks and the nitty gritty like track conditions, tire sizes and pressures, driving technique--all that good stuff. Sorta what I thought we'd discuss here.



So I may pull the Fonefitty out of the field and change the tires and bed and hook to a sled or two to get some experience pulling. Heck, it's not doing anything else.

 

[Got Smoke?]

Wade there is a pull in Cynthiana on July 25th that I am planning on hooking at. Its posted on EEP's website so I'm guessing there will be some BIG BOY's there as well! I'm hoping to take a hometown crowd of all my friends that hang out in Gallatin, would love to see you there.



I'm already starting to make a list of stuff I need to do before the pull... called and got $$ #'s on new u-joints today... probably gonna email Sleddy for some Amsoil for my 5spd tomorrow (will cost me 1/2 as much to Amsoil my transmission as it would to get Syncromesh through Wilson Cnty Motors )... . will be looking into differential fluid change VERY soon as well as transfer case... . and will be researching ladder bars before July 25th... ... ... . whew!

 

[WadePatton]

GOOD news Smokey one! You can get some experience before Cynthiana.



Barry said that there'll be a bunch of SS trucks at the Manchester and McMinnville pulls. Manchester is July 12. McMinnville Sept 6. Both of those are only 20 miles from me.



And the next pull in my 'hood is August 23.



So come out for the Manchester pull. I'll go with you--and maybe take the gasser. Oo.

 

[Piston Slapper]

I have always been interested in pulling as well. I pulled for the first time two weeks ago. I know, with my 2wd auto, but I still pulled 182 feet. I was tickled pink! I out pulled all the gassers that where there, 2wd and 4wd! I was estatic! Anyway, would love to talk more with you guys and can't wait to meet ya'll this weekend!



Got Smoke, Been tossing around same idea of doing Hi-Po stuff on side. Grew up in mechanic houshold, daddy is heavy equipment mechanic. Been trying to talk him into doint it as well. We need to talk!



Wade... Been shopping for older under valved 4x to set up for sledder too.



Ya'll know we are going to get each other in trouble don't ya! Well with my CEO anyway! I brought up today about the Comp I been wanting and she said o. k, but you know we could really do this or that and blah, blah..... I guess she'll get over it! I am ordering Comp on Friday!! To late for Dyno though

 

[Got Smoke?]

Originally posted by WadePatton

GOOD news Smokey one! You can get some experience before Cynthiana.



Barry said that there'll be a bunch of SS trucks at the Manchester and McMinnville pulls. Manchester is July 12. McMinnville Sept 6. Both of those are only 20 miles from me.



And the next pull in my 'hood is August 23.



So come out for the Manchester pull. I'll go with you--and maybe take the gasser. Oo.

July 12th huh... ..... that's 2 days before my b-day.



Tossing up ideas on what I want... traction bars for the CTD... or lift kit for the 79 K20??? Oo.



Decisions decisions... ... ordering Amsoil tomorrow... ... . looking into diff fluids tomorrow... ... looks like I'm gonna have a busy weekend.

 

[WadePatton]

HOLY CRAP

You pulled with 2WD?! What tires?



I thought about it, but with those super slick michelins and a brand new -no warranty if I pop the center- clutch, thought better of it.

 

[Piston Slapper]

2wd Auto

I thought the same thing. My big bad 2wd auto, with new Michelin LTX M/S. I was trying to talk myself out of it cause of it being 2wd and auto but I have always wanted to pull. I was talking with the booth officials and they said they wanted me to pull cause I would be good bait to entice other trucks to pull cause there was only 2 that had signed up so far. I said, " I don't know, don't want to make fool of myself". Some ol farmer in a 4x4 ford Powerstroke dually with stacks said, "The best thing I could do is to just leave it in the parking lot if it ain't 4 wheel drive, it doesn't matter if it's a cummins or not"



I knew I was pulling then. After I pulled, Did I tell ya that I beat every gasser there? , people were running for the parking lot getting there trucks. By the time all was said and done, 28 street trucks pulled! Ford 1/2 ton 2wd auto pulled after me and pulled 90 ft! Next was a Chevy Z71 4x4 gasser, pulled 127. They done single rear wheel class and dual rear wheel class. Didn't matter as to 4x or not. First dual wheel was 2wd auto Ford dually. He pulled like 140 I think. I got third place in single rear wheel street class. Got beat by 4x powerstroke with 400 hp chip and dodge 4x4 6sp with edge comp, ddIII, and AFE Mega Cannon. He was slinging smoke pretty good! Dodge pulled 272, Ford pulled 240.



I am hooked. I think I would actually hook up the mini van if it had a hitch! I actually enjoyed the whole under dog 2wd auto thing anyway. It makes that cummins just look even better when it's outpulling them 4 wheel drive gassers!



They are pulling street stock trucks again Sept 5, and dickson fairgrounds after antique tractors pull. I'll be there!



Oh... My name is Brian Arrington, I go buy "GAP" It's a nickname I got branded with long ago and it just stuck. Everybody calls me "Gap" <---- My momma has a gapped tooth! School aged years friends used to call me gappy poking fun at her. Me and mom both thought it was funny!

 

[WadePatton]

Man O man

I fixed the brakes on the F-onefitty and drove it over to Barry's place (a local puller) and we got down to the good stuff--like tire pressures and safety features and spring blocking and bomb-proofing the front axle u-joints.



The short of it is--with a few safety features you can run about anywhere, without is a toss-up. Drive shaft loops, harmonic guard, and rear-kill switch are pretty easy.



He's also a mechanic and salvage yard. So he's got a set of 33's and a steel flat bed I'm probably going to put on my truck. $100 each.



Tire pressures: something like 20/45 to get started. Add more to spin out and less to get bite. It's better to spin at the end than to bog. You have to be real fast on the clutch to keep from breaking something if you bog down.



300 foot run should be something like this. Get the green flag-chain should be tight, ease into it if'n it ain't. Make about one or two tire revolutions to get the sled moving, then hammer it and break the tires loose. Accelerate the sled. Half track or so things will be getting heavy and the tires should be biting and engine grunting. Then, if all is just right, when the sled gets really heavy the tires break loose again, you get a few more feet and get out of it. I told him that that was a lot to do in 300 feet.



Bomb-proofing the front u-joints involves grinding the inner flange a bit and installing inside locks. He got that from a rock-crawling dude, but says it has worked perfectly on his 500+HP truck!



Some rules say NO suspension blocking. But with a 1/2 ton truck, I feel it is necessary as does Barry. 5" Channel iron run all the way across with 3" spacers is how he made his, and is what they still run on his daughter's truck. His hot rod is fully rigid now. It's for sale BTW.



So there's some PULLING 101!



More about safety features later.

 

[Got Smoke?]

Re: Man O man

I'm coming to take your title before you even get it Wade! :-laf :-laf :-laf



I just changed my rear diff tonight... ... ordering Amsoil for the transmission tomorrow ($7. 20 vs. $12 @ W. C. Mtrs)..... doing front diff this weekend..... doing U-joints soon ... ... ... looking into traction bars he he he... ... :-laf



Would like to know more about BOMBing my new u-joints once I get them in.

 

[Got Smoke?]

I may be forced to eat my words from the sounds of it yesterday I have a front hub assembly going out.



Just put 2 new ones in last August. #@$%! #@$%! #@$%!



Talked to my mechanic (for the jobs I don't wanna do) last night and he said they should have a one year warrenty on them, and I'm hoping he's right so I can continue my path of preparing for my 2 pulls next month!



So I have to swap trucks with my cousin tomorrow so my baby can be taken and repaired... :ukey:: I'll be driving a phurd 7. 3 non-turbo! what a dog!



Oh well drove it all last night cause I parked mine when I got it home.



Keep me up to date on our pull infor Wade

 

[csutton7]

you have to be careful with suspension mods--'specially blocking the suspension-- some places allow it, some want 1" of travel and others 2" of travel--you don't want to show up and get ousted at the tech inspections---chris

 

[WadePatton]

Sus Blocks

I can make two sets of blocks. Some of the rules around here call for 3" of suspension travel. My pull truck is a 1/2 ton--the steel bed I'm putting on it is going to make the rear squat pretty bad. They don't ever check it, I'm told.



The blocking setup I'm going to use is just like Barry's. 5" channel run from side to side-channel down with 3" square tube tacked on top. The whole thing slides in/out with a wheel off. I can do some measuring and make one like a want it and then make another "rules compliant" one for have-to cases.

 

[WadePatton]

Pull this Weekend in TN

Belvidere, near Winchester. SATURDAY night.



I'm just checking it out. My truck ain't near ready and Mark's has to have some FE work.



They say there'll be street trucks there and that they'll let anything pull. We'll see.



I started pulling the (beginning to rot)OAK flatbed off my puller. I need to shoot some before/after photos.

 

[WadePatton]

Revival of a thread!

Now I have STREET DIESEL questions. The 77 ford idea was scrapped in favor of Dad's (formerly his) 1995 Dodge CTD! Bad news is that it's an auto. Good news is that we put a SunCoast ProLoc transmission in it that was new last season, did nine pulls and won a few of them. Pulled 421' on a 400' track first time I saw it.



I'm not going to put that much power to it---yet.



Anyhoo, back to the Q&A.



I'm going to be at 350-400hp this season, with that in mind:



Traction/ladder bars--how important? Are they more for traction or to keep the pinion pointed forward.



Gear/tire selection. I've got two sets of wheels, want to have two sizes of tire to choose from. In this county, spinning out is pretty easy. South of here a county or two, the track gets a little more tacky and things break with too much gription. Am I headed in the right direction?



400' track vs. the regular 300' might want bigger tires for that too.



EGT? When does it peg? At liftoff? Do you even look? How high has it been?



Fuel? If black smoke is partially burned, therefore inefficient, then why do competition diesels SPEW COPIOUS AMOUNTS of it? I, in fact on the dyno, make the same power on 3x5 as 5x5, but with a tad less smokage.



What breaks the most? What should I over-maintain?



Why does everyone want a high hitch? To the point that it's regulated to be only x inches high? The torsional influence of a LOW hitch would pull the front end down. WHAT???-- Imagine a thirty foot tall hitch on the truck. Hook it up, what happens? Wheelie city--hiho Silver. Now imagine a hitch 10 feet below the surface of the track--I said IMAGINE Hook to it--no more wheelie, lots of pressure on the front.



Oh, is that it, high-hitch to save the front end? OR is the hitch height still low relative to C/L of chassis.



We have a practice sled now. I let you know if I discover something new and interesting. We need some 500# chunks of lead for the sled.

 

[Got Smoke?]

I wanna practice whenever I get my Clutch!:{ Oo. If I hear of any dead weight I'll let ya know :-laf



Any Christmas money goes to the funding, also any parts I can sell :hint:hint:nudge:nudge:



Guess I'm looking at a SBC Street DD again seeing as nobody has any kinda of warrenty on any clutch that's pulled on anyways. At least Peter trys to take care of his customer's to the best of his ability.

 

[WadePatton]

Very very few things with any warranty at all once you "compete" with it.



Somebody else commented on having the sled available. "Now you can break parts ANY day of the week"



Yeah, and then have less that a week to get fixed for the pull! DANGIT, I think too much--sometimes.

 

[Cumminsman]

hey, pulling is an interesting sport. i don't think that any of us will ever have all of the answers... ... but here are a few imho

hitch height - the higher the better, as long as you stay in the rules

tires - the taller the more wheel speed you get, the faster you pull the sled the farther it will slide after the weight drops.

egt's - normally buried 1600 degrees at 75' mark. on a 400' + track that gets very hot at the end

traction / ladder bars - are imprtant for the longevity of the rear end

most likely thing to break, rear pinion / axels, or u joints

hope this helps you out a little bit

nh