went to truck pulls last night

[AVNote]

i went to some truck pulls last night, why is it that alot of people say the new dodge trucks are so great with pulling and such, but, they did horrible in the pull, worst then durmax, 2nd gen. came out on top by a long shot (only 2 3rd gen pulled) why did the 3rd gen do so bad ?

 

[Tim]

Pulling really has little to do with the brand of vehicle and more to do with the driver, and the weight.

 

[c-hawk]

I was at the Buck last night for a while anyway. I had to leave before things were over... left during the dump truck races. There are a LOT of factors that go into a truck performing well on the pulling track. HP is definitely important, but so are a lot of other factors.



I actually thought about hooking my truck, but i was told they don't allow twins??? Oh well.



Chris

 

[AVNote]

i thought brand would have alot to do with pulling, different engines...

 

[Udaloy]

i went to some truck pulls last night, why is it that alot of people say the new dodge trucks are so great with pulling and such, but, they did horrible in the pull, worst then durmax, 2nd gen. came out on top by a long shot (only 2 3rd gen pulled) why did the 3rd gen do so bad ?

I pulled my stock 04. 5 against nine other trucks at a local pull. I came in fifth. All of the trucks that beat my 292' at least had fuel boxes turned up. I was there to pull against my friend's stock 04 Chevy with the Duramax. I put 46' on him, so don't tell me the 3rd gens do worst [sic] than the durmax [sic].

 

[jwilliams3]

I usually do ok.

Competition is tough these days.



I have placed ahead of duramaxes and have been beaten by them.

It depends how each truck is modified.

 

[blackram99]

Pulling really has little to do with the brand of vehicle and more to do with the driver, and the weight.

Not so sure I believe in that theory. A friend of mine is into truck pulling big time..... he has done well ( 1st place every year in 4 different fairs ) for 3yrs. straight with his 2nd generation(2001) ..... He got a new 3rd generation (2004. 5) with the same modifications, and cant get past 5th place... . Both trucks were quad cab's and 6' boxes, same rear end ratio and everything..... only difference is his 2nd generation had the automatic and his 3rd generation is the standard 6 speed... . maybe that has something to do with it, I'm not sure..... ohh well that is just my 2cents... ...

 

[Udaloy]

Tim likes to give his two cents, even if it doesn't make cents...

 

[Coolslice]

At the truck pulls i've gone to locally, the second gen dodges always win. The 3rd gen are just middle of the pack. From what I've seen, I would not want to put any money on the line if I had to pull against a new Duramax. It doesn't make much sense to me, more hp and tq should pull further, right??

 

[Udaloy]

Go look at the work done on those trucks. I guarantee the 2nd gen has been worked over, and the 3rd gen just has a fuel box, if anything. 3rd gens are too expensive yet to work over for competition. Yeah, I know there are those that spend the cash no matter, but for the most part, only the 2nd gens are being fixed for pulling. You are not comparing apples to apples.

 

[Tim]

Not so sure I believe in that theory. A friend of mine is into truck pulling big time..... he has done well ( 1st place every year in 4 different fairs ) for 3yrs. straight with his 2nd generation(2001) ..... He got a new 3rd generation (2004. 5) with the same modifications, and cant get past 5th place... . Both trucks were quad cab's and 6' boxes, same rear end ratio and everything..... only difference is his 2nd generation had the automatic and his 3rd generation is the standard 6 speed... . maybe that has something to do with it, I'm not sure..... ohh well that is just my 2cents... ...

Here, in the "professional" pulling, IF a Diesel powered rig is even light enough to get to pull, it doesn't do that well anyway. It depends on your rules in your area. Here your truck can't weigh more than 5,500 lbs (mine weighs 7,025) and there are a number of other rules. Besides that, without extreme modification, you're not going to be able to compete with the 800+ HP gasoline powered pulling trucks.



When pulling, I personally would rather have an automatic. This is one of few instances where I think an auto is superior. Some guys have sucess with shifting gears if the track surface will allow.



Pulling is all about traction, momentum, and weight. All engines make torque. It doesn't matter if you have a Ford, Chevy, or Dodge. The more HP you can make, and the more weight you can keep over the front wheels when the weight box moves forward, and the more momentum you can gain in the first 50-100' or so, the more sucessful your pull will be.



I'm going to try my hand at pulling with my Dodge this year for exhibition at an event. It should be fun. I have pulled with my other 4x4s before, but my Dodge should do much better. :-laf

 

[jwilliams3]

You dont shift while pulling a Diesel Manual going down the track.

 

[Tim]

You dont shift while pulling a Diesel Manual going down the track.

You CAN'T. This is what makes me believe that an auto is superior. Once you select a gear and start pulling, that's the gear you're going to run in, where as with an auto, if you have to shift, you can.



With a manual you couldn't shift if you wanted to. As soon as you step on the clutch you'll lose all your momentum and stop. You'll be dropping parts all over the track if you try to slam it into gear and dump the clutch.

 

[strokerschmoker]

I have seen many autos pull. Some of them seem to have some trouble getting the turbo to light, some of them shift back and forth goin down the track and on most the torque converter doesnt seem to like it. If you look at most of the big pullers they have manual, this is not just by chance either. Keep the autos for drag racing

 

[Udaloy]

Ever seen a tractor with an automatic at the pulls??? Hmmm, wonder why?

 

[jwilliams3]

Actually,

Modified Auto's do just fine.



About half of Todays top STREET CLASS pullers are AUTOMATICS

George Peterson, Terry Coppess(Haisley Machine/Blue Goose).

Not to mention the top Duramax guys are pulling with Allison Auto's (Mike Tomac). More autos that pull ALOT and do well Carl Sugg, Scott Amos, Chris Harness.



Guys, the top pullers (Mod class) don't even have transmissions (for all the manual cheerleaders!)





Tim how many hooks do you have under your belt?

 

[Tim]

Tim how many hooks do you have under your belt?

Only done it once for myself, just for the hell of it. I am not big on pulling, I'm more of a crawler/trails type of guy. Someone dared me to hook my crawler to the sled and hold it to the floor, and I did. :-laf



Just like any other 4wd compeditive event, the key is momentum and traction in the right amount. Learning to read the track and such is something that comes with time. I'm no expert at pulling by any means, but I can tell you that here, the rules are made so that Diesel trucks are pretty much out of the professional pulling circuit due to weight restrictions, among others.



Either way I've seen all kinds of rigs pull, and all kinds of rigs win. It's not about the brand of truck, it's about what stays together, and who has the most traction and maintains the most momentum for the longest distance.

 

[Udaloy]

What planet r u fm?

... it's about what stays together, and who has the most traction and maintains the most momentum for the longest distance.

You think??



Actually, I'm interested in what area of the country doesn't have diesel pulls, and requires you to be 5500 lbs. or less. I can understand the small target weight for the two wheel drive/gas classes, as we have them too, but no diesel class? It must be California.

 

[Tim]

Illinois.



www.illinistatepullers.com



They don't have "Diesel" class. Read the rules and you'll understand. It seems they're specifically made to outlaw diesels.



I think it's BS, but I wouldn't build a Diesel pulling truck anyway, because I just don't know enough about Diesels to expect to beat on one like that and be able to fix it and get back in it the next weekend.



And as to the smartass comment about, "You think"? Tell that to the guy that thinks brand matters. I've seen all three brands win.