My 2006 Usa East Year in Review vid

[mech2161]

I put together 10 video clips from the 2006 pulling season with Usa East. The Good The Bad and The Ugly. It's six or seven minutes so the down load does take time. I think you will enjoy it.
If the link doesn't work you can get to it on my web site on the lower half of the page.

http://sledpullmotorsports.com/files/All_Jacked_Up.wmv

[undercover]

Good Job On The Vid

[mech2161]

Thanks!

[TurboBeagler]

Nice Vid Kevin!

I like the change to "flirting with disaster" at the end, hopefully you get all those bouncing issues eliminated this season.

[JW3]

Good video!

[house]

lower the hitch inch and half at one lil pull if it still bounces and see what happens kevin

[mech2161]

Hey Joe what's up! I have a list of to do's a mile long. The tight tracks with heavy sleds had my number last year.

[99Binder]

have you heard the new Metallica song "Extacy of Gold" it would fit the good the bad and the ugly theme. Great VID

[mech2161]

I found that song, I'll down load it and check it out.

[enegpsd]

While I am glad to see a Ford doing battle with the best pulling trucks out there, its a miracle your truck goes down the track at all. Look at the surge you have.

There is a serious suspension issue, I don't know why it doesn't bounce to the moon.

Who did your suspension work? I'd take it back, because obviously, they have no clue.

[mech2161]

While I am glad to see a Ford doing battle with the best pulling trucks out there, its a miracle your truck goes down the track at all. Look at the surge you have.

There is a serious suspension issue, I don't know why it doesn't bounce to the moon.

Who did your suspension work? I'd take it back, because obviously, they have no clue.


Obviously you have no idea what you are looking at. Watch the first video in the ugly and watch the frame flex. So what do I send it back to Ford?

"its a miracle your truck goes down the track at all. Look at the surge you have".
If your talking about the engine it's in the right foot!

There were suspension changes made after those videos. The only hooks after were at Shelbyville (slick track) and Cynthiana where I broke a drive shaft.

[Distributor]

Frame flex huh????
Looked more like too much air in the rear/Too rough on the clutch to me........Among other things....

[mech2161]

Your probably right it was my first pull and never tried to fix it.

[Distributor]

If you dont want the help its up to you...I've never pulled before:hehe:

[mech2161]

What help all you people know how to do is put someone else down. If you have an idea I would like to hear it.
I want to hear why you don't think the frame is flexing. Look at the Ugly part of the video, third song first clip. You can see it between the cab and the bed.
I don't think I understand what you call surge?

[bbunting]

I don't think I understand what you call surge?

You can hear it when the weight hits, and the motor pulls down. Chh chh chhh.....aka, surge.

[mech2161]

You can hear it when the weight hits, and the motor pulls down. Chh chh chhh.....aka, surge.


Forgive me if I sound stupid but I don't hear it.:bang
I understand what your talking about, but it doesn't get under the charger and bog like a Dodge.

[JOHNBOY]

You can hear it when the weight hits, and the motor pulls down. Chh chh chhh.....aka, surge.


Where at time wise is it in the vid? If you are talking about the second Mercer raceway pull at 3:40. He was pedaling the truck. That track sucked hardcore. Really rough. A lot of guys had trouble. Mat Cooper pulled a "Wheelie":bang . Still can not beleive it did not break. I went to a lot of pulls with Kevin a I can not remember hearing any surge. I will check my vids when I get home.

[1965LONEWOLF]

good job on the vid , pretty nice for a ford , i ', a dodge guy but hats off to ya.

[PSUCE]

When you say you made changes, what changes have you made from the pics on your website? Or are those pics the most current? My thoughts/opinion on your suspension would be 1.) get rid of the factory springs in the rear and upgrade to a heavier spring, 2.) change the ladder bar to attach to the point where the turnbuckle does (in other words move the pivot point of the ladder bar from the center of the axle to below the axle, this will help eliminate axle wrap and will also eliminate the turnbuckle from causing your ladder bar to flex), 3.) the frame flex can be helped if you change the ladder bar system around and change where/how you mount the front point of the ladder bar (couldn't find any pics of how the front of the ladder bar attaches) 4.) I'm not sure of the geometry of your front suspension by looking at the pics, but are your shackles on the rear of the spring? If so then when your suspension compresses, the shackles are allowing your axle to move towards the back of the truck and your traction bar, being fixed to the cross member, would be pushing the housing towards the front of the truck causing some funky things to happen (this was happening to one of the RWYB gas guys this year and plagued him most of the year until he changed it)

Like I said these are my thoughts and opinions. I really never looked under your truck before, but I've seen your truck in action enough to know there's something wrong.

Dave

[Sledpuller]

Forgive me if I sound stupid but I don't hear it.:bang
I understand what your talking about, but it doesn't get under the charger and bog like a Dodge.


You may want to change that to,".........but it doesn't get under the charger and bog like Calvin Millers Dodge."

His is the only Dodge I know of that bogs, who pulls more a couple times a year, that you pull against.

It looks to me like your truck always has a bounce to it-it just doesn't shut you down everytime.

[mech2161]

Those are old pics.
The rear bracket is 2.5 inches lower than the rear axle and mounted between the U-bolts(welded). The front connects to a drop bracket 7in down from the frame at the door line.
The drop brackets are tied together side to side with 2X2 box.
The frame is plated over the rear springs.
I have round tube from the front cab mount to the drop bracket and from over the rear housing (frame)to the drop bracket. Trying to bridge or triangle the frame.

The hitch will be raised this year to change the lever angle and i will also try to drop the hook point on tight tracks.

I'm open for any and all ideas.:bang

[mech2161]

You may want to change that to,".........but it doesn't get under the charger and bog like Calvin Millers Dodge."

His is the only Dodge I know of that bogs, who pulls more a couple times a year, that you pull against.

It looks to me like your truck always has a bounce to it-it just doesn't shut you down everytime.


Maybe bog is a bad choice of words. I can say I've never got under the charger and been shut down.

[Patrick@DPP]

get rid of the round tube and go with square for the ladder bars, and they probably dont need to go past the front u-joint of the rear drive shaft. JMO
I love the video though...good job!

[TurboBeagler]

Kevin, do you have a leveling kit on the front of the truck?

[lightsOUT]

Kevin, do you have a leveling kit on the front of the truck?

does this pose a big problem??? the truck i plan on pulling this year has extra springs in the front (original owner had a snowplow). ive never pulled it yet, and my other truck had only the factory front spirngs... also mine is super-cab short bed like kevins. if its going to be a problem ill take them off and save aggrivation.

[smoken5.7olds]

frame flex huh ? but it can hold it's self with a bed bolt. toughest frame out right now huh?(that what they tell me on tv) all trucks flex framed truck flex at the bed and the cab. i know it's a ford thing i would't understand!!!!!!!!!! thats cool thou keep it up the more pullers the bigger the sport!!!!

[AGtremely Hooked]

Kevin, do you have a leveling kit on the front of the truck?

does this pose a big problem??? the truck i plan on pulling this year has extra springs in the front (original owner had a snowplow). ive never pulled it yet, and my other truck had only the factory front spirngs... also mine is super-cab short bed like kevins. if its going to be a problem ill take them off and save aggrivation.



YES, we found that just ONE front spring works. the more we had on the front the more it bounced. tried alot of diff setups and atleast on fords u want ur front to float. thats my advice

[house]

mine works fine with 5 font leafs and 8 rear

[JW3]

Is it me or does it seem like the manual tranny fords like to bounce more than the auto ford pullers?

[Six_leaker]

You have a stout motor and I would think your season would have been a LOT! better if she had not bounced quite as much. The 1st pull of the year there at mercer where you took the sled out the gate was very impressive.

I will be hooking this year at mercer 1st pull of the year I hope for no bounce. But with a ferd ya never know!!!

I will have Calvin Miller style traction bars made from the 3pt hitch top link. Hitch tucked up as far as It can go and still be the fartherest point to the back & hope to take the rear bumper off + rear air bags.

[Sledpuller]

Yes, air bags, you see them on all the top pullers in the country...........

[house]

Airbags was my lil bounce issue last year, there gonedy now

[mech2161]

I've tried to listen to those with an honest effort to help. There aren't many Fords pulling to look at. I've tried things that work on the Dodges with no luck. I haven't tried air bags, among other things this is on my to do list. At one time my truck looked like a jungle gym on the bottom side. I have been trying?
If I get it to work the Dodge boys will be crying more than ever. No they didn't find any nos.

[AGtremely Hooked]

I promise u are ford setups are diff from dodges, u want ur front end to do what it wants if u put to many leaf springs or traction bars up front it bucks, if u want proof check out my pull from tenn. PM me if u have any questions

[mech2161]

Here are some things I've tried.

Front:
1 No bars
2 single upper bar
3 single upper 2 lower
4 single shock
5 dual shock
6 hang weight
7 no weight

Rear:
1 as from factory
2 single lower bars
3 upper & lower bars 4 link style
4 ladder bars
5 heavier springs
6 lighter springs
7 no suspension travel
8 1in travel
9 2in travel
10 plate outside of frame from front spring hanger and tied into hitch
11 more & less air pressure

Every setup has bounced on a tight track with heavy sled.

[house]

hitch hieght was at?

[mech2161]

This I kept a constant 26in. I will try it lower this year.

[house]

good man, mines at 24, when at 26 the truck would jump alot for the first 100foot

[mech2161]

If I get past the first 100ft hang on it's good. My truck rocks on a loose track.

[wanabsledpuller]

Sleddy said ALL the TOP pullers in the Country use air bags....Finally He said something nice..Hey Kevin You know how thick your pipe is..you can try thicker stuff maybe?...:cheer:

[mech2161]

I don't have the measurement but it's all heavy wall. We have a race car chassis shop close.

[house]

my truck is the same way after 100ft it rocks, my trav bars are made out of 1 and 7/8 .025 wall DOM tube