building a frame for a pull truck.
 

for the past couple months I have been searching for 2nd gen frames to put my 1st gen body on and no luck so I just came up with an idea and figured I would throw it out here just to give you an idea about my goals...


I will be pulling in open class just for fun mostly
filed block
mild FDS 13mm pump and a single s500 turbo
haisley 14mm girdle that ties the main caps
cam bushings
de-compressed pistons, coated, fly cut
dual air/water I/C
solid rear suspension with sqhd axle
completely gutted interior
no floors or bottom of bed besides what is required for the driver only
at the moment it will retain the 241dhd and nv4500 but down the road I plan on a dropbox reverser and all that good stuff but not anytime soon.

I will be around 1200HP

I had the idea of keeping the front end off of a wrecked dodge frame I found and from the cab back make my own rear section. not a single factory component will be retained from there on so why not? I have the equipment and know just enough to get me in trouble to get it done.

what are your thoughts on it?

Keep your axle centerlines dead on or it pull sideways and bad things will happen .. its only metal and welding so no biggie . What area you going to pull it
In ?

as in what class? just brush pulls/rwyb/open class.

Building a RWYB truck is cool and all until you decide to take a ride to Scheid or something some day to play with the big boys and you need to make a bunch of changes to meet rules. If it were me, I'd build for a class even if its the 3.6 Pro Stock class.

Ditch the SQHD and go to a 20145, they are more abundant and cheaper

You are going to need more than a "mild" 13mm pump to reach 1200HP

I'd bail on the S500, nobody seems to run them and a well built S400 will make plenty of power. The true 3.6 trucks run an HX82 or something along those lines.

The point of it all is not to be that competitive or serious. Just to have a very stout setup and half the fun for me is in the build. I don't have a crew or connections or that great of a job so its just purely for fun. I would be happy with 4-5 local pulls a year, hardly seems worth it to most but more than worth it to me.

Why not just use the first gen frame?? Rusted out or something??

the current frame I have is 2wd.

4wd brackets bolt on 2wd frame

really?

Yes done 5 2wd to 4wd all you gotta do is cut factory 2wd stuff off, go junk yard find any old 75-93 dodge remove brackets shock brackets and steering box spacer . Your main brackets is the front ones those locate the leaf springs cut rivets off use bolts bolt on spring hanger holes are the same ..

wow I didn't know that, thanks man.

If you are willing to build back of a frame, what would be so hard about building a coil spring with trailing arms similar to 2nd gen? Rather than putting leafs on it.

that's why I wanted a 2nd gen frame originally was for the coils. I think ill settle for leaf springs. not too many people run them up front so it'll be trial and error getting it dialed in.

The only downside to front leafs is spring wrap is an issue on the front too. You will have to fab some type of anti wrap bar, I don't think you will find any kind of bolt on kit for the front.

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If you are building it from scratch don't use leaf springs. Making a set of bars and brackets isn't a big deal.

I thought about getting some universal coilover shocks but with the weight rating I would need they would get pretty costly for something I don't really need but it would be cool. I'm still considering all options

Attachment 67209

Food for thought

If you do decide to use leafs, you will eventually have to do something about spring wrap.

Unless the rules prohibit it, I would do as YoungDiesel27 suggest.

Of course, if the 2nd gen frame is budget friendly, it sure would save on some fab.

The engine cradle is slightly different as well. If that will matter in this case. Conversions I've seen require a couple of new holes to be drilled, IIRC.

Bad food for thought. :lolly: