Power Wagon mud race truck build

[NakeDiesel]

I'm finally getting to do the body swap I have been planning for many years. I picked up the body 4+ years ago and just haven't had the time or place to do it, but I started the conversion last week.

I know the purists will be rolling over in the graves at what I'm doing, but oh well.

The truck I race started out as a 96 2500 Quad Cab long bed 5 years ago, we shortened it to a Regular cab/short bed by cutting 1 1/2 feet out of the bed part of the frame and another 1 1/2 feet out of the cab area.

The engine is a 12 valve cummins, it was the original engine in the truck with 350k miles on it and was missing the injection pump. I bought the truck for 750.00 and then spend another 500.00 on a 215hp injection pump. The first season, we did the swap to the cab and bed, added injectors, valve springs, lockers to the front diff and a Lincoln locker to the rear dif. We also dropped in a variable geometry turbo and a rear stack. I ran the first race of the season, and the first class I raced in I placed 4th, the second class I raced in, we had problems. I bent a rod, melted a piston and blew the head gasket on 4 of 6 cylinders, basically ending my season for the year at the first race.

Anyway, I went all out, with the help of PureDieselPower up in Wisconsin, and built of a 700+hp/1400ft/lbs of torque fire breather. I switched to a race built th400 transmission, bigger turbo, lightened the truck up some more and raced the next season. Finished 2nd overall in my class.

The next year, added more go fast parts, lightened the truck some more, switched to a water to air intercooler and moved stuff from the engine compartment to the rear of the truck and added good shocks and caltraks. Finished season 2nd in Class 2 and 1st in Class 3

Last year, I made some minor changes to the truck, changed radiators to an aluminum radiator, bigger ice box for the intercooler. 2nd race of the season, my turbo went and caught my new carbon fiber stack on fire. I bought an even bigger turbo and went from a s366 based turbo to an s475 based turbo, switched back to my steel stack and dialed the truck in the rest of the season with the new turbo combo and finished 2nd in class 2 and 3rd in class 3.

We are in the offseason now and that Powerwagon body that's been sitting out by the fence has been calling my name to be put on the race truck.

So after the last race of the season, I pulled the truck into my new shop and started stripping it down to the frame.

I built body mounts for it over this last weekend for the cab and started figuring out the mountings for the front grill, I've got to pick up some more steel to build the mounting brackets for it. I've got a few parts to track down, like the firewall to grill rods (or I'll make my own), need to find floor pans/trans tunnel or build them, etc.... I have the bed frame as well, but the bottoms are rusted pretty good, so I've got to figure that out as well.

Here was the truck last season:



A video of my 2013 season I put together:
http://youtu.be/S3OW7XQmGuI

The work in progress

[bobyepsr]

Way different application of a ff then most of us but cool none the less. I may have some of what you need. Jim email me khill102 juno.com replace the 2 with an at symbol.

[Gordon Maney]

Perhaps you could offer some details regarding how you mounted the cab.

[NakeDiesel]

I mounted the cab using the rubber bushing from the 96's cab and then took some 4x4x 1/4" square tubing and cut it to make the body mounts. The rear ones were pretty easy to make as they fit fully on the frame. The front ones went through a couple of tries, but ended up using the whole square but shorter with it curved to match the body rubbers and then added bracing with triangles under it. I don't have them fully welded yet, but they hold the body good until I finish mocking everything up. Once I have it all mocked up, I'll remove the cab and go over all of it and make a couple of passes with my mig to ensure it's good and welded. I also plan on adding some angle on the backside of the front mounts and weld the angle to the top of the frame on the back side to add some more strength to it.

I just picked up some 2x3 rectangle tubing to make the front grill support and plan on picking up some cold rolled steel to make the brace rods this weekend after I figure out what size of rod I need. I'll thread one side and then use my torch and flatten / drill the other end so I can bolt it on.

Here are some more pictures. Are you limited to 3 pictures per post?

Mockup of the front end with some scrap strapping


Front body mount


Rear body mount

[NakeDiesel]

Picture of the rear mount installed

[Gordon Maney]

Add as many posts as you need.

[NakeDiesel]

Guess I will be adding the front fender onto the truck. Talked to one of the head rules guys and since it came out with fenders, I've got to run them. Was hoping to save some more weight up front. Changes my front mount I was planning just a small bit, I'll put the rectangle tubing in the inside of the grill and bolt the fenders/grill/brace all together with some 1/2 grade 8 bolts.

I strolled out to the shop and the turbo is going to hit the fender as well as the hood, so I'm going to have to move the turbo either up or down.

[NakeDiesel]

Is there a trick to getting the little screws out of the front windshield that hold the tin strip for extending the window out? I need to get mine removed and the old glass taken out so I can sand blast it along with the cab and then fix all the bad areas in it. Then install lexan in for the windshield.

[Gordon Maney]

I suspect they are rusted in place.

[NakeDiesel]

I'm pretty sure they are, I've been giving the penetrating oil treatment for several days hoping that somehow they will magically break loose, but I'm betting I'm going to have to cut the heads off in order to take it apart and then deal with the results.

[Gordon Maney]

Don't rush it, time is on your side.

[NakeDiesel]

I wish time were on my side, but the trucks got to be fully fabricated, body work done, painted and fully operation by mid April of next year for race season to start.

[gmharris]

Is there a trick to getting the little screws out of the front windshield that hold the tin strip for extending the window out? I need to get mine removed and the old glass taken out so I can sand blast it along with the cab and then fix all the bad areas in it. Then install lexan in for the windshield.

Those screws always cause problems. As Gordon said, give it time. Once you mess up the slots, you have to drill and tap the holes.

Be careful and don't get in too much of a rush. The windshield regulator and windshield frame, if they are in good condition, are worth some money and will be expensive to replace, although it sounds like you are no stranger to spending money.

[Gordon Maney]

I wish time were on my side, but the trucks got to be fully fabricated, body work done, painted and fully operation by mid April of next year for race season to start.

Let the screws soak — with repeated applications of Silikroil — for two months.

[NakeDiesel]

Could somebody measure the length of the support rods from the grill to the firewall? I'm going to pick up some cold rolled rod tomorrow to make them.