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Thoughts on this project


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I have been looking for a cheap semi accurate truck kit to put the racers wedge on. After not finding anything in my price range and continually looking at the Chevy Titan 90 that has been sitting on my to build shelf since my last stalled semi project. I got the idea to put the Racers Wedge on it. I already have realized that the wedge will sit much higher off the ground than if it were on a regular truck. I will have to custom up new ramps. What do you guys think, any tips or possible concerns.

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Edited by ra7c7er
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The biggest thing I can think of that you will need to do is widen the entire wedge to fit the truck. I have plans of putting one on a Dodge dually, and it is even not wide enough for the dually, as you can see in this pic.

HPIM1519.jpg

The only other thing I can think offhand you may need to do to put the wedge on a semi is you may have to modify the wheel openings to make them larger to fit around the larger semi tires.

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It's do-able. I think it'd be a safe bet to say you could get rid of the second drive axle. Most single-car haulers built from semi-tractors are single-drive. With a 5000 pound racecar, you just aren't hauling enough weight to justify a second drive axle, wear on four extra tires, etc...

As far a sitting high on the chassis, depending on how high it sets, you could extend the wedge body down with Evergreen styrene and fabricate deeper storage compartments forward of the drive axle. When you're running a one truck race team, storage space becomes critical.

Just a few thoughts...

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Thanks guys. All of your comments really have me thinking. If you haven't guessed it I am not trying to make some awesome fantasy hauler but a sort of "this is what I had and I made due type thing".

The single drive axle is a really awesome idea. I could even use the extra space for more storage area.

Edited by ra7c7er
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Maybe the Nissian Titan is what he's thinking of not the Chev Titan 90 rig?

Nick

Yeah, but Robert clearly mentioned that it was the Chevy Titan 90 in his first post! :rolleyes::rolleyes:

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i've had this stalled project for awhile,

model9-5-07cars016.jpg

most of the issue with it is that the L700 has a rake to it's stance which with the long wedge body combines to create some killer ramp angles for loading/unloading a racecar. the only way really around that is some very long ramps or to raise the front of the truck some.

the Titan 90 idea is cool because it combines the wedge with a sleeper cabover which could work out pretty cool.

That looks cool. You should put it back on the table.

The sleeper is part of what made me really consider the idea.

Edited by ra7c7er
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double d had same prob with my L700 add a block between front axle and spring..

Back in the late sixties early 70s when that kit first came out, Phil Jensen did an article on lengthening the frame and making a flat bed stake truck. If I remember correctly he removed the helper spring and modified the rear main leaves to get a better stance...

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Don't know if it'll help you or another builder, but here's the plans for the car hauler I built.

You can change the dimensions, make a a single or double axle, add a tire rack, tool boxes, etc.

Thanks, I think a few people will wind up saving your plans.

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There's no copyright involved so please use the plans as you will. Here's a pic of the completed version behind a '99 Silverado (took 2nd place at the last JaxCon show)

WOW, only second? Must have been a amazing truck that beat yours. Geez that awesome.

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Here is a conversion I did using the Ford C series stake bed truck. I added a tool compartment to the front of the wedge and added strip styrene to the sides to bring the sides farther out.

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Cheers:

Bill

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Guys, I have another question.

Where would you put the exhaust stack? I can't leave it in it's stock position because it would be blowing the exhaust right back onto the race car. I was thinking the only other way would be to have it dump under the truck but I don't know if that is even remotely realistic.

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...the exhaust to"Grass Burners"or at least thats what us mechanics call them.

That's what us truckers call them too!! B);):lol:

Robert, another idea you could try if you'd like to have a custom look to the truck is run the exhaust like a set of sidepipes along the bottom of the wedge. You might have to extend the sides of the wedge down some to make it even with the bottom of the lowest step to get in the cab, but I think it might be a nice custom touch. :o I'll look through some of my truck pics and see if I have any with the sidepipe look.

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European trucks have usually exhaust under chassis and even many showtrucks here have exhaust under chassis. Then there is sidepipes too, technically they are under chassis too. So in that build with that set up i would use sidepipes.

Here is example how good they can look in showtruck. This Volvo is actually daily workhorse and it hauls some fine Finnish beer around our country :lol:

1814.jpg

If youre not familiar with Juha Ristimaa`s trucks just google " Juha Ristimaa " He has website too for his company, but there update progress coming so i guess he has something new to show us again ;)

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