Thoughts on this project

[ra7c7er]

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.

Edited June 8, 2011 by ra7c7er

[RodneyBad]

No tips but it sounds like a good plan..

[highway]

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.

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.

[Wagoneer81]

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...

[chuckyr]

I think this thread should be on the pick up truck board.

[ra7c7er]

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 June 8, 2011 by ra7c7er

[highway]

I think this thread should be on the pick up truck board.

Since when did a Titan become a pickup??

[Nick Winter]

Since when did a Titan become a pickup??

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

Nick

[highway]

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!

[ra7c7er]

i've had this stalled project for awhile,

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 June 8, 2011 by ra7c7er

[scale trucker]

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

[midwest 1953]

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...

[crazyjim]

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.

[Mr. Moparman]

If you don't mind I've saved your plans for future usage.

Edited June 8, 2011 by Master Modeller

[ra7c7er]

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.

[crazyjim]

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)

Edited June 8, 2011 by crazyjim

[ra7c7er]

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.

[bitner]

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.

Cheers:

Bill

[cowboysevens]

I think this thread should be on the pick up truck board.

i think this thread is right where it belongs

robert please keep us posted on this one, i think its gonna be a heck of a race car hauler!!

[ra7c7er]

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.

[scummy]

G,day , if you look at the t600 from amt it had the exhaust run under along the chassis .

[dad vader]

There are many trucks out there that have exhaust that run under the truckSome moving van company owner/operators that have large sleepers installed convert the exhaust to"Grass Burners"or at least thats what us mechanics call them.

[highway]

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

That's what us truckers call them too!!

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. I'll look through some of my truck pics and see if I have any with the sidepipe look.

[ra7c7er]

Thanks guys. I never knew semi trucks used under chassis exhaust. I thought they did the stack exhaust because it was some sort of law or something. Is their a reason stack exhaust is the common way to do it?

[Janne Herajärvi]

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

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