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Everyone likes to brag about how they can tow their race car with their 'insert tiny SUV/mini-truck here', but having a truck built for towing makes it a lot more pleasant and less stressful. It's nice to show up at an event fresh, and have a nice drive home after a long weekend at the track.
Gas or Diesel?
Also curious if you sim rig allows you to emulate Miata ergonomics? One of my complaints about my current setup is I don't like the wheel angle and it's not adjustable.
Everyone likes to brag about how they can tow their race car with their 'insert tiny SUV/mini-truck here', but having a truck built for towing makes it a lot more pleasant and less stressful. It's nice to show up at an event fresh, and have a nice drive home after a long weekend at the track.
Gas or Diesel?
Also curious if you sim rig allows you to emulate Miata ergonomics? One of my complaints about my current setup is I don't like the wheel angle and it's not adjustable.
The truck has the new (as of a couple years ago) 7.3L V8. 430 HP, 475 torque and should net better fuel economy than my old 6.0 Vortec due to the new 10 speed transmission.
For the sim rig ergonomics the Sim Labs P1-X is incredibly adjustable. I took a bunch of measurements of my car and was able to match them when building and fine tuning the rig. It did take some ingenuity and flipping around of some brackets, but it got there eventually. With an aluminum profile rig it's very easy to make small adjustments to get everything just right. Even having the shifter super high was possible to match my Miata Roadster tall shifter, it just doesn't have the angle like in my car.
Originally Posted by icantlearn
It's a gasser. No 6.7 badge on the door. Can't believe the diesel is a 10k+ option in these things.
Not only the $10k upcharge, but then also all the extra maintenance that goes with it.
I've never needed the power of a diesel, so the $2k upcharge for the big block gas is exactly what I wanted.
I've always preferred gas trucks over diesel. Every apparatus I use at work is diesel and the emissions issues lead to long periods of downtime, even with our fleet of smaller vehicles (pick up trucks and other small apparatus). Gas trucks have plenty of pros where to me the only pro of a diesel (at the weight I tow) is power. Gas is easier to work on, parts and maintenance are cheaper, and at the end of the weekend any fuel I don't use in the racecar goes straight into the truck so I don't have to fill up as much to get home. With DOT laws and all that I can only tow up to 16,000 lbs which the 7.3 will handle all day long. I think Ford really hit a sweet spot offering a larger and more powerful gas motor to bridge the gap between the standard smaller V8 found in most pickups and the all out power and torque of the diesel. Without this power train offering I might not have gone with Ford as it heavily weight my decision. No one else offers anything in the same tier.
Everything I've read on that 7.3 gasser leads me to believe it's going to be a great engine, especially with that 10 speed trans. It would certainly be my choice over any of the other gas offerings available. You'd have to get me to give up my Cummins first though, and that ain't happening.
The truck has the new (as of a couple years ago) 7.3L V8. 430 HP, 475 torque and should net better fuel economy than my old 6.0 Vortec due to the new 10 speed transmission.
For the sim rig ergonomics the Sim Labs P1-X is incredibly adjustable. I took a bunch of measurements of my car and was able to match them when building and fine tuning the rig. It did take some ingenuity and flipping around of some brackets, but it got there eventually. With an aluminum profile rig it's very easy to make small adjustments to get everything just right. Even having the shifter super high was possible to match my Miata Roadster tall shifter, it just doesn't have the angle like in my car.
Not only the $10k upcharge, but then also all the extra maintenance that goes with it.
I've never needed the power of a diesel, so the $2k upcharge for the big block gas is exactly what I wanted.
I've always preferred gas trucks over diesel. Every apparatus I use at work is diesel and the emissions issues lead to long periods of downtime, even with our fleet of smaller vehicles (pick up trucks and other small apparatus). Gas trucks have plenty of pros where to me the only pro of a diesel (at the weight I tow) is power. Gas is easier to work on, parts and maintenance are cheaper, and at the end of the weekend any fuel I don't use in the racecar goes straight into the truck so I don't have to fill up as much to get home. With DOT laws and all that I can only tow up to 16,000 lbs which the 7.3 will handle all day long. I think Ford really hit a sweet spot offering a larger and more powerful gas motor to bridge the gap between the standard smaller V8 found in most pickups and the all out power and torque of the diesel. Without this power train offering I might not have gone with Ford as it heavily weight my decision. No one else offers anything in the same tier.
I am actually a contractor (body engineering) at the Ford plant that built that F-250. But I'm a GM guy. Sold my 2019 3500HD Duramax for the same price I paid for it 3 years ago and 50k miles later. I then ordered a 2500HD with the 6.6L gasser. Adding DEF, worrying about freezing diesel, changing fuel filters, changing trans filters, and the super bouncy ride made me sell and go with a "smaller" gasser. Your "godzilla" motor is definitely the bees knees when it comes to gas truck engines! The only thing I worry about is getting gas with a 34ft trailer in tow. With the diesel, I just pulled into the truck lanes. However, some places have an RV pump with more area for gas RVs.
The only thing I worry about is getting gas with a 34ft trailer in tow. With the diesel, I just pulled into the truck lanes. However, some places have an RV pump with more area for gas RVs.
It is true, many gas stations are less than ideal for getting into with a long truck and trailer. Fortunately, at least for my local tracks, I used to be able to make it there and back with one tank with my old truck with 34 gallon tank after adding any extra fuel left over from the weekend. So I didn't need to stop anywhere with the trailer attached as long as I made sure to fill up before hooking up the trailer.
The new truck has a 48 gallon tank, so even more range now. MPG should be same as old truck at worst, but ideally be a little better.
For longer trips out of region that I am planning for this year I make sure to pre-plan a bit and never pull off where there are only the small 4-6 pump type stations. Sheetz or Wawa typically have fairly large lots, so I shoot for those first. Otherwise I try to hit some of the truck stops for the RV pumps like you mentioned or at least hoping they have larger gas islands similar to Sheetz or Wawa. The GPS I use is a trucker-specific model, so it's pre-loaded with a bunch of truck stops, so I have used that feature as well hoping for larger areas to get my truck into.
In other news, the continual progress of the various K-swap builds on this forum and others I follow on Instagram has brought up the annual off-season conversation with my wife again about wanting more power. I've been in contact with Kpower getting a few questions answered and am leaning heavily toward K-swapping as early as next off-season. A few more overtime shifts should net me the rest of the money I need for the $10-12k investment. Now just need to get on with finding an engine. I'm thinking of going the A2 route, even though the thought of Z3 with stock subframe would be better for NASA classing. TT3 is usually a pretty full class in Mid-Atlantic though, and I could run 240 HP at 2270 lbs with the A2.
Is the subframe swap that much of a hit for TT3? IIRC when I ran the numbers, I came out at something like 280hp at 2300lbs with a turbo BP on Toyo RR for TT3...?
I don't pull a large trailer, but I've quickly learned with my F150 to just stop at large truck stops for fuel well before I get to "oh **** I need gas". Traveled with a friend who was always pushing his tank to empty and having to navigate horrible tight gas stations to never want to do it again.
The GPS I use is a trucker-specific model, so it's pre-loaded with a bunch of truck stops, so I have used that feature as well hoping for larger areas to get my truck into.
I want this too. Especially as I haven't been to VIR the back way. The turn into VIR includes a left-right chicane thing that occupies both lanes even with a 24ft trailer.
Is the subframe swap that much of a hit for TT3? IIRC when I ran the numbers, I came out at something like 280hp at 2300lbs with a turbo BP on Toyo RR for TT3...?
There's no penalty at all for it in TT3, but having the aftermarket subframe would just mean that I can't ever drop back down to TT4. With the 2022 rules TT3 would be 240 HP at 2270 lbs on 245/40/15 Hoosiers. If I chose to use Toyos it literally adds 50 HP, which means I would just be completely outclassed unless I spent the money to build a 300 HP K24 (which I know is certainly feasible). So yes, the K24 does FIT into TT3, the aftermarket subframe just limits my option to also be able to run in 4 where a K24Z3 can run.
Going the other way, if I were to choose the Z3 swap I would be limited in not being able to up class to TT3 due to not being able to make enough power to be anywhere close to competitive. And while I could theoretically bounce between TT4 and TT5, the A-arm and other penalties in 5 would completely neuter the the extra power gained from the engine swap to begin with.
I think TT3 is the best bet for me because it is also the larger class in Mid-Atlantic. There are routinely 6-7 established drivers plus I would be joining and have a buddy with a 350Z that could easily bump into 3. Plus, I wouldn't mind having an "all of it" tune for the K24A2 for non-competitive events where the Z3 would pretty much be limited to 210-220 HP at most.
Sorry to ramble on, just getting my thoughts out of my head haha.
Originally Posted by Midtenn
I don't pull a large trailer, but I've quickly learned with my F150 to just stop at large truck stops for fuel well before I get to "oh **** I need gas". Traveled with a friend who was always pushing his tank to empty and having to navigate horrible tight gas stations to never want to do it again.
I plan to start looking for fuel around a quarter tank remaining. Good thing is a quarter tank left in my new truck is pretty close to what my old full tank was. I have unfortunately had to jump into one of those small stations in an emergency before and it's not something I'd like to continually have to do again.
Originally Posted by bimmerboy
I want this too. Especially as I haven't been to VIR the back way. The turn into VIR includes a left-right chicane thing that occupies both lanes even with a 24ft trailer.
It was well worth the investment. It felt expensive at the time for a GPS unit, but it has made traveling with a trailer so much nicer by avoiding some tight roads like that.
Been a slow start to the new season with work and other general life stuff getting in the way. It's going to continue being slow for a little bit, but for better reason (will explain below).
Ran at VIR in March and did a 2:19.1 which is 0.3 off the (admittedly very soft) record I set last year. My goal moving into this year is to get in the 17s. I already have some ideas of some new things to try with my driving and still need to get the car properly corner balanced as the weights are waaaaaaay off right now. Just haven't had the time. Hoping to be able to sit down and go through video and data from March at some point in the near future, by my schedule is chock full...
Skipping April at Summit Point for two reasons: 1) no time to do anything as mentioned above, and 2) NEW TRAILER!!
Since ordering the new truck last year the ultimate goal was to eventually find a gooseneck trailer so that my wife and I could expand further out of region without the need for hotels. While my 24' bumper pull was fantastic for camping in at the track, it was just a bit too tight for staying overnight in a truckstop and trying to sleep with the car still strapped down. If it was just myself traveling alone I could've easily made it work, but with my wife and dog always with me there just wasn't enough room without having to unstrap the car, push it outside behind the trailer, cover it, then set up the air mattresses in the trailer for the night. Then obviously having to undo all that the next morning to get back on our way. Plus the idea of the car sitting outside all night in some random truck stop just seemed less than ideal. So, now we have all the room we need to have a permanent bunk area up in the gooseneck and the car can stay strapped down with no need to move or set up anything.
The new trailer is a little rough around the edges aesthetically, but seems solid and towed perfectly straight with no issues. Eventually it'll be cleaned up and given the TLC it needs. For the price though it had everything I wanted plus more: 36' overall length (preferred 32', but was okay with 36 if that was all we could find), tandem axle (didn't want triples), A/C already installed, 110v electric, pit lights, awning, already insulated, cabinets that allow for stairs going up to the gooseneck, one piece aluminum roof. With some small work the interior should work perfectly and be much more efficient than my old trailer.
The best part is that I had a track buddy already lined up to buy my old trailer so this one only cost me a relatively small amount out of pocket.
Now, the biggest issue that is going to affect my season moving forward other than not having any time to get it all set up is that...well, it doesn't currently fit getting out of my driveway. I was able to get it backed in with relatively minimal effort, but I don't think it's coming back out until I can expand my driveway culvert. With how much the trailer tires track inside the truck, I'm pretty sure it'll end up in the ditch no matter what I do. So now I'm at the mercy of my busy schedule or the schedule of any contractor I can find to get it done before I can commit to the rest of the season. So far most contractors are scheduled months out and digging out the ditch by hand doesn't sounds very appealing haha.
Anyway, just an early-season update. Hoping to get back on track soon.
Don't feel bad about taking your time. I bought our trailer in 2016, and I still haven't finished all the mods I planned (solar, tire rack, etc...)
Such is life it seems, some projects just never get truly finished despite best intentions! Luckily this one is 90% there, so should be good to get us by for a good amount of time before I really need to dig into it and make it exactly what I want.
Originally Posted by codrus
How badly is the truck squatting with the gooseneck on it? Mine definitely needed airbags for my bumper pull trailer.
--Ian
It actually squats surprisingly little for the fact that I didn't go with the "heavy" rear spring. Those pictures actually make it look way worse than it is on level ground, the middle of that parking lot sloped right where the truck and trailer meet, so it looks like it's squatting pretty bad. I will get measurements the next time I hook it up, because I am curious as well.
I am a huge believe in a good quality weight distribution set up with any bumper pull trailer and I was able to get this truck almost perfectly level with just a little bit of tension on the weight distribution bars on my old trailer. A lot of people on the Super Duty forums were going with airbags to get the same leveling effect I was able to do with weight distribution. The truck certainly squats more with the gooseneck than it did with the bumper pull and WD, but like I said above only minimally so. It certainly rides smooth and doesn't feel like it's pulling the front end up or riding on the bump stops. We had a nice 8 hour test tow home since we went to Ohio to pick it up haha.
I should hopefully be able to get some measurements on how much it is squatting in the next couple weeks.
If you don't want to deal with the complexity/potential failure points of airbags, take a look at Stableloads from Torklift: Torklift Stableload
They install on your springs and engage the overload springs at normal ride height, effectively giving you more spring rate. Takes about a minute to engage or disengage once installed (the version for the bottom of the spring pack). Installation isn't fun, but not terrible. We use just the lower version with a 4500lb camper in our Ram 3500... this is the second truck I've had with them and they're fantastic.
Stock springs, Stableloads, no airbags, 4500lbs in the bed and 900lbs on the hitch with a WD hitch.... about 2.5" of squat:
I am a huge believe in a good quality weight distribution set up with any bumper pull trailer and I was able to get this truck almost perfectly level with just a little bit of tension on the weight distribution bars on my old trailer.
Yeah, mine would squat badly with my trailer. I went with airbags because I didn't pay this much money for a 3/4 ton truck to have to deal with the PITA that is a WD hitch.
As an added benefit I can now raise/lower the back of the trailer by a couple inches from the cab, which is super convenient for getting it up my driveway without gouging up the concrete with the anti-rub wheels at the back.
Yeah, mine would squat badly with my trailer. I went with airbags because I didn't pay this much money for a 3/4 ton truck to have to deal with the PITA that is a WD hitch.
--Ian
Wow. That's a lot of squat for a small trailer... would never have expected that from a 3/4 ton truck. If we're just pulling the trailer, no camper, I don't bother with the WD hitch, and I don't need to engage the Stableloads.
Wow. That's a lot of squat for a small trailer... would never have expected that from a 3/4 ton truck. If we're just pulling the trailer, no camper, I don't bother with the WD hitch, and I don't need to engage the Stableloads.
My trailer is pretty nose-heavy -- the tongue weight actually goes up when I take the car out because of the generator, toolbox, parts, etc that are all in the cabinets at the nose. My weigh-safe hitch says it's about 1200 lbs tongue weight without the car, goes down to 900 or so when it's loaded.
But yes, it squats a lot more than my previous Chevy did. I think that's because the Chevy was from the days when people bought 3/4 ton trucks to do work, not to use as commute vehicles. Modern 3/4 ton trucks have a much more comfortable/civilized ride, achieved through having softer springs in the back (at least until it drops far enough to engage the extra leaves). The airbags are a reasonable compromise for that, they let you dial up the spring rate for towing the car up to the track, then dial it back down after you've dropped the trailer there and are on your way to the hotel. Ford should really make the airbags a factory option like Chrysler does with the Ram.
Yeah, mine would squat badly with my trailer. I went with airbags because I didn't pay this much money for a 3/4 ton truck to have to deal with the PITA that is a WD hitch.
Holy crap, that's a ton of squat 😳
My old 3/4 ton Silverado would squat a fair amount without the weight distribution, but it was certainly used and abused. The Ford so far seems to be much better, but yes, new trucks do seem to squat more than older ones used to. I can't say my new one rides SUPER comfortable, but for a 3/4 ton it's certainly a nicer ride than some others. I think mine is a bit smoother with the crew cab long bed compared to some of the shorter wheelbase trucks.
01-30-2022, 11:11 AM
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