Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2016 i Street Trucks

GET IT IN GEAR AMERICAN POWERTRAIN’S reverse lock-out module offers a simple and elegant way to hook up a reverse lock-out solenoid, easily wiring to Magnum, TR6060 or T56 six-speed transmissions. Using the VSS speed sensor in the transmission to tell the solenoid that your truck is still in motion, this system prevents you from accidentally engaging reverse while on the freeway. American Powertrain • 931.646.4836 • Americanpowertrain.com POKESMAN BOZE’S XCLUSIVE series has expanded to include its all-new Traction Concave. With bold, concave style nd a unique 10-spoke design, the Concave was developed to fit all performance trucks with big brakes and staggered stances. With sizing options ranging from 18- to 20-inch diameters and widths from 8 to 15 inches, a multitude of finishes romises to match performance th custom-built…

EVERY TRUCK GUY HAS A DREAM RIDE, ONE SPECIFIC MODEL THAT SOARS HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER MAKE OUT THERE. Sometimes it takes years to lock one down, and the reasons are many: too expensive, too much rust, missing too many parts—there are plenty of variables but, on the other hand, there are just as many excuses. Finding the “perfect” project truck is tough, now more so than ever. If a truck is priced too high, you either gotta buck up or pass the opportunity on to the next guy. It’s another thing, however, if a truck is too far-gone and needs to be completely rebuilt from the ground up. Unless you possess the know-how to do all of that, it’s a job that will most likely take you forever and…

TIRES HELP GET POWER TO THE GROUND, AND WITHOUT THE RIGHT SET, IT’S POSSIBLE TO SIT IN AN INFINITE BURNOUT WITHOUT GOING ANYWHERE. What many don’t understand is that the proper suspension setup is much more important than the right set of shoes. If the tires can’t make effective contact with the road, then they won’t get you anywhere. Getting the power down to the ground is one important characteristic, ride comfort, clearance, style and safety are others. When picking your suspension setup, all five aspects need to be taken into consideration. For those who want to go low, there are several options available these days to achieve the look you desire. If you are going for a mild drop, a set of spindles or springs can help out, and…

“THEY CAN HANDLE SUBSTANTIALLY MORE WEIGHT WITH FEWER PROBLEMS THAN OTHER DESIGNS. THIS IS WHY WE SEE SOLID AXLES UNDER MOST SUVS AND EVERY SIZE TRUCK.” Solid axle, leaf-sprung suspension is the cheapest and easiest way to get decent results. Henry Ford used solid axles for his Model T as far back as the early ’20s. They were done differently than they are today. The leaf spring was mounted transversely; in other words, it was a single sideways-mounted leaf spring. Obviously, it’s no longer a new design since it’s been around for almost a century and has undergone multiple rounds of upgrades and tweaks since its inception. Nevertheless, they work great off road, and even with the fair amount of bump steer they have, they do pretty well…

Spindles are one of the better ways of altering your truck’s height because they don’t mess with ride quality. Factory systems are set by highly skilled engineers to have the most comfortable ride while keeping good traction. Lowered or lifted spindles change the location of the wheel-mounting point and alter the height. Though they are more expensive, they will give the best ride. The only drawback is that you are limited by how much they will change the height. If you want to go lower or higher than the spindles allow, you must combine them with other parts like springs and shocks.…

BELIEVE US: WE KNOW PEER PRESSURE. It’s never a good idea to ask your buddies whether or not you should buy those new wheels, or have your seats redone, or even something as simple as getting your windows tinted. Inevitably, the chants of, “DO IT, DO IT, DO IT …” win out, and next thing you know, you’re spending major coin on your ride again. Truthfully, we usually just want that gentle nudge in the right direction. We were probably gonna do it anyway, but we use that nod of approval to help justify it to ourselves, our spouses and our bank accounts, right? For Sergio Tijerina, the pressure was immense, but most of it actually came from within. Sergio grew up seeing the members of a certain club, Ground…

We hear from late-model 4WD owners all the time about the easiest and quickest method to change the overall appearance of their stock truck. Of course new wheels and tires are always the first suggestion, but for anyone who wants more, the natural next step is a change in suspension altitude. Big lift kits just aren’t for everybody. First of all, they can get pretty expensive. Secondly, installation can be too complicated for most people to handle at home, which makes paying a shop to install the kit an absolute necessity. Sure, any truck is going to look bitchin’ after all that, but the big kits are just not something every truck owner wants or needs for their rig. The perfect middle ground is a front leveling kit. These babies…

ORIGINALLY introduced as a concept truck at the 2014 SEMA Show, Chevrolet’s 2017 Silverado High Desert package has been unveiled. Available on Silverado’s LT, LTZ and High Country trim levels, the new package represents Matic 8L90 eight-speed automatic transmission. While still titled an “Eco” engine, the V-8 is rated at 420 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. As in the original concept, the High Desert package that can separate smaller items when raised and open up the bed when lowered, all capped by a three-piece tonneau cover. The package includes 20-inch wheels with all-season tires on LT rims,…

“THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT THE OLDER MODELS WITH THAT ORIGINAL FINISH, WORN DOWN TO THE BONES YET UNTOUCHED, THAT REALLY SPOKE TO HIM.” TO SAY THAT SAM CASTRONOVA OF PHOENIX, ARIZONA, IS A CONNOISSEUR WOULD BE A DISSERVICE. He has a passion—no, a master’s degree—in patina trucks. His love for these vehicles is undeniable, and that’s why when he puts his name on a project, you know it’s legit. For the uninitiated, “patina” refers to the natural look that a truck’s paint and body acquire after being used for decades without a refresh. Sam has loved trucks with that look for years, which comes from watching his father do 100-point restorations of Cadillacs when he was a kid. Those cars were great, and they got a lot of…

“TONY FOUND A WAY TO KEEP THE ENTIRE BACK SEAT AND INCLUDE ALL OF THE NECESSARY SYSTEMS AS THEY WERE DESIGNED BY TOYOTA.” THERE’S NOTHING MORE INSPIRING WHEN IT COMES TO A NEW BUILD THAN HAVING NO INSPIRATION AT ALL EXCEPT FOR WHAT YOU COME UP WITH YOURSELF. When Tony Rispoli of Orlando, Florida, set out in December 2012 to build a Toyota 4Runner, his entire reason behind changing from building a third gen to building a fourth gen was that he’d never seen one before. Tony was happy to build against the grain and forge a unique path, without having to worry about what had been done before. Starting a build that’s never been done before does offer up a key pro and con: pro, no matter…

Double wishbone systems, also known as A-arm suspension, are the best of all designs on the street, but are slightly lacking in the dirt. Drop-down brackets are commonly used to gain some ground clearance with double wishbone systems. The one pictured above is an extreme drop-down bracket example; most are only a few inches tall. The double wishbone suspension design was and is a total departure from straight axle and is actually a bit closer to a link setup in theory. While the twin beam style was designed to reduce the bump steer of the solid axle design, double wishbone suspension takes it a step further by completely isolating the wheel and tire while keeping its travel perfectly (when designed correctly) aligned to the road, maximizing driver comfort and control.…

“IN THE REAR, BLOCKS CAN BE USED THAT SIMPLY PUT A SPACER IN THE SUSPENSION, RAISING OR LOWERING THE VEHICLE BY WHATEVER THICKNESS THE SPACER IS ...” For the factory leaf-sprung rearend on a ’14 Ford Super Duty, the main two leafs locate the axle and handle basic operation spring duties. The upper and lower springs are overloads and only come into play when the vehicle is carrying a heavy load. Here, a race pack with multiple smaller leafs designed to carry the weight of the vehicle move freely, allowing for a better ride through rough terrain. The pictured pack has also been powder coated to match the vehicle. By far the simplest design and cheapest to modify, leaf springs are just multiple pieces of spring steel (a…

This is a combination of tuned shocks with specific springs working together for the perfect combination of ride control and handling. These are also adjustable in length and will allow you to get the exact height you want. There are also plenty of them that allow you to adjust the shock valving for the best firmness. Installing a set of coil-overs is always the simplest choice since most are universal and must be adapted for use. If you can make them fit or have it done for you, they are a great option.…

SHOW TIME METAL WORKS (STMW) IS AN ULTRA-HIGH-QUALITY FABRICATION SHOP IN TAYLOR, TEXAS, SPECIALIZING IN LIFTED AND CUSTOM TRUCKS FOR CLIENTS SEEKING THE BEST. Owned and operated by two brothers, the shop offers an array of body modifications and accessories. The pair has staked their claim with original and unique designs, and their work has been extremely well received in industry media and shows across the nation, with an especially heavy influence in the lifted truck genre. STMW has grown immensely in the last few years. Having first gained popularity in the local show circuit, it eventually transitioned to a full-scale fabrication business with product lines producing bespoke grilles and bumpers. Dustin Naivar is one half of the duo responsible for the creation and success of STMW. Alongside his brother,…

Any regular Street Trucks’s reader knows how much we love a good Chevy build and fresh ideas, and this issue we’ve found both in this project C-10 blast from the past. The truck serving as the base and inspiration for this build is a ’66 Chevy stepside, purchased complete with original paint, interior and many of its parts. Brian Vowell bought the truck in New Mexico and promptly nicknamed it the “Time Machine,” because driving the near-factory ride was like being transported to when it was first built. Immediately motivated by the potential, Vowell talked to Porterbuilt’s Nate Porter to start brainstorming on the stepside. Friends and coworkers on projects in the past, the two quickly came up with the foundation for the build you see…

Lifting a truck comes with a lot of bonuses like added ground clearance, the ability to see over most cars and badass aesthetics. Like all modifications there are some drawbacks, though, and the real question is whether the positives outweigh the negatives. One thing that might prevent you from performing a lift of more than just a few inches is the fact that it can be difficult to crawl up into a beast of a truck. Unless you are a natural born giant like Lebron James, you will most likely have problems in this area. Worse yet, if you have little kids, they certainly won’t appreciate doing “American-Gladiator”-type stunts just to get in your ride. Fortunately, there are quite a few solutions available. The moderate way to gain access is…

TRUCK BUILDERS AND CAR CUSTOMIZERS ARE INNOVATORS AND ARTISTS WHO CHOOSE A PATH LESS TRAVELED. Instead of sitting behind some prefab warehouse desk punching buttons and shuffling paper for eight hours a day, they step through metal shavings, crack loose rusted bolts and bang and shape metal into art that will turn heads as it travels down the highway. Their art doesn’t hang on the wall in a museum, but rather, it impresses admirers at shows and in garages across the country. Scott Purkerson of Bozeman, Montana, is an artist who exercises his creativity on American steel and pours his passion into shaping and redefining metal. When he was 24, Scott built hot rods and customs at Benchmark Fab & Finish in Corvallis, Oregon, while he worked on earning a…

This is where it gets interesting. Four-links, 3-links, radius-arm and triangulated-link setups are the ultimate way to tune your rig’s suspension. A link suspension consists of multiple solid arms, which connect the axle to the vehicle with some sort of pivoting joint. The axle can then move freely with little restriction within the limits that the links set. The solid links will also keep the axle aligned exactly how you want it to be, at any point in the suspension’s travel, no matter the engine load. Springs (air, coils, coil-overs, hydraulic arms, etc.) of any type are used to keep the vehicle at ride height. Due to the solid links and free choice of shock-and-spring combos, this type of suspension is the most tunable for any terrain or situation. With…

SICK OF THE way the show scene was headed in SoCal, the members of Relaxed Atmosphere decided to take things into their own hands. These shows were often mismanaged and very costly, not just for the participants, but for the spectators as well. When Relaxing in SoCal was first held, the goal was to make it inexpensive enough to draw the largest crowd. For many years, the event was held in the streets in front of Alpine Electronics’ headquarters in Torrance, California. But as the years progressed, the show became increasingly successful and the crowds grew. It was both a blessing and a beating. The show area was becoming overcrowded, and last year, the staff had to turn vehicles away. The club members knew that if they wanted to…

The Hulkster This ’72 Ford F-100 4x4 belongs to Derrick Wood, from New Mexico, who has fondly branded the truck “The Hulkster.” Having tinkered with several project cars since he was a teen, he was inspired in 2002 to start looking for an older project truck. Instead of spending money on a new truck, Derrick wanted to take an older model and make it a one-of-a-kind hauler. He found his ’72 at a local Ford dealer already modified with power steering and front disc brakes that had come off of a full-size ’78 Bronco. Originally housing a 390 Ford engine, Derrick quickly swapped the 390 for a 460 with D3VE ported heads using an L&L Products conversion kit. The intake is an Edelbrock Performer RPM, and the engine breathes with…

JULY JULY 1-3 DES MOINES, IA—GOODGUYS 25 TH  HEARTLAND NATIONALS—Held at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, 3000 E. Grand Ave. For more info, log on to Good-guys.com. JULY 8-10 COLUMBUS, OH—GOODGUYS 19 TH  PPG NATIONALS—Held at the Ohio Expo Center, 717 East 17th Ave. For more info, log on to Good-guys.com. JULY 10 ANAHEIM, CA—18 TH  ANNUAL BROTHERS SHOW & SHINE—At Canyon RV Park, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Show is open to 1947-87 Chevrolet and GMC trucks only. Live music, raffles and great food will be on hand at the show. For more info, log on to Brotherstrucks.com. JULY 22-24 AUSTIN, TX—2016 CUSTOM SOUNDS TEXAS HEAT WAVE—At the Travis County Expo Center, 7311 Decker Ln. Custom trucks and cars, monster trucks, burnout contest, live music, audio competition, bikini contest,…