For instance, to lower the front end, they didn't want risk heating or cutting coils on a high-powered pickup, and new custom springs cost a few grand. Jimmy finally discovered that a set of coils for the '00-'02 11/42-ton gasoline Ram would do the trick.
There were plenty of other problems that needed to be tackled. Dale had to weld custom parts from an endless list, such as double driveshaft loops, radiator brackets, a blow-by tank, a transmission shield, and battery supports, along with fitting a new bed and front fenders and installing a 40-inch ladder-bar rearend from Bevins Chassis Works. And that was the easy part.
The engine and transmission are obviously the heart of any drag truck, and this one had to go through several transplant operations. Running too much compression and about 100 psi of boost, they toasted their first engine, blowing out the No. 6 cylinder and cracking the block in half.
"That was pretty disheartening," Dale says. Dan Scheid of Scheid Diesel heard of their plight and offered to lend a hand on a new 12-valve, 5.9L Cummins. His one request was they start with a stronger structured block instead, which is normally used to power water pumps and other heavy-duty industrial equipment on 24/7 duty cycles. Scheid then added some reinforcements of his own, beefing up the bottom end and cylinder walls. He also ported the head and threw in some special valves, push tubes, injectors, and a pair of hybrid turbos.
For initial spool-up on the low end, the manifold turbo is a BorgWarner unit, and a larger Holset kicks in for the second stage once the rpm come up. Not surprisingly, Scheid is reluctant to provide many details on these performance puffers because they're the secret to his success on the dragstrip and at tractor pulls. He did reveal a few specifics, though. These turbos pump out 110 psi of boost, which requires lowering the engine compression ratio from 17:1 to 13:1 to pack more air into the cylinders.