Class 7 Help

[UOURacing]

Does anyone have an idea or advice concerning the best manufacturer of a class 7 platform Ford (Ranger), Toyota, Nissan? Also, any suggestions as far as the class subdivisions 7, 7s, 7sx that would be good for someone looking to get into the small trucks?

Thanks

[K5 out of water]

How much do you want to spend?

[zetapsi827]

Ford and Toyota seem to be the most popular right now. It will be easier to find parts and vendors for those platforms. You will probably find for stuff for a ford than a toyota.

As far as which one is the best?? Well that's going to be a subject of biased opinions. :D

[OldStroppeTeam]

Where are you going to Race.... BITD has a great FORD contingency program...

[Tom_Willis]

Watch out for trucks for sale..

Find someone selling a used but dialed-in winning truck, like Donahoe's stock mini Tacoma.

That way you will be crossing your first start line in weeks rather than months (or years).

[UOURacing]

I was interested in SCORE, BITD, and the PRO races have looked interesting. I like the idea of buying a truck pretty much ready to go, the Donohoe deal is awesome but about 10 -15 k out of my range!

[REEVESRacing]

Does anyone have an idea or advice concerning the best manufacturer of a class 7 platform Ford (Ranger), Toyota, Nissan? Also, any suggestions as far as the class subdivisions 7, 7s, 7sx that would be good for someone looking to get into the small trucks?

Thanks
Great advice on the DR Tacoma, http://www.donahoeracing.com/forsale_desc.php?forsaleID=2

Faster / smoother is 7 Open, you may want to check out:

Armor-Craft (http://armor-craft.com/)
or
Perry McNeil (http://mcneilracinginc.com/)

Use the "Search" function here to see threads on Ranger's / Tacomas. Also, get on the horn these guys / other builders.

Feel free to PM us w/ specific ?'s, good luck!
Rich.

edit, just saw your post, not sure what eveyone else thinks, but from experience a 25k budget is nominal for "S / SX, won't get you in the 7 Open game. :eek:

[Eric Tadeja]

i have a 7sx truck for sale
it is a very well built truck and has years of racing and winning on it

pm me if you are interested
www.et-motorsports.net

[Lance T]

Build or buy a BITD legal 7100/7sx...that way you would be legal to run in SCORE, MORE, CODE, etc.

http://www.desertrides.com/reference/images/racing_classes/class7.jpg

Class 7: Unlimited mini or mid-size trucks/SUV

Aka: 7200 (BITD)
Horsepower: 250-550
Wheel Travel: 18-26 Front, 24-35 Rear
Weight: 4,000-5,500
Top Speed: 120
Cost New: $60,000-150,000
Cost Per Prep: $4,000-8,000


Basic Rules:

Chassis:- Stock frame must be retained and no material may be added or removed. Crossmembers are the exception.
- Wheelbase must be within 2 inches of stock configuration.
- Track width is limited to 78 inches.
Engine and Drivetrain:
- Engine is limited to 6 cylinders; displacement is limited to 4.5 liters.
- Engine must be located within 1 inch of stock mounting location.
- Transmission is open. Front differential must remain stock but may be strengthened.
- Rear axle assembly must use a standard automotive production housing and third member.
Suspension:- Front suspension must retain the original stock concept (a-arms, i-beam, etc.).
- Shock may not protrude through the hood.
- Rear suspension is open.
BITD Rules (new for 2007):- Engine is limited to 6 cylinders; displacement is open.
- Track width is limited to 85 inches.
- Vehicle must have fenders.

http://www.desertrides.com/reference/images/racing_classes/class7s.jpg

7S/7SX: Vehicles built from a 2 wheel or 4 wheel drive mini or mid-sized pickup having a maximum stock wheelbase of 127''.

Aka: 7100 (BITD)
Horsepower: 175-265
Wheel Travel: 12 Front, 16-20 Rear
Weight: 3200-4000
Top Speed: 100+
Cost New: $20,000-60,000
Cost Per Prep: $2,000-5,000

Basic Rules:

Suspensions Components:- Front and Rear suspension must be of the same manufacturer, shape, size and configuration as the stock vehicle being used.
- All suspension components except shocks and rear leaf springs will reamin in original stock locations and mounting methods.
- A-arms, I-beams, and front axles must remain stock length; material may be added for strength and stock mounting locations retained.
- Rear springs may be lengthened to that of the longest stock production rear leaf spring as delivered by the manufacturer. (57 1/2")
Engine:- Must be of the same manufacturer basic design and type with a max of 6 cylinders.
- Must use the stock block and cylinder heads as delivered for highway use from the manufacturer.
- Updating and predating is allowed within the vehicle chassis and body series.
- Maximum displacement of 3000cc for 7s.
- Maximum displacement of 4000cc for 7sx.
- Maximun displacement of 4300cc for 7100.


I added the new displacement limits...if you build/buy something with a 4.0 you are good to go with any sanctioning body. Class sevens don't come cheap...

[JJernigan282]

our 7 open is for sale!!!!

[elmariachi]

Could someone elaborate as to what the specific differences are between 7s and 7sx. Class 7s is is pretty much a stock truck as delivered from the factory and 7sx is stock with some modifications allowed. My question is what exactly are the modifications (other than the safety stuff) that are allowed in 7s and 7sx (suspension-wise, trans-wise, motor-wise, etc). Many of the 7s/x trucks I see out racing seem beyond stock.

[GMS739]

As Of Right Know 7sx U Can Run From A 3.1l To A 4.0l In Engine Size.but Besides That Its The Same As A 7s..

[johnnyweb]

our 7 open is for sale!!!!

is your truck advertised any where? how much and what do i get?
my class 7300 is for sale as well. excellent bitd contingency $$$$ and cheap prep costs. let me know if anybody wants more info. it will be cheaper to buy a proven truck then build one your self and get the buggs worked out.

[DSRacing]

Could someone elaborate as to what the specific differences are between 7s and 7sx. Class 7s is is pretty much a stock truck as delivered from the factory and 7sx is stock with some modifications allowed. My question is what exactly are the modifications (other than the safety stuff) that are allowed in 7s and 7sx (suspension-wise, trans-wise, motor-wise, etc). Many of the 7s/x trucks I see out racing seem beyond stock.

As stated above, the only difference between 7s and 7sx is the size and modifications to the engine.

3.0 Liter and under - open modifications to the engine internals. (Heads, pistions, etc.)

3.0 Liter and up - modifications to intake and exhaust only, no internal mods.

The suspensions for 7s and 7sx are the same.

[wayne_demonja]

Hey check me out after the Henderson 400 I may want to sell my 7s/7100 ford ranger we just won the Vegas 300, 2nd @ Vegas to Reno, broke the engine in the lead @ tt 250, 3rd @ Parker broke leaf springs had the lead first two laps, and the points leader. The truck is fast and has finished 7 of the 11 races on the truck. Give me a call. 719-683-3815

[UOURacing]

Thanks for the great feedback. I have not gotten a BITD rulebook (yet) but what is class 7300 and how would it translate into the SCORE class sevens?

[Jeepspeedster]

7300=stock mini in score

[seven racer]

Hey if the Donahoe truck was to much then don't waist your time looking for 7. A score legal seven that is competetive is prob in the range of 60k to 100k. Good luck.

[UOURacing]

I was debating on whether or not to start a new thread. Would Stock Mini (or BITD 7300) be a good place to start? Any input from someone with experience woulod be very appreciated.

[johnnyweb]

I was debating on whether or not to start a new thread. Would Stock Mini (or BITD 7300) be a good place to start? Any input from someone with experience woulod be very appreciated.
personally i think it is a great place to start. i have been racing this class for 5 years know and have had alot of fun and gained alot of experience. the prep costs are not to bad.most of the parts can come from junkyards of the local auto parts store. you can run pump gas so thats a savings over race fuel. also you may not know this but the stock class at bitd pays way more winnings then any!!! other class in desert racing. alot of my races have been freebies because of the money i won i got back my cost of racing that race and had money leftover for the next race. as far as vehicle capability we 7300 guys usually finish ahead of the 7100 guys. pm me if you want some more info on this class.

[DrZero]

This is an interesting thread.

[GeoffMilke]

our 7 open is for sale!!!!

Jason's truck is one of the best open 7s out there (maybe it's his driving that makes it look so good)


We're selling our truck. Here is a video clip Victor put together for us (be sure to check out Stuckthrottle.com

YouTube - Geoff

[jacko619]

my 7s is also 4 sale check it out http://www.race-dezert.com/cgi-bin/trader/atl.cgi?ct=2&mct=&md=second&id=5977

[Jerry Zaiden]

http://www.camburg.com/images/BITD/Camburg%20Truck.jpg

The Ford Ranger EDGE we race in the BITD Class 7 open class has our over the counter rear 3 link kit and front longtravel system with the billet hub upgrade.

The Front suspension is $5300 (not including shocks). This includes upper and lower A-arms, Fabricated spindles, billet hubs with 5 on 5.5 bolt circle, full heim steering, wilwood calipers, rotors, and pads. Our lower arms pivot on 1" uniballs and utilize a 1.5" outer uniball for the ball joint. The fabricated spindle utilizes a 1" uniball for the ball joint. The upper arms pivot on 3/4" heims. This is the same kit on our stock Ranger EDGE.
We also have the shocks available from BILSTEIN all dialed in with our valving and by-pass tube layout.
http://www.camburg.com/images/CamburgEDGE-Racetruck/Studio%20Extreme/camburg_60.jpg

The rear suspension is $4200. This is our 3 link system. This includes our fully boxed lower links, upper wishbone, bolt on brakets, carrier bearing mount, all heims and uniballs. The lower links pivot on a 1" uniball at the frame mount and a 1.250 heain at the rearend. The upper wishbone pivots on all 1.250 heims. This is also the same link kit on our EDGE race truck. Like the front suspension all our valving and shock set up is available with the BILSTEIN Shocks.
http://www.camburg.com/images/CamburgEDGE-Racetruck/new%20studio/post-12-75377-LowerLinks_SM.jpg
http://www.camburg.com/images/CamburgEDGE-Racetruck/SOFT%20rear%20shocks.jpg

This new class in BITD is a great way to go fast, smooth and not spend a ton of money to have fun. We just got 3rd place in our stock 4.0L truck with 1.5 hours of down time. At mile 1.5 we lost 40 min when we got stuck behind other trucks stuck infront of us and getting hit by a full size truck who could not see us. This also inflicted damage to our truck causing more down time down later in the race. We Also had to weed our way through the slower classes who got by all the carnage at the start.

[mrmatt]

Nice sales pitch!!!:D

[DrZero]

Does anyone have an idea or advice concerning the best manufacturer of a class 7 platform Ford (Ranger), Toyota, Nissan? Also, any suggestions as far as the class subdivisions 7, 7s, 7sx that would be good for someone looking to get into the small trucks?

Thanks

I too am a newbie just starting to learn about desert racing. I have 1/2 way convinced a couple of friends to consider it, and we're looking at what's involved in getting started. UOU's questions are mine too .. and were only partially answered.

1. What are the advantages or disadvantages of the various makes. Someone said Ford pays contingencies, but what about the basic platforms? Toyota and Ford. What about Chevy?

2. What are the prefferred motors? From reading this other thread it seems like there are issues between 3.0 litre older motors, 4.0 newer ones and Chevy's 4.3 V6.

(I think we will be focused on BITD as we are located NORTH of Nevada and so SoCal is a long way away, if this makes a difference)

3. Who's chasis and suspension is the best basis for beefing up to race-ready?

4. What type of tranny do you want? Do manuals work or are slush-boxes preferred?

5. If you have the choice between shorter or longer wheelbase is there a preference? (Like Tacoma's come in Extra-Cab and Regular cab with the same bed.)

6. How old a truck do most people start with. Is it better to buy a fairly new truck or because you end up replacing so much stuff are older ones just make more sense to start with? Are some trucks "too new" .. like the Chevy I-5 or Nissan - no parts available?

[motoxscott]

Not a sales pitch, just trying to help out a fellow future offroad racer :)

- Scott

[DrZero]

Thanks, I appreciate everyone taking time to post something here, including the messages I got privately.

I am sure buying used is a really smart way to go, and in fact is probably the way I will look at going if & when my team mates and I get ready to move. One of them had already suggested that as the best route.

None the less I'd still love it if someone would take a shot at answering some of my questions. These seem really basic, and I'd just like to learn a little bit more.


Unfortunately for me asking "is the manual or auto trannies better" is not answered by a classified ad for a specific truck. (But I certainly do appreciate them too and have book marked them for future reference.)


Many THANKS IN ADVANCE to kind souls who take a moment to answer some of my q's from about 2 back on this thread (which are similar to the original posters q's)
:) :rolleyes: :)

[seven racer]

The camburg set up would prob be the least expensive way to go. Can't say enough about the shocks, would not use anything else. We have a Ford Ranger Edge that started with just a frame. why buy a complete truck when you end up taking everything off. We use a C-6 auto trans from Culhain, but if building a new truck i would go with a turbo 400 from the same builder. Motor all depends how much you want to spend. You can get a 4.5 from patton for about 30k or find a used one from a Nascar team. I would go with a ranger edge extra cab, the frame gives you better clearance up front. If you need other info you can PM. As far as builders i would go with H&M Motorsports in Calrsbad or Curry in mexico.

[turbotexas]

Inquiring Minds wanna know!!!


Thanks, I appreciate everyone taking time to post something here, including the messages I got privately.

I am sure buying used is a really smart way to go, and in fact is probably the way I will look at going if & when my team mates and I get ready to move. One of them had already suggested that as the best route.

None the less I'd still love it if someone would take a shot at answering some of my questions. These seem really basic, and I'd just like to learn a little bit more.


Unfortunately for me asking "is the manual or auto trannies better" is not answered by a classified ad for a specific truck. (But I certainly do appreciate them too and have book marked them for future reference.)


Many THANKS IN ADVANCE to kind souls who take a moment to answer some of my q's from about 2 back on this thread (which are similar to the original posters q's)
:) :rolleyes: :)

[BlueCoyote]

Can only answer from a 7s prospective
Auto vs manual - there is no perfect answer...
Auto - less drive line shock, easier on the drive train. No power loss between shifts, toque conveter allows for multiplication. Down side is they generate lots of heat, and need lots of cooling. They also use HP to operate., no "limp mode"

Manual - simple, positive gear selection. No additoinal cooling issues. Clutchs are reliable. If one gear breaks, chances are a few more will work at least for a little while. Down side is they are hard on drivetrains (shock loading), loss of power between shifts.

Truck selection - run what you like.
Ford - TTB is about the best "stock" set up for the desert
Toyota - durable, reliable
The rest - all depends upon who built it and how you drive.

Engine rules - there are inconsistancies
SCORE 7s - modified motors up to 3.0
BITD 7100, MORE 7s, ? - modified motors upto to 3.0, stock motors from 3.0 to 4.3

SCORE 7sx - modified motors from 3.01 to 4.0

Suspension rules - all about the same
For more info check out;
Best in The Desert - www.bitd.com
MORE7s - www.minitruckracing.net - click on 7s
SCORE - gotta buy the rule book

[GeoffMilke]

Dr Zero...It would be alot easier to answer your questions if you would specify one class, otherwise we are limited to discussing the benefits of one class over the other.

Are you interested in Open 7, 7s or stock mini?

[crazyjohnny]

ford :D

[sigmatero]

I think SCORE allows rotary engines in 7-open, right? A REPU would be a totally cool retro rig.

[DrZero]

Dr Zero...It would be alot easier to answer your questions if you would specify one class, otherwise we are limited to discussing the benefits of one class over the other.

Are you interested in Open 7, 7s or stock mini?

Probably stock mini. Probably not open 7.

[GeoffMilke]

Stock Mini is a tough class. It's pretty inexpensive to buy a race ready truck, but you are going to get the beejeebers beat out of you racing.

But being an Open 7 guy I just don't know enough about Stock Mini to answer your questions. However, I would bet that you will find enough possitives and negatives about each manufacturer to make it a wash........pick the one you like.

[johnnyweb]

you will definently want to run a ford for the stock class build. you just can't pass up the contingency $$$$. the only good thing i see in a toyota is the motors are pretty reliable. then again i raced 5 years on the same 4.0 v6 ford motor.

[green787]

If you wanted to "just have fun" (like most of the people on here claim) you could buy my fully equiped enclosed race trailer, helmet, race suit, and '82 toyota 7s race truck (greenosaur) for about $15,000.00

[TROPHYSEDAN]

How much does a 7 truck way. Ranger extra cab, 3 seater, i know some are more. but what is close. Thanks

[seven racer]

Our 7 open is about 4800lbs.

[SimonSays]

Our 7 open is about 4800lbs.

ours is 4500 but only a 2 seat reg cab long bed.

[Eric Tadeja]

our 7sx is about 5000lbs and is for sale right now also
www.et-motorsports.net

[baja619]

FiberwerX Class 7 (dry)

4600 lbs.
2240 (front)
2260 (rear)

[younggunracer]

FiberwerX Class 7 (dry)

4600 lbs.
2240 (front)
2260 (rear)



Man I love your truck....everytime I see a picture of it I like it more!!!

[Bulldozer]

What are the differences between 7s/sx/and stock mini, just rules about motor size/mods?

[Lance T]

What are the differences between 7s/sx/and stock mini, just rules about motor size/mods?

A super short answer:
Stock mini's are exactly that - stock, but you may run an engine up to a 4.3. 7s/7sx are currently divided by engine size with 7sx having a limit at 4.0 and 7s at 3.0. Balljoints are opened up on 7s/7sx as well as the rear spring length and mounting. Gusseting and strengthening are allowed to suspension pieces in 7s/7sx.

Engine size may stop a SM from running in 7s/7sx but 7s trucks can run and have in 7sx.

[vikingoffrd88]

Hey i love this thread but im still stuck on what truck to buy i want to race class 7 open. But i cant decide bertween the nissan frontier or a ranger edge. The team im helping in the pits for SF are racing the frontier so im waiting to see how it holds up, but i was wondering if any of you have experince racing either and what you recomend. Thanks

[baja619]

If you have factory support go with Nissan, and think out of the box.

Either way it will cost alot of money even to just have fun.

[Ramsey_ElWardani]

Hey i love this thread but im still stuck on what truck to buy i want to race class 7 open. But i cant decide bertween the nissan frontier or a ranger edge. The team im helping in the pits for SF are racing the frontier so im waiting to see how it holds up, but i was wondering if any of you have experince racing either and what you recomend. ThanksWhy would you buy a truck to build a 7 Open racer? The only part of the truck that you would use would be the frame, possibly the motor - but not if you want to be competitive. Get everything you need to get started from a junk yard and save some big bucks - and don't kill a perfectly good truck. As far a Nissan or Ford; pick your poison. They are both A-arm so it is really a question of what motor package you want.

[randomracer]

hey, does anyone remember that 7 open truck scott douglas raced for herztzog and won the overall at san felipe one yrs in the late 90's. that truck was sweet.

[DSRacing]

This one?
Found it on the Howe power steering website

[randomracer]

This one?
Found it on the Howe power steering website

yes that truck, nice truck. i see someone asked the same thing in another thread. that truck and the venable class 8 that rob mac drove to the 1st yr tt championship are my fav.