Trick/trophy truck 4wd ?

Cuban Mike

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Been a fan of desert racing since the early 90's. Growing up it was all about Ford I-beams and VW based beam cars. 4wd was only for towing and recovery (occasional mud bogging). I can remember a handful of 4wd attempts (herbst trophy, riviera buggy come to mind) yet they didn't catch on. Should we keep our fastest cars and trucks 2wd just to the preserve the course for the majority of racers not running 37"+ tires? I know technology will catch up, Matney and Jones will eventually dominate with there 4wd's but that's what KOH is all about. Give KOH race cars some time, they will shed the pounds enough to be desert competitive. Let's keep them separate, plus am I the only one who enjoys seeing these talented drivers work there magic using their drifting skills! Welcome all opinions, I'm thick skinned so bring it on
 
Chris Tobin

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If it is an "Unlimited" Class why would someone want to put even more limits on it??? If guys want to run a more complex system in hopes of better performance let them!
 
Brain171

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Let available technology dictate what an unlimited class chooses to be.
 
JDDurfey

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Isn't that the whole point of it being "Unlimited"? The sky is the limit. One thing I never understood about the banning of a straight axle in Class 1 is that it is an "Unlimited Open Wheel" class. I would think the description would be all the parameters needed. The same goes for TT in my opinion. Run what you want. If you run some crazy one-off exotic unobtainium part that breaks every race, then so be it. It is your money.
 
Dirty Harry

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4WD is way easier on the course and on tires and drivetrains. It is tough to get the same wheel travel out of the front though and it is WAY more expensive not only to build but to prep as well. If they get reliable though I think that you will see all of the front runners switching to 4WD.

The truck I am most interesting in seeing debut is Bryce's new 4WD TT that the Husemans are building.
 
Dezertpilot

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4wd will become reliable, it's only a matter of time. I for one welcome it, 4wd is amazing.
 
green787

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I would like to own Matney's truck... I always believed 4WD was the way to go....

toyota15.jpg
 
ltr450rider

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4WD will be the future. It will require the right combination of driver and drivetrain to start dominating. This is the biggest hurdle with innovation.

As far as the banning of solid axle vehicles from class 1, the times have changed. TT is the new "Unlimited" class, if you want "Run what you brung", you can do it there. Class 1 is now its own class. You can't allow a "fender-less" truck to run with them, dominate and take all the winnings because that fender less truck isn't competitive in the true unlimited class. The landshark was a game changer in its day, but put fenders on it and it's a truck, plain and simple.

I am interested to see how the new Jimco 1 cars do against the trucks. Hopefully Cody can get back out there soon and see where that chassis stacks up.


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J Burleson

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Looks like the motor drops out the bottom! Sweet! Was Jones running his awd truck at the mint? I zoomed in on a pic and couldn't see front shafts.
 
R

rkracing

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wonder if teams will run awd truck in some courses and 2wd in others? is awd worth the extra weight and less travel in faster courses like the mint or san felipe?
 
Fourstroker

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Clearly Jesse Jones thought that way. Ran his 4wd Geiser art Parker and the 2wd TSCO truck at the Mint
 
Kolman

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Fourstroker said:
Clearly Jesse Jones thought that way. Ran his 4wd Geiser art Parker and the 2wd TSCO truck at the Mint
Click to expand...

He may have ran the TSCO truck as a rental at the mint because of the turn around time for San Felipe. His son will be driving SF and I remember him saying this year is about developing his son as a driver. If this year is about his development, then it would be more important to give your son the best equipment?

One thing is for sure, San Felipe will be a test for the 4wd.

 
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Jorge Rodriguez

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Maybe his son was shopping around since he's driven the AWD TT already
 
dan200

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I sat at the hairpin turn in the infield at BITD Laughlin and watched the trucks when they went thru there. You could tell just by watching at that spot that there is a serious advantage to 4wd. They went through faster. They weren't roosting dirt everywhere. They gripped and pulled through. When I later reviewed the times from the few guys I filmed with my phone it was provable. There was a 3-4 second advantage that 4wd had over 2wd just in that spot. Now take that advantage and spread it out over an entire course and you've got a significant advantage even at a short race like Laughlin. Over a longer course, it would compound to be an even bigger advantage. Were talking about seconds of a difference between first and second on race courses that are hundreds of miles long.

That being said, 4wd doesn't mean that you'll get the win handed to you. You also need to run flawlessly, at 110% and even be a little lucky to win in TT now a days. One bad pit stop, a jammed lugnut, a flat, a blown corner, any little thing at all basically and boom, you're out of the top spot. But, if ya wanna buy an advantage, get a 4x4 TT.
 
Jorge Rodriguez

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and the con to all those pros are that you have that many more parts moving that could fail...it's a give and take at least for now, but if it ever becomes bullet proof it'll be a winner for sure
 
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