Big Ass Trux!

[Bigasstrux]

Hey folks, I've been trying to get my username approved for quite a while, finally happened today. I've been hanging around watching what goes on here and it seems like I might fit in. There just isn't a forum for what I build, but this one is the best and closest I have seen. Take a look at what I play with at www.bigasstrux.com
If I can help anybody with medium duty stuff just ask, I've been at it a while!

[john]

to the board.

[Jerry Jones]

Yeah those are bigguns all right! Welcome to the board from Northern California!

[2tons of fun]

what do you know about the hydro/electric brake booster systems?

[Bigasstrux]

There is a system called "Electro-Hydraulic Park Brake" and there is the emergency electric boost motor under the master cylinder, which one do you have questions about? The park brake systems came mostly on rental / lease trucks and motor home chassis. That way they could put the shifter on the column and make it operate as if the trans had "Park". They are ok until the first time the system loses power while cruising at 65, then you are in for a exciting and expensive ride! The electric boost system should only come on for about 5 seconds when you start the engine, until the power steering pressure takes over.

[BGRAFX]

Can you post pictures or start a build thread from some of your previous build trucks. I would like to know what needs to be modified to put a front end on 73-87 trucks and my 91 suburban. You do excellent work as I have checked out your website numerous times.

[Bigasstrux]

I have never seen one of these front ends put on a small truck. The cowl section of the cabs are completely different due to the setback of the engines in big trucks. Also the distance from the front edge of the door to the front axle is much shorter on the big ones. Notice in the pics how far the engine sits under the cab. There isn't enough room for the engine to fit under this hood if the firewall is flat (as in a pickup) Then the front wheels on a pickup sit out farther to the front so they wouldn't be in the fenderwells. Of course that doesn't mean somebody hasn't done it. Check out the picture of the red Suburban, I suspect that he grafted a suburban body onto the back of the Topkick cab.

[Prerunner1982]

Awesome stuff...

Welcome.

[Mordachai]

cool

welcome to the forum!

[63 & 64 Bowties]

You ever think about using a school bus for a donor chassis? I'll never do it, but I've thought about it for a couple years. Used school buses are dirt cheap, have medium duty diesels that were well maintained, most have Allison trans, Budd wheels, straight level frames. It would be easy to shorten. Just slide the rear end up to the point where you just have one driveshaft. It's just that the frames are so large, I don't know what kind of cab you could put on one.

[Bigasstrux]

School busses are a whole different animal due to the differences in the cowl and windshield area. The GM bus hoods are shorter than on a regular C cab. If you tried to mount a regular truck cab you would have to fabricate cab mounts, rewire the bus harness to work in the truck cab and generally spend MANY hours trying to make it all work. My experiences with school busses have taught me that they are usually about ready for a trans rebuild (due to all the stop & go every day). At this point I am still able to find trucks to build that are in the shape that I require, like fire trucks that are usually very low mileage and live inside. It takes me a lot of looking to find suitable trucks to build with, but it pays off in the quality of the vehicle when it's done.

[jsbgump]

Welcome to the board from Texas

[MickMc]

Can you tell me how much you extended the bed on the yellow truck?
And why? Looks or space or ???

I just picked up a 74 C60 and a long bed so now it's time to put them together


Mick

[Bigasstrux]

The yellow 1998 is a factory bed. The 1986 Topkick 4x4 bed had to be extended by 20" due to the position of the transfer case. A normal long bed would have left 2" for the rear driveshaft.