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The idea of owning a monster truck is extremely attractive. What’s not to like? A truck high enough to go over whatever obstacle you put in front of it, and suspensions tough enough to get you out of any trouble you may get yourself into. Before you start searching for monster trucks online, however, you may want to learn what makes a truck monstrous, because if you build it yourself, you can save literally thousands of dollars.
What makes a truck a monster are two things: tires and suspensions. Any monster truck will show over-sized tires, but to have tires this large, you need extremely durable suspensions to support it. On top of the tires and the suspension is a normal truck, often un-molested. Most monster trucks are 4WD, but you can still have a monster truck that is only a 2WD; it will just be a little less monstrous.
Before you start the build, you have to gather the proper things that will make the project a success. The first thing you obviously need is a truck. When you’re looking for your truck, pay special attention to the engine and the transmission. You don’t need to worry about any suspension issues, nor should you worry about the tires being too old. Be sure there are no leaks on or around the engine from the top, or around the engine oil pan or the transmission oil pan from the bottom. This is your chance to purchase a good foundation for your build, so if you have the chance to get a 4WD truck, it will only make it better.
The wheels and tires are essentially what will make your truck a monster truck, so choose wisely. Monster truck tires are considered tires measuring 66 inches high and 43 inches wide. Choose the wheels you like; just be sure they fit the tire sizes you are about to get. If you think 66-inch tires are too big, feel free to go smaller, or even bigger, as long as it fits your specific style; however, you need to be sure your suspensions are rated properly for the tires.
Getting the right suspension for your truck is by far the most important thing in your monster truck build. For a monster truck, ground clearance is everything, but you can’t just keep raising your truck without having the proper suspension to support the height and keep it handling well. When you’re raising your truck, it’s best you use a proper lift kit, which will accomplish any height you want while maintaining the best possible handling for the height. Remember, regardless of how you raise your truck, it won’t handle as well as stock height; this is just simple physics.
Monster truck suspensions will have heavy-duty axles, which help support all of the torque and power you are adding to your truck. You can get custom built steel axles done at fabrication shops, which will save you some money over buying them ready from a store.
Adjustable gas shocks are important for this build, as they provide up to 28 inches of travel. Common professional monster trucks use four gas shocks on each wheel for a total of 16 nitrogen shocks.
When you change your shocks and raise your truck, you will need to replace the coil springs to fit the new height. When you change the springs, considering they weren’t included in your lift-kit, be sure to purchase heavy duty ones, as well as ensure they are the right height to match your lift-kit.
Finally, the last addition to your suspension system is a four-link suspension. The links connect the frame of the truck to the axles, which assists in making the axle more solid. These links are extremely important for the handling of your truck, so be sure to install them properly.
The last touch you need to make your truck a basic monster truck is to add a roll cage. The roll cage looks great, and it is also crucially important for your safety, as well as the safety of anyone who rides with you. The reality is, when you raise your truck this high up, you sacrifice the handling, and when you sacrifice the handling, you need to take other safety measures to prepare for the worst case scenario, especially if you plan on putting your monster truck to good use and taking it off-roading.
Taking a stock truck and turning it into a monster truck can be a tremendously fun project. Some of the monster trucks that you see on television cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to build, but you can do it yourself for a fraction of the money. The modifications above are the bare minimum to make your truck a safe monster truck, and once you are done with it, the sky is the limit, as you can always build on it to evolve it and make it more monstrous.
