When you think about tractor pulling, obviously tractors are typically the first thing that comes to mind.   However, at any given pull there usually are several other classes involving trucks and/or semis.  These classes often put on just as good of a show as the tractors do.  Having already shown TTT readers a couple of methods for building pulling tractors last year, I thought I would turn my attention to another class, the four wheel drive truck.

The first step to building a pulling truck is to choose what truck you are going to base your model off of.  For this project I chose a Maisto F-350.  These trucks are a good choice because they are realistic, inexpensive and fairly easy to find.  There are quite a few other trucks out there that would work just as well, so which one you choose for your project is up to you.  After you have selected your truck, disassemble it and remove all components from the body to prepare it for modifying.

The most obvious difference between a stock pickup and a puller, at least in a scale model, is the tires.  For tires, I used Standi 16.9-24’s.  For wheels, I used some rims I had removed from a Hot Wheels Chevy Crew Cab Dually.  These rims originally had some wide street tires on them, but look great with some pulling tires mounted on them.  To help the Standi tires fit better, I carefully ground off the rib in the middle of the rims that holds the stock tire on. The Standi tires will fit much better with the rib removed.  To give the tires an added touch, I cut the lugs off with nail clippers.  This gives the tires the look of the “double cut” tires used on the real pullers. 

With the tires chosen, the next thing I set about doing was building a frame.  It would certainly be possible to build a simple pulling truck by just adding different tires and axles to the bottom of the stock chassis, but a custom frame is relatively easy to make, and gives your truck a more authentic appearance.  I have included a drawing of the parts that made up my chassis and some rough dimensions.  Exact locations of things like axles, body supports and engine supports will depend on your particular truck.  The width of your axles will also vary depending on the truck you have chosen, but keep in mind that the front axle on pulling trucks is typically wider than the rear axle.

To mount the chassis to the body, I added a support on the rear with a hole in it that fits the rivet that held the original chassis on in the rear.  The front rivet will most likely have to be removed for your engine, so I just cut a notch in the front bumper to fit the frame.  The depth of this notch, and height of the rear support, will depend on how high you need the body to sit to clear your tires.  Some slight fender trimming might also be necessary.  At this point you want the chassis to fit the body, but wait to fasten them together until after you paint them. 

Pulling trucks typically have large weight boxes hanging off of the front of the chassis.  A piece of brass channel that slides over the front of the frame rails can be used for this.  Fill in the ends and back side with some body filler.  Your truck also needs a hitch if it is going to do any pulling.  For this, and any other 1/64 scale truck for that matter, you can use the eye of a 5/0 fishing hook.  Not all 5/0 fishing hook eyes are the same size, so you might need to try a few different kinds before you find one that works to your liking.  Cut the eye off of the hook, leaving about 3/16” to ¼” of the shank.  Cut a length of aluminum tubing to slip over the shank, and then crimp it down tightly.  This will give the hook a flat surface to glue to the truck. 

Your truck is also going to need an engine.  For my engine, I used a V-8 out of a Johnny Lightning street rod.  This engine already was chrome and had a blower, so all I needed to add was the exhaust stacks made from aluminum tubing.  For my project, I decided to mount the engine directly to the chassis and cut a hole in the hood to accommodate it.  To get poking through the hood at just the right height, I added a support underneath it.  If you are feeling less ambitious, you can simply drill two holes to mount the exhaust stacks, and glue a blower to the top of the hood. 

Although you certainly could add a detailed interior, I was short for time this month so I chose to simply reuse the stock windows.  Since they are deeply tinted, a detailed interior is not necessary.  I also reused the portion of the stock chassis under the cab to give the cab a floor and fire wall.  You could also add a detailed driveline under your truck, but here again, I skipped it to save time. 

With all the pieces either fabricated or modified, you should be ready to paint.  You can paint it to match your favorite puller, make up your own paint scheme.  While the frame and body paint is drying, you can paint the headlights and grill.  After all the paint is dry, you should be ready to assemble your truck.  Add a fuel tank on the front and a tonneau cover on the bed for a finishing touch.

Moore's offers 1/64 detail kits for combines, tractors and trucks.  Moore's  build HillCo Hillside Combines in 1/64 scale.  Moore's offers 1/64 3pt implements including v-rippers, wheel rakes and blades.  Front mounted silage blades, pull type wheel rakes and combine header trailers are also available at  www.mooresfarmtoys.com/

TTT June 2004 Page 3

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