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1993 Explorer - Built to Smash

Do you purposely go for 1st gen explorers or do they just happen to fall in your lap?

They would be my first choice after seeing how much abuse they can take in the desert stock
I purposely go for them. They are easy to build, tough, and not a wiring and computer mess.

I'd like to try a Trailblazer but I'd have to build for mod class and put in a SBC. Way too many electronics to fail.
 
I recently went to a derby. 2nd one I've been to. First one was OK. They wet the shit out of the field and only street tires. So minimal speed.

The one I just went to was insane. Boarder brawl, in Bonners ferry, ID. I only say that, because guys came from all over and there was a $10k purse :eek:

These cars were serious. Many had trussed to the moon 14 bolts, crazy wheels, front suspension welded at full droop ect. The amount of damage it took to get them to disable was impressive. I think the last few just got so banana'd that they eventually got stuck on their own belly. Still running.

Instead of watering everything down, they would run a grader between heats and smooth everything out for more speed :smokin:

Some of these car sounded real fucking heathly too, definitely not a junk yard small block.

Anyway, it looked fun, but also looked painful.

BTW, aren't you supposed to build the cage out of railroad track and #16 rebar? :flipoff2:

But really though, instead of bolting it together. Why not weld it all up, then just cut the roof off to remove or install? Is cutting the roof off and welding it back on against the rules?
 
Windshield is out and I threw together a quick window bar, still need to weld angle to it so it can be bolted on.

Also, started a hobo trash can fire while I was welding. Oops 😝 kind of created a craving for marshmallows over the fire though.
 

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I recently went to a derby. 2nd one I've been to. First one was OK. They wet the shit out of the field and only street tires. So minimal speed.

The one I just went to was insane. Boarder brawl, in Bonners ferry, ID. I only say that, because guys came from all over and there was a $10k purse :eek:

These cars were serious. Many had trussed to the moon 14 bolts, crazy wheels, front suspension welded at full droop ect. The amount of damage it took to get them to disable was impressive. I think the last few just got so banana'd that they eventually got stuck on their own belly. Still running.

Instead of watering everything down, they would run a grader between heats and smooth everything out for more speed :smokin:

Some of these car sounded real fucking heathly too, definitely not a junk yard small block.

Anyway, it looked fun, but also looked painful.

BTW, aren't you supposed to build the cage out of railroad track and #16 rebar? :flipoff2:

But really though, instead of bolting it together. Why not weld it all up, then just cut the roof off to remove or install? Is cutting the roof off and welding it back on against the rules?
Some of the full-size classes get pretty nuts. Most people see a completely shitty car and think it'd be perfect to derby, but they have no idea what some of the builds can be like. There are multiple engine builders specializing in derby only engines. Some will run hours on end, hard, with zero water. Some guys are even running 600-700 horse engines. LS engines are starting to get popular. Hell my buddy runs an alcohol engine in his cars. There are vendors building derby only transmissions, as well as rear ends probably similar to what you saw. The sky is the limit.

I used to do what you said, weld the cage in and cut the roof off to get it out. It never wants to come out in full pieces as the body always ends up wrapped around the cage. It took longer to build it to bolt together, but now that I have it, it will come out and go in the next truck very quickly.



This is an example of a national level derby qualifying heat. Every November in Kansas they have a derby called Blizzard Bash. The main event, a team show consisting of four cars per team, pays $40K to win. Here's one of my favorite qualifying heats. A team was down 2 cars but still chose to compete and they put on a clinic, even being out numbered. Listen to the engines scream.
 
I hate running muddy tracks. Luckily the promoter that I usually run for will not water his tracks, so it makes for a fast paced show. One time I ran on asphalt, that was bad ass. It killed my tires though.
 
I wish I had good pics or video.

This place was about 3x's the size of one in the video. These cars did 4 or 5 heats that weekend. So by the end most of them literally were more curved than a banana. Hoods and trunks were higher than the roof.

Either way, it's all awesome. :usa:
 
Acquaintance of mine has a 70s edit: town car, that would be perfect for a derby car but believes it's faded paint crusty leather and shredded vinyl top are worth big bucks! Lol

only been to small scale derbies mostly fwd classes.
 
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Acquaintance of mine has a 70s continental that would be perfect for a derby car but believes it's faded paint crusty leather and shredded vinyl top are worth big bucks! Lol

only been to small scale derbies mostly fwd classes.
It might be to someone. Anything 70s or older is getting valuable.

Those cars are hilarious though. I remember my step dad bringing home a 2 door with the oval window :laughing: all baige, inside and out. He thought my mom was going to gush over it and she just laughed. Poor guy :laughing:

The hood has to be 7 feet long.

The newest grand toor has one in it also. Brings back memories.
 
There are multiple engine builders specializing in derby only engines. Some will run hours on end, hard, with zero water. Some guys are even running 600-700 horse engines. LS engines are starting to get popular. Hell my buddy runs an alcohol engine in his cars. There are vendors building derby only transmissions, as well as rear ends probably similar to what you saw. The sky is the limit.
So what tricks go into these engines/trans/axles that makes them special?

Do you purposely go for 1st gen explorers or do they just happen to fall in your lap?

They would be my first choice after seeing how much abuse they can take in the desert stock
Good frame, beams and 31spl 8.8. You have to go to a full size truck before you can get a better combo than that and even then an RBV with beams is probably gonna be able to take more hits up front and remain driving than any half-ton with A-arms.
 
So what tricks go into these engines/trans/axles that makes them special?


Good frame, beams and 31spl 8.8. You have to go to a full size truck before you can get a better combo than that and even then an RBV with beams is probably gonna be able to take more hits up front and remain driving than any half-ton with A-arms.
I'm not well versed on what goes into an engine build, to be honest. Most of the top builders will not release their secrets. They have built a reputation so people trust they are getting a quality product, even though they do not know the details. A few builders ask that if one of their engines melts down, it gets sent back to them for the rebuild.

The transmissions are built to only have first gear and reverse. Im sure there are some other things done to the internals, but I've never really looked into it. Most will have a steel bell also.

Axles are heavily braced 14 bolts, 9 inches, or 10 bolts..it all depends on what class and show you are running. For instance, Postal Mopar is one of the well known axle builders. They retube their 14 bolt with 1/2" thick DOM, add axle savers to the outside of the tube to stop a wheel shot from breaking the end of the shaft off, pinion brake, etc. Basically just encompass a 14 bolt with heavy trussing and support.

You are correct about the TTB front suspension being able to endure impact better than a more typical a arm style suspension. The only thing that has happened to me is I took a glancing blow to my LF wheel, and it tore the radius arm bushing through the frame mount. It wasnt pretty. Since that happened, I weld a 3/8" thick washer to the back side of the frame mount and get rid of the bushings. Theres no way for the arm to pull through now, unless the arm itself breaks.
 
I purposely go for them. They are easy to build, tough, and not a wiring and computer mess.

I'd like to try a Trailblazer but I'd have to build for mod class and put in a SBC. Way too many electronics to fail.
Eventually I figure you'll have to transition to a different platform. TTB explorers getting more and more scarce in junkyards.

Trailblazers are everywhere for cheap now. Maybe have someone with HP tuners get rid of all the BS in the tune and put together a simple harness strategically routed. Swap that out between victims. Doubt the chassis and suspension will hold up like a TTB explorer though.

Cool thread, had no idea this much thought went into derby
 
Eventually I figure you'll have to transition to a different platform. TTB explorers getting more and more scarce in junkyards.

Trailblazers are everywhere for cheap now. Maybe have someone with HP tuners get rid of all the BS in the tune and put together a simple harness strategically routed. Swap that out between victims. Doubt the chassis and suspension will hold up like a TTB explorer though.

Cool thread, had no idea this much thought went into derby
I think I'll probably be done with derbying once I cannot find any more TTB Explorers. I'm 33 now, have been derbying for 10 years, and definitely not getting any younger. At some point I should probably stop being so hard on my body so I can enjoy my later years. This truck should last me 2 years, and I've got another fresh one that should last 2 years. Maybe 40 is the year I quit! Haha

As far as the Trailblazer goes, I'd probably try and build an intake to run a carb. Back when I used to run Chevy Luminas, it was popular to convert them to run a carb. I built my own intakes, basically just used a hole saw to cut into the top of the upper intake plenum and welded on a carb spacer which a 2 barrel Rochester bolted to. This eliminated all the factory fuel injection stuff, computers, etc. The crank position sensor would communicate with the ignition module under the coil pack, and that would take care of ignition. Some guys were even modifying distributors and eliminating the crank position sensor and ignition module all together. Those 3.1/3100 engines ran very hard, and they would run like a raped ape right up until they went tight due to heat. I cant remember if I posted a picture of one of the intakes I built, I'll check and put one up if I didnt.

I was hoping you guys would get a kick out of this build, being something different. Some people just knock the glass out and smash their vehicles, while other people stick time and effort into building something. It's all about how much work you want to invest into something thats going to get wrecked.
 
Gave her a Rustoleum rebuild tonight, just waiting on my buddy to come paint some flames. Other than that, I have to work on the front suspension and some wiring, and its done.
 
You want the rear as low as possible, it's easier to break someone's axle or steering when you are able to square up with their tire.

The front I like running high, I want my bumper to be set as tall as possible so nobody else's bumper will go higher than mine and get into my radiator.

Tire size has a large effect on bumper height.
 
Well I got an 02 Caravan for free and my buddy wanted to run a local show with me, so I threw this thing together over the last 2 nights, and ran it tonight. It literally is almost bone stock, minus the front bumper. There were a lot of vehicles in my class, including a few Durangos which are pretty tough, besides front suspension. I drove like an absolute idiot, going wide open using the nose rather than the rear, but somehow managed to grab the win. Van drove itself onto the trailer and back into the shop also. Good time!
 

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I just started watching the derby show on motortrend. I had never seen the stick you break-off when you're done before that show.

We have a local derby at our county fair every year. It's still 60s-80s American iron only. We did it for our senior project back in 03.

They don't have the stick rule up here. And they wet the absolute shit out of the track.
 
Well I got an 02 Caravan for free and my buddy wanted to run a local show with me, so I threw this thing together over the last 2 nights, and ran it tonight. It literally is almost bone stock, minus the front bumper. There were a lot of vehicles in my class, including a few Durangos which are pretty tough, besides front suspension. I drove like an absolute idiot, going wide open using the nose rather than the rear, but somehow managed to grab the win. Van drove itself onto the trailer and back into the shop also. Good time!
I have never wanted a Caravan before - until now haha!
 
Well, it's basically done. All that is left is tape up the steering wheel and throw together a cardboard fan shroud.

The cardboard shroud just helps keep the fan alive if it comes into contact. Mainly I use the cardboard to hide the illegal shit I've done to mount the radiator. Copious amount of expandable foam and cardboard, nobody is none the wiser.

My buddy came over and sprayed the colors. All I did was paint the gray.

Here's a photo dump. The derby is Friday night so we'll hopefully bring home the W.
 

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Finished cage.

Snuck in an extra body mount, conveniently right where the frame bellies out. Hopefully connecting the body and frame solidly at this point will add some extra strength. Maybe it'll be the last hit that counts, the difference between bending and staying straight?
 

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Hell yeah, I like hearing about the new stuff you're trying after many iterations of these things.

What's your pit look like on a typical race night? I imagine it looks a lot like the shop at my work- a set of torches, a bunch of pry bars, gas powered stick welder, bunch of heavy angle iron, sawzalls etc?
 
Awesome!

We had another derby up here last weekend, we got bad info and missed everything but the main event. Wasn't quite as intense as the boarder brawl, but still awesome! This one black car sounded really heathly and I'm not sure he ever lifted his foot off the floor, he'd be flying in reverse and all of a sudden his tires would be spinny forward. :laughing: Didn't win, but got the maddog easily. :smokin:
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Only reason it was so wet was it poured the night before.


After the last derby, I looked up some of the tricks.

For trans, guys were running crazy cradle exo cage deals to keep the case and their calves intact. A few even liked running manuals. They also run a big trans cooler in a tub of ice.

Long slip driveshafts (kinda a duh, but not something I thought about)

High dollar ignition system for hotter spark when the engine is hot. Some guys talked about running methanol :laughing:


Watching that show, I can't believe the lack of safety equipment. Giant holes in the firewall, trans exposed. Garbage ass seat and maybe a belt. Old ass mx helmet and gas station shades :laughing: The one dudes fuel tank exploded :eek: then you have all the cars spitting flames and everything hot af. Bunch of crazy fuckers.
 
Do you do anything to secure the air box? It tends to break off its mounting on stock vehicles that don't crash into shit.
 
Do you do anything to secure the air box? It tends to break off its mounting on stock vehicles that don't crash into shit.
I have that aluminum strap to hold the tube and I don't run a filter or airbox. I might try and work a tiny cone filter into it, maybe. Haven't been burnt by running without a filter yet lol
 
Got the win tonight! Truck didn't bend anywhere and drove off the track.

I need to address a leaking valve cover gasket and degrease the engine. I had a fire when it came down to just myself and the second place finisher. It was heavy residual oil and dirt buildup on top of the lower intake. It wasn't a big deal, fire fighters sprayed it out and I was able to continue without any more fires.

Other than that I don't think the truck needs anything at all. I need to pull the hood and see if there's anything funky going on, and throw it up in the air and see if anything underneath isn't right.

My buddy got a lot of action pics so I'll share as soon as he posts them.
 

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