| pro Street hot Rod Trucks
Tuckin' rim is a shared denominator for both 'bagged and hot-rod trucks. The trend, however, stemmed from a class of custom builds labeled Pro Street. This label came from the influence of the drag race class known as Pro Modified on street-driven vehicles. The look of the lowered vehicle sitting over massive meats renders a very dramatically impressive stance. This look was incorporated into street-rods everywhere by the early '80s as the look of choice. The trend carried over into the truck market, and the rest, as they say, is history.
The reason for the change in stance initially came from functionality. Pro Mod drag racers set up their suspension for maximum traction and launch. Four-link bars attached to brackets on the differential transfer the twist pressure and forward motion generated by gobs of power through the leverage brackets welded to the differential. The links are positioned on the frame to render a perfect launch. The two upper links pull on the top of the frame, which raises the nose of the vehicle and transfers weight to the rear tires for maximum traction. The lower links are placed farther forward on the frame, which allows the differential to push the vehicle forward in a straight line. The new suspension allowed the vehicle to be lowered, which optimized center gravity for weight transfer, wind resistance, and stability.
| pro Street pro Modified
Today, there are many different types of custom setups to choose from when getting the altitude adjusted for the desired attitude: four-link, three-link, triangulated-link, airbag, inverted leaves, and so on. Regardless if you're running a set of Hoosier Pro-Street Radials or some Pirelli Scorpions wrapped in a set 22s, getting the rubber to tuck under the stock body can be tricky. Cutting the bed of the truck is common, but it's not the only trick needed to get big meats to squeeze between the framerail and outer body panel. Frequently, rim offset and tire combination are compromised to make the rolling stock fit. This is a makeshift way of getting what you want, and it doesn't always end in success.
If you aren't concerned about the punishing forces of power, you could have your stock differential housing tubes cut down and custom axles cut to make room for your rolling stock. Or you could call Dynatrac to build you an axle that would be a bolt-in replacement with disk brakes for about $3,000. Not only will you get an awesome axle that is virtually indestructible, but you will also be able to fit the rim and tire of your choice without worrying about clearance issues. Here's the show-and-tell on a custom-built axle and wheeltubs.
| pro Street bedside Manners
Bedside MannersClothing the Pro Street Posture
Tubbing the bed and relocating the fuel tank were musts for our new stance. Competition Engineering has tubs you assemble and cut to fit your application. Cruising around in a 700-plus horsepower engine means frequent fuel stops will be taking place. Summit Racing can cut down on the gas stops with its own line of large-gallon fuel cells that are plug-and-play. This one holds 22 gallons of fuel and fits well below the bed line on most trucks.
