Alright guys performance time! First ill tell ya what i want for my truck, DD and a hotrod. I wanna be able to leave them expensive sport cars at the line!
Tell me what you think of my plans:
First and foremost ill have all maintance up, oil change, trans fluid etc.
Gauges-pyro, trans, FP. Already have a boost.
Then tear into my pump and get it tuned
#0 plate
4gsk w/HD springs
BHAF or some other intake

then save up and get some 90hp sticks.

Thats what id like to get done in the next 3-6 months.

I already have an hx40w and 4in straight pipe turbo back.

Question about the turbo, with the future mods will it spool my 40 up better? I bought it with it on there and it has never really performed well, only gettin 25 maybe MAYBE 30psi at extreme wot. I have an hx35 as well, would that work better with the above mods installed? I can just buy the adapter.
Question #2: My 37's are about at the end of their life, I dont want 37's Id really like 33's or 35's cause I think they look better and they're cheaper. Would 3:55's be in order for me to have optimum performance?
Thanks guys let me know if I should be buying something else along with these mods, its time to wake this puppy up!

 

I would get bigger injectors than 90 hp, get rid of the big tires, and get an air box and air filter that can provide plenty of air to take advantage of that HX40. Make sure your clutch is up to the task.

 

Ya what do you think aboubt 33's or 35's? Still too big? I was thinking a bhaf or some other cone filter with a heat shield and do my own air intake tubing. I have a SB 400hp rated clutch.

 

Figure out your end goal first, then piece together the recipe. I'd ditch the 90's and look for some 140's. I'd also ditch the HX40 and look for a Garrett or S300 instead. Much more robust chargers, and much newer technology. But if you're only looking for 400hp, then the 90's and HX40 will get you there.

As for tires, I run 33's with no lift. Any smaller, and 4wd's start to look a bit goofy. The stock 245/75 tires are just too short.

 

I was really hoping you'd tune in tate, this was a simple layout for the next year for what I could afford. So should I just save up so I could buy the s300 and the sticks at the same time? I cant have one without the other correct? If I went with the 140's and the s300 would I need to upgrade other stuff? Studs? Fuel system? Definately a clutch, I would say that 400hp is our goal lets say that. That is most definately not where I want to stay but its definately attainable for me with me going to college and working for minimum wage! haha college hurts!
As for tire/gear pairing, if I went with 33's or 35's would 3:55's be the optimum gear ratio? Thanks for your input tate, you know your stuff!

 

The 90's are fine and will get you to the 400hp mark without much trouble. I will echo the replacement of the HX40 as a reliablity item. AS for a clutch, with the cost these days, save the scratch and get a dual disk, especially if hot rodding is the target. My single will hold but its not such a pleasure to drive or hot rod with.

If you keep the boost in check, the studs would be an upgrade to work towards.

 

Will the 40 be able to hang tight while I save up for a better charger? Can I put all this stuff on and still have a driveable clutch? Or should I just save up get a double disk then start building?

 

I see you have a SBC, what is it do you know? 400 hp will make the OFE start to beg for mercy.

The HX40 made 400 hp years ago as it was one of the only games in town. If you treat it nice, it will serve you well.

 

I got one that was rated for 400 hp I believe, not sure on the exact model. I took it in on a saturday and they were closed but one of the owners were there and told me theyd put one rated at 400hp. It was all I could afford at the time, kdp made sure of that. Im going to call him tuesday and see if that was under warranty for their work, they're a pretty reputable shop in my parts. I heard the input shaft of the 40's are their weak links.

 

I had 140's in my truck on the stock charger for about 6-8 months. Was a real snappy driver. It got hot on the big end when it ran out of air, but was far from undriveable. Cruising EGT's remained the same, may have even dropped a bit. That was quite some time ago. Injectors are cheaper than the turbo (generally), so I'd buy those first. The HX40 will hang in there as long as you don't bark it. Bigger wheels and the small HX35 size shaft doesn't play well when it comes to very quick acceleration. For 400hp, stock studs and gasket will be fine. Fuel system is fine as long as all components are working the way they should. I'm still on the stock LP in my 12v, with a modded stock OFV. If you have an upgraded clutch, it may survive with just sticks and stock turbo (or your 40). Once you get a 62 or 64mm turbo, it'll be in need of replacement.

I have 3.55's in both my trucks. I wouldn't want any shorter gears than that. I'd love a set of 3.31's to be honest, and I may do that in my dually when I swap rear ends. You'd be around 2300 rpm at 100 km/h (may as well get used to the metric system now). While not screaming high at that speed, considering the #2 average speed is 120-130 km/h, you'll be running 2800-3k rpm at that speed. That's gonna kill your mileage significantly.

 

I would look into a short throw shifter. A small nitrous system is all you need to get a hole shot on car. The 37's you have will help the rpm band seem longer because you inadvertently changed the gear ratio.

 

Ya I would love to throw in a short throw shifter but having to not only buy the kit and then get the nv5600 top is to much of an endeavor for what its worth. Ya Im getting rid of the 37's, simply cause I cant afford them and a set of 33's instead of 37's would pay for a ring and pinion itself.

 

Well Id really like to get some 33's or 35's wouldnt 3:55s be the right gears for 33's? Is buying the ring and pinion worth it or should I just go try to find axles with 3:55s already? Which would be a stinker being that theres absolutely zero of these trucks around my area. With these mods I couldnt run at around 70mph at 2k?

 

I don't know if I would go with the short shifter, many have been breaking off.

If you size the tires a little bigger, the final drive ratio might be closer to what you want to achieve but its hard to get the RPM drop you want without a gear swap. A total rear end change out might be easier to find.

 

Honestly, I think if it were me I'd look for a truck with an auto tranny to build up as a hot rod and keep your existing truck for a daily driver/tow rig.

With the stick you're at a major disadvantage for drag racing because:

1. You can't shift as fast as an automatic
2. Even shifting as fast as you can, you're going to come off boost

So then you have to make more power to make up for those issues, and #2 is a huge one. Granted, you can do things like 2nd and 3rd gear launches to minimize the need to shift, but 3rd gear launches in particular are really hard on the truck. If you're going to race hard enough to risk breaking things, it's better to do it on something other than your daily driver.

I guess it boils down to how hard you're going to race it, and how serious you are about winning.