No one can remain indifferent to a monster truck, because it has a frame weight of 850 kilograms, a size of 66 inches, a 9.0-liter 1500-horsepower engine and a fuel consumption of at least 20 liters over a distance of 100 meters. Of course, even the numbers are impressive, but the monster truck is even more striking in its appearance; these are giants with beautiful and mesmerizing designs. Today we will take a closer look at these amazing cars.
This vehicle begins its history in America; it is intended for a huge performance show in which Bigfoot destroys with its weight and huge wheels. passenger cars, and thus Monster Mania was born. At the first competitions, the designers concluded that even with extensive modifications, it was impossible to make a safe and reliable monster truck out of an SUV, so the design was assembled completely from scratch.
The story goes that the first Bigfoot designer was Bob Chandler, who experimented on his pickup truck to attract customers to his store. As a result, he created a monster truck and began participating in performances in 1979. A little later, this hobby became more interesting and profitable, because representatives of the company became interested in the car.
Initially, a frame is built, and then components and assemblies are built onto it. Of course, many details on different monsters are completely different and not similar to each other, but it is for the frame that chromium and molybdenum pipes are used, the diameter of which is from 5 to 6.3 centimeters. The shape is calculated on a computer, thus accurately distributing the load throughout the entire structure.
It should be noted that monster trucks are fighting hard to reduce their weight, because there is a huge load on the truck, which must move all this power. The unit used on an SUV, for example, even the most powerful one with a volume of up to 6.0 liters, is not capable of driving huge car, therefore, they install 9.0 liter engines, whose power can be up to 1500 horsepower.
Many people cannot believe it, but for one trip to the show you need at least 10 liters of fuel, and sometimes this figure reaches 20. The car can cover the first hundred kilometers in just 5 seconds. The gearbox is automatic.
Building Bigfoot (Bigfoot, Monster Truck)If you're thinking of building a truck like Bigfoot, you'll need about $150,000 and a lot of time to design and build, and you won't be able to drive it on the road. common use because the width of the average monster is 3.5-4 meters or more. It is worth noting that when transporting Bigfoots, huge wheels are replaced with ordinary truck wheels, which can significantly reduce the dimensions of the pickup truck.
Patrick Enterprises builds most of the Bigfoot monster truck battles and is one of the most respected companies in the industry. Let's take as an example of construction one of the company's trucks, built in 2010 and called Samson monster truck.
So: Here is the approximate sequence of building a truck.
Construction of a Monster Truck begins with the design and fabrication of a frame made of 2-2.5-inch diameter chrome-silver tubing by welding into a single piece.
After painting the frame, the front and rear axle. Axles are taken mainly from military trucks with planetary gearboxes with large gear ratio, which allows you to turn huge wheels 1.7 meters in diameter and 1.1 meters wide. Both bridges are driven and have steering. That is, a 4x4x4 scheme is used (4 wheels, 4 driving wheels, 4 steerable wheels
) Rear steering can be connected optionally from the driver's cab.
The engine and transmission are installed in the middle of the structure, this is beneficial from the point of view of weight distribution and maintenance, as well as replacement of the power unit. The engine is fueled by methanol and has a displacement of 575 cubic inches or 9.42 liters. Paired with a supercharger, such an engine develops 1,500 hp or more, which allows a four-ton truck to accelerate to hundreds in 4 seconds. shock absorber struts The suspension uses especially long-travel , up to 4 pieces per wheel. Without the use of springs, only nitrogen pumped under high pressure works well under these operating conditions. average cost
such an engine costs $40,000 Every year teams have to fork out money for 5 engines to participate in the show!!! Body panels are made from composite materials
and are purely decorative. Some Big Foots have several sets of decorative panels at their disposal. Participating in different shows, they are always in a new guise. The average cost of making a frame shell from scratch is $50,000 
Although, you can order a remake of an existing body for about $3,000. big wheels Samson is ready to perform. In the USA, truck racing ranks first
place among all possible auto shows 
Trimming tires is an important and integral process in building a Bigfoot. This procedure necessary for
lightening the rubber and forming the required tread pattern. For cutting one tire
it takes about 50 man-hours of work and costs about $2,500. The tire loses weight by an average of 100
kilograms. As a result, the wheel and disc weigh 350 kg.
The total number of people crushed by such wheels Vehicle reaches 3000 per year!!! 
With raw Monster Truck tires, you can immediately see the difference in the tread. 
Today I was able to watch how these very monsters assemble (we are, of course, talking about cars; I did not have the opportunity to watch Godzilla hatch). Several of them, before my eyes, turn from a pile of parts into pickup trucks, after which they are mounted on, ahem, wheels.
Of course, they do not do this themselves, like transformers, but a specially trained master and pilot assemble them. Preparations are in full swing for the big show DO DAMAGE (deal damage, destroy), which will take place in St. Petersburg tomorrow, March 21, and next Saturday, March 28, in Moscow.
On the site, I was able to chat with pilots tinkering with their “gimmicks.” Each car is a piece product. The giant pickup trucks that will destroy everything at Russian shows are based on bodies from the Ford F-250 and Chevrolet Silverado, but in fact they are completely custom, created by pilots and mechanics.
The monsters weigh approximately 5 tons, and are driven by 1,500 hp engines that consume methanol. During the show, these cars burn 80-100 liters of fuel, and since the tank is designed for 80 liters, they have to refuel right during the event.
The pilots themselves are responsible for assembling the monsters, and only 8 servicemen travel with the Monster Mania show. Assembly before the show takes a whole day, because, in addition to installing the wheels, it is necessary to check absolutely all systems so that no unexpected problems arise during the performance of any tricks.
Loads on cars and pilots
Breaking and destroying is not an easy job. The loads on the structure are simply enormous - 5-ton cars fly to a height of more than 10 meters and crash onto the concrete floors of the show grounds. As the British crew pilot Anthony said, maximum height the height at which his monster truck took off was 42 feet (about 13 meters). Upon landing, the suspension worked its entire travel and experienced an overload of 190G. For comparison: the maximum short-term overload of a car during which a person managed to survive was 214G.
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The rims are also very durable, because even 15 atmospheres in the tire does not keep the rim from touching the ground upon landing. By the way, the wheels are 1.6 meters in diameter and 1.1 meters in width.
The pilots themselves experience loads up to 5G (the “ceiling” for a person is 15G for 3-5 seconds). As Swedish pilot Peter told me, driving a monster is no more difficult than driving a regular car.
The main difficulty is to control it so that all movements look spectacular! Performing stunts in any car is quite difficult. Do not forget that the maximum speed is 160 km/h. From 0 to 100 the speedometer needle jumps in 5 seconds, but in reverse side She goes down reluctantly, because the car is very heavy, and the grip of the huge wheels on the smooth concrete floor is small.
Historical reference
How it all began
Contrary to popular belief, the first such unit was not assembled for military purposes and not for access to hard-to-reach corners of our planet. The first monster truck, called Bigfoot, was originally created for fun.
American builder Bob Chandler, in his free time from bricks and cement, liked to mix dirt on his Ford SUV F-250. And in order to do what he loved more and more fun every day, he tuned his car day and night. When he got tired of the trowel and saw, he decided to quit his job and help everyone create crazy SUVs.
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Bigfoot designs were far from perfect, wheels fell off, engines could hardly move 8-10-ton monster trucks, and transmissions were constantly shattered. But, nevertheless, the units fulfilled their role as a show car. In his Fords, Bob dragged trains, drove right through brick buildings, turning them into dust, and most importantly, crushed cars in whole trains. Soon Bigfoot acquired turning mechanisms on rear wheels, which allowed the monster to spin in place. But this was not enough; flying became an absolute dream for the entire “big-footed” team. Then it was decided to create another monster, calculating its entire structure from scratch.
The prototype of today's monsters
Sitting down at their computers, engineers created physical and mathematical models for the new pickup truck. The main goal is to reduce weight and increase power. First of all, it was developed space frame. It was decided to make it from chrome-molybdenum hollow pipes instead of steel rails. This added rigidity to the structure and significantly reduced weight.
The engine was taken from a stamping company power units for dragsters, a V-shaped eight-cylinder compressor with a volume of 10 liters, powered by alcohol. The power of such an engine was approximately 2,000 hp, and such an “engine” was powered by a reinforced automatic transmission, also created for racing cars.
The main feature of such a box was small gear ratios, which allowed the transmission to withstand enormous loads, although it significantly reduced maximum speed. As a result, 5 tons of a car with 2,000 hp, acceleration to 100 km/h is 5 seconds, but even this speed monster trucks do not reach, since they perform in special arenas where there is simply not enough space for acceleration and braking . Fuel consumption, of course, is cosmic - approximately 20-30 liters of alcohol per kilometer.
On March 28 in Moscow, at the central arena of the Olimpiysky sports complex, the annual sports and entertainment show “Monster Mania” will be held with the participation of giant off-road vehicles Monster Truck.
Monster Trucks are not cars in the traditional sense - they are specially created vehicles that have impressive characteristics and prepared to perform the most difficult tricks and overcome enormous loads. The Monster's mass exceeds 4 tons, and the engine power is more than 1500 hp, which gives them the ability to accelerate to speeds of over 110 km/h and make jumps over 6 m high over obstacles and cars.
Monster Mania isn't just a show or a giant off-road competition. This is a kind of symbiosis of a full-fledged entertainment event, a sports competition and a music concert.
The competitive part of the show between Monster pilots takes place in several stages:
– one-on-one head-to-head racing with jumping over cars, as well as driving over them, as a result of which the winners are the most fast SUVs;
– rotation in place (Donuts). A discipline where to win you need to spin a 4-ton SUV as spectacularly as possible the greatest number of times around its axis;
– driving on rear wheels (Wheelie). Here the driver must show aerobatics, because it is necessary, akin to a war horse, to raise a huge Monster on its hind legs and drive as far as possible in this position.
– freestyle competitions, where in 60 or 90 seconds the Monsters will surprise the audience with a large number of beautiful and high-quality jumps and various spectacular stunts, turning dozens of cars into a pile of twisted metal. The most anticipated and unique highlight of this discipline is the backflip jump.
The winner of the stage in each city is the pilot who has scored maximum amount points based on the results of all competitive disciplines.
Event participants:
Monster – Raging Bull
A crazy monster behind the wheel, driven by the craziest European pilot. It's better to see it in reality once. It is impossible to describe in words the stunts and driving style of the driver.
Monster – Swamp Thing
The Swamp Thing monster is a monster in the truest sense of the word. With its 1800 hp engine. Swamp Thing will provide worthy competition to its rivals. Behind the wheel is one of the most experienced drivers– he will show the highest jumps, the best execution of “wheelies” and the most persistent struggle.
History of SWAMP THING
Swamp Thing 4x4 is a new name for Monster Truck with their rich history. Originally built in America on a chassis by Dan Patrick (Patrick Enterprises), the truck was originally called the Dragon Slayer.
After running the American Monster Truck for a number of years, the truck was freshened up and reappeared as the "Captain Insano".
At the end of the 2000 season, Monster Truck Racing "Captain Insano" was sent to the UK.
During the winter of 2002, the most thorough and extensive repairs were carried out, after which the Monster participated in races with a 3D body for two years. During the winter of 2004/2005 the car was updated again.
This time the Monster was fitted with a 2004 Ford F350 Super Duty Body painted by Tony Dixon to imitate the old Wetlands spirit.
Monster Truck:Swamp Thing 4×4™ Specifications
Body: 2004 Ford F350 Super Duty
Engine: Methanol Injected 540 Cubic Tall Block, BDS Supercharger by RND Engineering
Transmission: ZaNNetec Turbo 400
Height:3.5m
Width:3.81 m
Length:5.8m
Weight:5 000 kg
Built:1994
Monster – Putte 2 (Putte 2)
Monster Putte 2 is a supercar racing series. Lamborghini on huge wheels makes a good impression and has already earned himself a reputation as a monster, always one step ahead. If you jump over three cars, he will jump over four. If you jump over six, it will land behind seven. The driver is fearless - you will be amazed at the tricks he performs during freestyle races.
SpecificationsPutte 2
Body type: Lamborghini Countach
Engine: V8 540 cui Merlin
Body type: Methanol
Engine power: 1475 hp
Tires: Trelleborg Twin 66″ on 34″ X 20″ rims
Wheelbase: 3.3 m
Weight: 4700 kg
Monster – Thor (Thor)
One of the most beautiful and crazy monsters of the racing series. The monster pilot knows exactly how to get the most out of Thor! The hero of the Scandinavian epic, painted on the body, does not leave fans indifferent wherever he appears.
Thor Specifications
Body: Chevrolet Pick Up 2006 Advance Style
Engine: V8 540 Cui Merlin III
Fuel type: Methanol
Power: 1500 hp
Tires – 66”x43”-25”, GoodYear – front, Firestone – rear
Wheelbase: 3.6 m
Width: 3.6 m
Height: 3.0 m
Peter Nyman: Driver, mechanic
Passenger Monster – Monster Ride Truck
No one has ever experienced this before! Have you wanted to ride a real monster? We brought it for you! Huge, with 10 seats, it can make anyone squeal with pleasure.
Additional extreme excitement will be brought to the show by the “flying” freestyle motocross masters - the FMX 13 team, led by the best Russian rider Alexey Kolesnikov, who will demonstrate that you can not only ride motorcycles, but also literally soar in the air.
Before the event starts, spectators can look at the Monsters up close, touch them, take a photo as a souvenir, chat with the pilots and get their autograph. In addition, in another part of the arena, everyone who has purchased tickets in advance will be able to ride on an 8-seat passenger Monster Ride Truck.
More detailed information You can find out about the show on the website
The spatial frame of the monster is calculated on the computer. It must withstand enormous loads while always protecting the rider. The frame is welded from two-inch thick-walled chrome-molybdenum pipes using helium arc welding.
The body is made of fiberglass, the “glass” is made of Lexan to protect the pilot from accidental fragments. Thanks to these and other tricks total weight The monster can be kept within 5-5.5 tons.
Engine
What the United States has no problem with is powerful motors. Let us remember that the 5.6-liter engine is called Small block, and this is not ironic. Under the hood of monster trucks there is a Big block, i.e. classic, like a Colt pistol, a 9.4 liter engine with a mechanical supercharger, powered by alcohol.
Such engines are simply purchased from manufacturing companies like Merlin - they are usually installed in dragsters. Typical power - 1500-2000 hp. However, there are more original examples - for example, with aircraft engines. And the first alcohol-electric hybrid monster is scheduled to appear in 2011! The Greens have arrived here too!
However, it's long overdue. The fuel consumption of monsters is around 15-20 liters per... one kilometer!
Transmission
A racing box with a gigantic safety margin is also easy to get in America. Companies like Powerglide, Allison or Lenco actually mass-produce transmissions for dragsters and other strange American cars. This is, as a rule, a regular three-speed automatic, only with a huge torque converter and other very strong components. There are, however, non-trivial solutions such as “robots” with centrifugal clutch and pneumatic gear shifting.
The drive, of course, is permanent all-wheel drive, without any civilian nonsense such as differentials. Bridges from school buses or other heavy equipment, but ordinary axles for mid-size pickups are more often used - their strength is enough for all acrobatics.
The load on the shafts is reduced thanks to the installation of planetary wheel gears. At the same time, this makes it possible to increase the ground clearance to 120 cm. In the case of Bigfoot, wheel reducers With gear ratio 6.3:1, and GP - with a ratio of 2.6:1. This adds up to a very “short” ratio of 16.5:1. The fact is that monsters don’t need to gain maximum speed, but powerful acceleration is what they need.
Suspension
The spring suspension of the first bigfoots could provide a travel of 10-15 cm. In modern monster trucks, the suspension travel reaches 70 cm! Schematic diagram simple: trailing arms, springs, shock absorbers. It's just the components themselves... Rancho or Bilstein don't produce such shock absorbers, so the teams make them themselves.
The body is made of steel or aluminum three-inch pipes. Steel ones are stronger, but aluminum ones are lighter - this is a matter of priority for the rider.
Nitrogen is pumped into the shock absorbers under a pressure of 30 atm. On landing, with the suspension fully compressed, the pressure jumps to 150 atm!
The trailing arms, which attach to the axles and to the center of the frame, are made from chrome-molybdenum tubing that the team heats in a saline solution. After this, the pipes bend more, further cushioning the landing.
Wheels
For some shows, monsters on wheels up to 12 feet (3.5 m) were built, but the most common size now is 66 inches (170 cm). Rubber is taken from tractors or combines. But the wheels from agricultural machinery are not suitable for monster trucks - they are made of too thin iron that cannot withstand jumps.
So designers make their own wheels from 25-inch tubing, then spend several weeks lightening and balancing the resulting 400-pound pieces. As a result, the weight of the finished discs is no more than 200 kg.
Air is pumped into the wheels to a pressure of 12-14 atm. But still, when landing, the rubber is completely crushed - to the disc. Therefore, the disks are made narrower than expected, because The rubber fits better on these and does not fly off when in contact with the ground.
The cost of one set of wheels is USD 12,500. Not so much when compared with chrome-plated 26-inch “rollers” for Cadillacs.
