Infographic: The Anatomy of a Monster Truck

 
Have you ever watched a monster truck rally and wondered what goes into building such heavy-duty, crowd-pleasing machines? When learning about cars in certain automotive courses you’ll see how different parts work and are repaired. It takes a little bit of a different approach to ensure that parts on monster trucks don’t come flying apart, however!
From huge tires to the engines that power these showman vehicles, one thing remains consistent: entertainment is at the forefront of design. Bigger, stronger and more powerful parts are required to allow monster trucks to jump, speed and slam their way through competitions.
Learn the process of building monster trucks, their components and some cool facts about a few world competitors in the monster truck world. Who knows, you may be inspired to build your own creation and take it on adventures to stadiums and events after automotive school! Whether you’re interested in driving one of these beasts yourself or not, once you know how elaborate the anatomy of a monster truck is, you’ll never look at a truck jam the same way.

Anatomy of a Monster Truck

What is a monster truck?

A monster truck is an oversized pickup truck, fitted with large tires and built for obstacles, racing on rough terrain, stunts and demolishing small cars.

How are monster trucks built?

1. A truck body—usually a 4-wheel-drive and full-sized—is selected to convert into a monster truck.
2. The suspension is raised up to 8 feet or more from factory height.
3. Tires are chosen to match.
4. The transmission and transfer-case are upgraded for rough use and the engine is often supercharged
5. Safety features such as roll bars, an emergency fuel cutoff switch and a racing harness are added to the truck.

Did you know? A lot of monster trucks are modelled after pop culture characters, like Donkey Kong, Superman, Tazmanian Devil and Scooby Doo.

Parts of a monster truck:

TIRES: Official tire size is 168 cm tall by 109 cm wide.
Monster truck tires weight a whopping 800-900 lbs and using 8-10 lbs of pressure
Did you know? Monster truck tires weigh a whopping 800-900 lbs and using 8-10 lbs of pressure
AXLES: Differentials are modified to send equal power to all four wheels.
Why? So when only one wheel touches the course, the driver can still accelerate
BRAKES: Located at front and rear driveshafts instead of on the wheels
ENGINE: Supercharged and centrally located for a lower centre of gravity and stability
Did you know? Supercharged engines require lower-compression pistons and increased-capacity oil pans.
DRIVER’S SEAT: In centre of body for protection during rollovers and custom built for drivers
Sources:
https://itstillruns.com/build-monster-truck-4678132.html
https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/trucks/how-to/g2500/the-ultimate-monster-truck-take-an-inside-look-at-grave-digger/
https://globalnews.ca/news/5383070/monster-jam-cynthia-gauthier/
https://monstertruck.fandom.com/wiki/Zombie
https://monstertruck.fandom.com/wiki/Scooby-Doo!
https://monstertruck.fandom.com/wiki/Superman
https://monstertruck.fandom.com/wiki/Taz_(FELD)