ETC: Car and Driver dissects the physics of monster trucks

ETC: <i>Car and Driver</i> dissects the physics of monster trucks:
Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Truck, Off-Road


It doesn't really matter what age you are, we can all agree that monster trucks are awesome. How can you argue with a 20-foot tall tube-frame harbinger of destruction, mowing down row after row derelict cars and trucks? Every "SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY!," somewhere in America, a dirt-filled arena is hosting this spectacle of high-horsepower automotive carnage.

For the more mathematically inclined, monster trucks are a also feat of engineering, sending over 10,000 pounds hurtling through the air at 30+ mph. To this end, Car and Driver has put together a little breakdown of the physics behind these beasts. For instance, a monster truck needs 1,500 horsepower, developed from a supercharged, alcohol-fueled V8 to rocket into the air at a 45-degree angle at 40 miles per hour. The likes of Bigfoot and Gravedigger reach a peak altitude of 32.5 feet, moving through the air at 32 miles per hour.

When a monster truck makes its descent, things get interesting. A direct landing can come down with the force of 25,500 pounds. That's enough to turn a Crown Victoria or Oldsmobile 88 into a doormat.

Some other fun facts: two-thirds or roughly 7,000 pounds of a monster truck is unsprung weight. In the main, that means the wheels, axles and rubber. The tires themselves are about 66 inches tall.

C/D explains that with the four-wheel steering systems on these behemoths, these trucks can maintain spins in a nearly inverted turning radius. As their speed rises, the center of gravity pushes to the outer wheels, and the truck can topple over.

Hold on to your corn dogs.

Car and Driver dissects the physics of monster trucks originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 28 Jul 2012 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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