OFF ROAD CENTERS

Monster Patrol owner/driver Kirk Dabney not only drives Monster Trucks for shows, he also drives one on the streets every day I'm sure someone somewhere has wondered "what does a monster truck driver drive?" It's an honest question when you consider how dramatic monster truck driving is. Most would be pretty depressed to find out your favorite car crushing monster truck racer drove a Yugo every day. But we can safely say that is not the case with Kirk Dabney, owner and driver of three national monster truck race teams. Monster Patrol, Wild Thing and the new Overkill teams tour the country and wow the crowds, but when it comes to commuting around the Russellville, Alabama area, Kirk likes driving his street monster truck, a huge and innovative 2003 Ford F350 Super Duty Centennial Edition that represents his love for off road machines. Actually besides the monster truck race trucks, Kirk and his wife Diane own several lifted show trucks along with a large retail and fabrication shop called Off Road Centers where customers can have their trucks lifted a little bit or a lot using the custom fabricated suspension kits such as seen on this wild Ford Super Duty which are built by a partnership with Jamie at Bandit Performance. For his Super Duty, Kirk wanted a truck that would be BIG, but also technically and mechanically superior to the point that your grandmother could jump in it and drive across the country with no worries and a nice ride and handling qualities. This is where Jamie at Bandit Performance shined as he and Kirk came up with the idea of designing and fabricating a completely new suspension lift set up for the Super Duty that is basically a direct bolt on kit that anyone can purchase and install. Kirk's Super Duty is definitely a show stopper and probably does its share of traffic stopping as he putts around town or to local shows. Even though it looks like a true show piece, this truck was built to drive. The chassis exhibits excellent engineering and quality that lifts the truck approximately 28 inches over big 49x21.5x20-inch Interco Super Swamper tires mated to KMC 20x12-inch Rockstar wheels. Jamie at Bandit crafted the suspension set up which features a dampened tubular radius arm system in the front which attaches to a trick tubular center drop down cage. Dual rate Sway-A-Way Racerunner coil-overs aided by Racerunner reservoir shocks provide the ride height and comfort when driving. A Speedway Engineering anti-roll bar helps to keep the big Ford stable in the corners while dual steering stabilizers make turning those big Swampers an easy chore. Custom made large drag link and steering link bars fit with heavy duty rod ends are just one of many of the mods made to the trussed straight front axle. Basically the entire front suspension has been redesigned to meet Kirks needs. But so has the rear suspension. Taller Deaver rear leaf springs have been attached to custom Bandit brackets to increase the lift over what the leafs themselves would generate. A Speedway Engineering anti-roll bar was incorporated into the design along with new shock mounts as part of the axle stiffening structure to mount the quartet of Bilstein reservoir shocks. Heavy duty ladder bars were built and attached to the 5.38 geared rear end and center drop down cage to further enhance the strength and driving experience. Add in the black glossy finish on the frame and axle housings with maroon paint covering the suspension additions and the modifications made to the chassis become unmistakable. For the body upgrades Kirk relied on Anthony at R.A.W. Paint and Body to cover the truck with deep black paint followed by maroon graphic stripes that capture the look of the suspension features such as the tubular track bars. The maroon graphics race from the billet insert equipped grille, over the hood and down to the cab doors where the front graphic meets a similar stripe coming from the rear. A Lund International Tail Mate Rear Valance replaces the rear bumper while a Go Rhino rear hitch step resembles the long step bars installed under the cab. Additional stepping aid was added with the installation of a set of Kodiak Sidewinder drop down steps which are necessary to get into this big Ford. Other additions include a Snuglid Tonneau Cover , a 05 Super Duty light and grille conversion as well as a tubular bumper guard to add to the aggressive looks of the Ford. Proving this is no coffee table custom, Kirk also installed dual Ramsey Patriot winches, one in the front and one in the rear which have seen use many times. The front winch is a Ramsey Patriot 9500 lb. model while the rear is a whopping 15,000 lb. model. Speaking of power, under the hood lurks Ford six-liter Power Stroke diesel. A Bully Dog power programmer works as a team with an AFE cold air intake and a four-inch MBRP exhaust to produce over 500 horsepower which is more than enough get this big beast down the road with authority. The Centennial Edition interior package was retained since it includes plush tan leather seating and door panels with elegant wood dash and door panel trim. There have been some additions such as a few polished aluminum inserts, race switches to control the winches and auxiliary lighting and a matching wood A-pillar pod housing Auto Meter EGT, Trans Temp and Turbo Boost gauges. I guess the question has been answered as to what a monster truck driver drives when he isn't crushing cars for thousands of cheering fans. Ironically, it is possible that Kirk could crush plenty of cars in his daily driver Super Duty too. KIRK & DIANE DABNEY RUSSELLVILLE, ALABAMA 2003 FORD F-350 SUPER DUTY http://fordtruckworld.tenmagazines.com/articles.asp?page=tenarticle&aid=3622