Ford Prerunner Racing Trucks - F150

The frame remains the same
Like almost every prerunner or race truck, this one began life as a daily driver. Matt Langan was largely satisfied with his F-150 until he fatefully codrove during a race in 2002 - he was hooked.

Matt handed his then V6-powered '97 F-150 off to Desolate for each stage of the buildup. The stock steel cab, 4.2 V6, five-speed manual tranny, and stock-location leaf springs were used at first in conjunction with an H&M long-travel front suspension. After a few races, an H&M linked rear suspension took the place of the leaf packs. At that point, the chassis far outperformed the drivetrain.

After racing successfully in the prerunner/1450 class for a couple of seasons, Matt, along with his father Jeff, decided to unlock the rest of the F-150's potential by having it built into a full-fledged Class 8 racer. If it could see and think, the Langan truck wouldn't recognize its former self if the two incarnations passed each other in a hallway. Nearly everything else has changed, but the frame remains the same.

After the one-piece front clip is peeled away, the all-competition-all-the-time nature of this truck is easy to see. Like Mike Wahl's 7S Ranger, the Langan 8 truck uses a BFGoodrich/Boyd Coddington combo at each corner.
After the one-piece front clip is peeled away, the all-competition-all-the-time nature of
Exhaust routing on a race truck is tricky because 'cage tubing and suspension parts tend to occupy what was once open space. Greg Gilbert built a set of custom headers to route the hot gasses around the trouble spots.
Exhaust routing on a race truck is tricky because 'cage tubing and suspension parts tend t
The 4.2 V6 is long gone, replaced by a hard-charging 351 V8 that's been massaged by L&R Automotive to displace 392 cubic inches. Estimated horsepower is 500 at a reasonable 4,500 rpm.
The 4.2 V6 is long gone, replaced by a hard-charging 351 V8 that's been massaged by L&R Au

Mixing Ford and Chevy is taboo for some, but the Langans are more than pleased with the TH400 that's been adapted to sit behind the 392 small-block.
Mixing Ford and Chevy is taboo for some, but the Langans are more than pleased with the TH
If there's a down side to a linked rear suspension, it's that coilover shocks provide little to no resistance to body roll. The solution is to employ a stout antisway bar, such as this one from Direct Concept. We headed to the twisty fire roads for this photo shoot, and the F-150 took to the turns as if on rails.
If there's a down side to a linked rear suspension, it's that coilover shocks provide litt
A Direct Concept light box is also used on the Langan F-150, this time as the sole source of rear lighting.
A Direct Concept light box is also used on the Langan F-150, this time as the sole source

A cluster of PWR items cools the drivetrain's vital fluids. Mounting the radiator behind the cab takes a lot of work, and it can be a chore to make it work correctly, but the crew at Desolate got the job done.
A cluster of PWR items cools the drivetrain's vital fluids. Mounting the radiator behind
Ditching the stock interior cut a lot of unnecessary weight from the truck. The aluminum panels are easy to remove for cleaning and component access. If you're building a prerunner that will also be driven daily on the street, we'd advise keeping the stock interior. It's ear-splittingly loud inside this truck - best to wear a helmet even when not racing.
Ditching the stock interior cut a lot of unnecessary weight from the truck. The aluminum p
H&M's '97-'03 F-150 kit bolts to the stock pickup points and uses stock-geometry steering. Stock coils and shocks have long been absent from this truck, replaced by a trio of King dampers at each front corner. Steering is handled by a Howe-built steering box and hydraulic ram assist.
H&M's '97-'03 F-150 kit bolts to the stock pickup points and uses stock-geometry steering.

Got droop?
A Currie CMAC housing is attached to an H&M rear link kit damped by King. Matt likes the nimble handling of the standard-cab/shortbed truck configuration.
A Currie CMAC housing is attached to an H&M rear link kit damped by King. Matt likes the