Ford Prerunner Racing Trucks - Off-Road Magazine

If you're ever meandering down Lambert Road in Whittier, California, you might catch a glimpse of a free-standing sign perched nonchalantly next to the street. "Desolate Motorsports," it reads. "Lift kits. Metal fabrication." An arrow points toward the shop, located aft of an unassuming strip mall.

"My location is actually a good thing," comments owner Greg Gilbert. "Since my shop is a little tougher to find, I notice that customers who come in not only know about Desolate Motorsports, but they're more informed and have a better idea of what they want to do with their trucks."

Desolate first appeared on Off-Road's radar when Matt Langan took top honors in the prerunner class at the '04 MDR Lucerne 250 driving a Desolate-built F-150. "I just drove a little harder and a little smarter than everyone else," Matt told us at the time.

We recently had a chance to catch up with Desolate Motorsports and see what Greg and crewmembers Nick Lopez, Matt Carter, and Danny Cannon have been up to during the last few years. Langan's prerunner-class entry has grown into a full-fledged Class 8 truck with a fire-breathing V8 and full fiberglass bodywork. Customer Mike Wahl employed Desolate's talents to build a 7S Ford Ranger that netted a podium finish after 584 hot, dusty miles between Vegas and Reno. Finally, Greg himself chanced upon an already-built F-150 prerunner that was too good a deal to pass up.

Keep reading. The next few pages showcase an impressive trio of trucks.

When Time Is of the Greatest Essence"With the demands of a growing business, and deadlines coming sooner rather than later on customers' vehicles, I couldn't see myself ever being able to take the time to build a prerunner like this one," confides Greg.

This F-150 has a stock frame, a stock steel cab, a license plate, and functional A/C. It's also got a few drops of Trophy Truck flowing through its veins. Tom McKenzie of Suspension Innovation applied his talents and otherworldly attention to detail to this 1/2-ton. To see more of Tom's work, look back a few issues to "Coming Full Circle" from November 2006.

"Tom originally built this truck for my good friend Aaron Stein," Greg relates. "I fell in love with it at first sight. Aaron soon sold the truck to another good friend of mine, and just a few months after that, I was able to sell off a few half-finished projects and purchase the truck. As a racer, I saw this as the 'perfect prerunner.' Besides the fact that it is four-wheel-drive, the quality of the fab work is topnotch. It's 100-percent TIG-welded, and 100-percent chrome-moly was used. Every surface Tom worked on has been either painted or powdercoated."

In purchasing this truck, Greg not only saved himself a lot of time, he also saved himself a wad of cash. Although we're not going to reveal the dollar figure, trust us that it was a steal.

If this front end looks wider, that's because it is. Tom McKenzie added 4 inches to each side of the Twin-Traction Beam system...
If this front end looks wider, that's because it is. Tom McKenzie added 4 inches to each
...After the beams were widened, Tom added chrome-moly plate, using the primo material in both the gussets and the shock mounts.
...After the beams were widened, Tom added chrome-moly plate, using the primo material in

Carefully routed tubing ties the radius arms and the front suspension crossmember together.
Carefully routed tubing ties the radius arms and the front suspension crossmember together
Since the Traction Beams were widened between the radius arms and the beam ends, Tom was able to build the radius arms sans bends, which netted both simplicity and strength. The tires clear the radius arms at full steering lock. A King 3-inch coilover works alongside a King bumpstop to tame the terrain. Look closely at the bumpstop mount and the radius-arm pivot bracket. Tom built his bracketry to bolt to the frame, which avoids cracking. The brake-line routing is extra-clean and tucks out of the way. Very nice.
Since the Traction Beams were widened between the radius arms and the beam ends, Tom was a
Putting a 9-inch in a late-model truck sometimes poses tech-laden obstacles. In the later-model F-150s, a tone ring is used in the rear differential. This tone ring supplies a signal that's used to trigger transmission shift points and speedometer readings. To make up for the deleted tone ring, a new ring was fitted to the rear driveshaft yoke, and the tone-ring sensor was relocated. Problem solved.
Putting a 9-inch in a late-model truck sometimes poses tech-laden obstacles. In the later

An SI bed cage hosts a pair of 35-inch BFG spares mounted to Alcoa wheels. A Fuel Safe cell is sunken into the bed floor just behind the rear axle. Greg adapted the stock F-150 fuel pump to the cell's fill plate instead of using an external aftermarket pump, which means replacement fuel pumps are only as far as the nearest parts store.
An SI bed cage hosts a pair of 35-inch BFG spares mounted to Alcoa wheels. A Fuel Safe ce
Deaver leaf packs bolt to a Currie-built Ford 9-inch rearend. The 31-spline axles plug into a third member built with a spool and 4.56 gears. Wilwood four-piston calipers clamp down on the rotors when needed.
Deaver leaf packs bolt to a Currie-built Ford 9-inch rearend. The 31-spline axles plug in
Airtools are part of this prerunner's off-road arsenal and are powered by a CO2 tank that's stored out of the way but easily accessed.
Airtools are part of this prerunner's off-road arsenal and are powered by a CO2 tank that'

An SI engine cage gives the Kings' upper mounts a home and is contoured around the curves and angles of the fuel-injected 351 under the four-pin Autofab fiberglass hood. The antenna for the Lowrance GPS mounts to the passenger's side of the wiper cowl.
An SI engine cage gives the Kings' upper mounts a home and is contoured around the curves
Should you become lost, broken, or otherwise stranded, you'd better either be carrying the right tools or be in the company of the right people. Gas cans can be tucked into mounts on either side of the well-stocked toolbox.
Should you become lost, broken, or otherwise stranded, you'd better either be carrying the

Saga of speed
Going fast runs in the Wahl family. "I started in the early '70s at a muffler shop," truck owner Mike Wahl says. "I worked for a guy who had a high-speed car built for running on salt flats. My dad also helped get me started in racing."

These days, Mike's focus has shifted toward his daughter Erin and the 7S Ford Ranger he had built for her at Desolate Motorsports. "Erin will drive and race more when she gets more experience. For us, going to the desert is a family thing."

The build began with a cab and frame procured from a wrecking yard. Per Class 7S rules, the Ranger keeps the engine in the stock location and uses modified stock suspension parts. The class restrictions mean that 7S is a "driver's class," where a single truck has little technological advantage over another. The secrets to 7S success are to upgrade key components on the truck for extended dirt duty, and to get as much seat time as possible prior to hitting the starting line.

It's clear that Erin's time is coming. In the BITD Vegas to Reno race, Erin took the wheel long enough to be listed as a driver of record next to Danny Cannon and Dave Sanchez. Congrats!

Ford's 8.8 rearend has been standard issue for 4-liter-equipped Rangers for quite some time, but it still doesn't stack up to the ruggedness of the legendary 9-inch. This particular 9-inch is based on a Speedway Engineering housing, which was trussed by Desolate Motorsports. The pumpkin is filled with 5.67 gears, 35-spline axles, and...
Ford's 8.8 rearend has been standard issue for 4-liter-equipped Rangers for quite some tim
... a spool, and was built by PDC Motorsports in Brea, California. To protect the low-hanging pinion yoke, OC Offroad built this slick skidplate that bolts into place. Deaver leaf packs handle the springing chores, and a Desolate antiwrap bar keeps the springs from winding up under braking or acceleration.
... a spool, and was built by PDC Motorsports in Brea, California. To protect the low-han
This X-brace is surprisingly easy to step over on your way in. Stock door panels have been deleted in favor of featherweight sheets of aluminum.
This X-brace is surprisingly easy to step over on your way in. Stock door panels have bee

The stock coil buckets must be retained, so captured Eibach coils are used instead of coilovers. King damps this front end with bypass shocks mounted to the front of the I-beams and bumpstops mounted inside of the coil buckets. Suspension travel is at the class limit of 12 inches, but the ride is still fairly smooth.
The stock coil buckets must be retained, so captured Eibach coils are used instead of coil
Sometimes the stock radiator cap sits at the highest point of the cooling system, and sometimes it doesn't. The latter was the case on this truck, so a remote filler neck was plumbed into the upper radiator hose. A stock radiator and a stock engine-driven fan provide superior cooling, even when the Nevada silt beds get nasty and deep. This truck relies on a '99 4.0 SOHC V6 for locomotion. A compact, powerful engine, it's also easy to come by in many wrecking yards.
Sometimes the stock radiator cap sits at the highest point of the cooling system, and some
Ford never bolted a C4 automatic behind an SOHC 4.0, but that very combo is one of the best when it comes to prerunners and desert racing machines. The tranny was rebuilt by Jerry's Transmission in Norwalk, California, using a B&M shift kit and a custom TCS torque convertor. An Art Carr shifter selects the gears, and a PWR cooler keeps the ATF temperature under control.
Ford never bolted a C4 automatic behind an SOHC 4.0, but that very combo is one of the bes

Just enough material was added to the stock spring hangers to make them survive in the desert.
Just enough material was added to the stock spring hangers to make them survive in the des
Class rules require using stock radius arms but allow material to be added for strengthening purposes as seen here.
Class rules require using stock radius arms but allow material to be added for strengtheni
We've never experienced, or heard of, a clogged UMP air filter. This one is tucked neatly under the dash, supplying the freshest, clearest air available.
We've never experienced, or heard of, a clogged UMP air filter. This one is tucked neatly

This slick Direct Concept Engineering stainless steel light housing is available from Desolate and can be used by itself or in conjunction with stock rear taillights. Street-driven trucks should retain stock taillights.
This slick Direct Concept Engineering stainless steel light housing is available from Deso
Thirty-three-inch BFGoodrich Baja T/As wrapped around Boyd Coddington wheels are this truck's connection with terra firma. Check out the "Desolate" lettering carved into the wheel's reinforcement ring.
Thirty-three-inch BFGoodrich Baja T/As wrapped around Boyd Coddington wheels are this truc

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