Back in 2010, a monster truck called Bad Habit set the record for the longest jump at 2010 feet. The Guinness people were there to certify it and everything. But the guys over at Bigfoot 4x4 Inc. couldn't let someone else keep their prize for long, now could they? Of course not. So they set out to build a new truck that would reclaim the record. And Popular Mechanic's popular program "How'd They Do That" came along for the ride. What they uncovered is a truck that may look like a close approximation of a Ford pickup, but underneath is anything but.
Bigfoot 18 is built around a custom tube frame chassis that weighs 1,700 lbs all on its own. But that's only the starting point. Packed inside the tubular chassis is a Ford SVO big block crate engine that displaces a massive 550 cubic inches and is supercharged and fed by alcohol instead of gasoline.
With the foot to the floor, Bigfoot 18 produces a mammoth 1,550 horsepower and 1,250 lb-ft of torque, fed to four driving and steering 66-inch custom-cut turf tires. Believe it or not, Bigfoot doesn't actually have any springs. Instead its adjustable gas-over-hydraulic shocks take up all the slack with 26 inches or travel at the front and 30 inches at the back. So was that all enough to reclaim the monster truck long-jump record? We have a feeling you already know, but you'll want to watch the 20+ minute feature video to find out, and to see just how it was done.
