Ahead of next year’s Monster Jam® 2023 events in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban, have you ever wondered about the inner workings of a Monster Jam truck? How much does the truck weigh, how big are the tyres and what does the driver wear? Here are some crazy interesting facts you were always wondering about!
Athletic Training and Gear
To drive a Monster Jam truck you need specific gear. For neck support, there is a specifically designed harness that provides stability during impact. Then, there is a fire suit, it is custom fitted and fire-resistant. Each suit is tailored to match the theme of the truck.
To become a Monster Jam truck driver you need to attend Monster Jam University®. Jip, athletes train at Monster Jam University for over 100 hours before competing in an event.
The Driver’s Seat
Let’s take a look at what it is like to be inside a 1 500 horsepower, 5,443 kg Monster Jam truck.
You have a custom build seat, which you steer with one hand only as your other hand is on the toggle switch for the rear steering. There is a switch panel you need to activate before you can start the engine and gauges to check the performance of your engine.
Then there is the indicator light. This shows that the Remote Ignition Interrupter (RII) is active and ready. This is so that officials can shut down the truck from anywhere if necessary. And lastly, there are the gas and brake pedals to drive the massive monster-on-wheels.
Trucks and Technology
Let’s look at some of the amazing technology. First, there is a custom steel chassis – a specially fabricated roll cage surrounds and protects the driver. Then there are nitrogen-charged shocks. A shock absorber contains nitrogen to charge the hydraulic fluid, which allows up to 30″ of travel. There is both front and rear steering in a Monster Jam truck, allowing for tighter turns and pivots.
Then there is the driver’s seat. The driver’s seat is custom-made for each driver and located in the centre of a Monster Jam truck, unlike a regular car with the driver’s seat on one side. There is a Methanol-fuelled engine. The engine is located in the back of a Monster Jam truck and uses approximately 9.5 litres of methanol per run. It is capable of producing over 1 500 horsepower.
It is made from a fibreglass body with a Lexan windshield. Hand-painted sections are used to create realistic textures and details. Most Monster Jam trucks don’t have doors. The driver enters from underneath the truck.
Then, there are the mufflers, pipes connect to the motor, which is designed for free exhaust flow using a low restriction muffler.
Building a new truck takes approximately 9 months.
The Tyre Dimension is a massive 1.7m (tall) x 1.1m (wide) and it weighs an astounding 292 kg. Lastly, the Monster Jam truck size is 4m (wide) x 3.2m (tall) x 5m (long) and weighs an insane 5,443 kg.
Don’t miss Monster Jam. Book now showtime.co.za or Ticketmaster.co.za
