This week’s Throwback video takes us back to 1971, where Ford Motor Company showed off their new twin I-beam suspension and how that setup allowed the truck to avoid being electrifying – in a good way.
To show off the ride quality of the 1971 Ford truck, the Motor Company set up a course of repeated bumps alongside a pair of high voltage cables which, when touched by a metal rod, explode in a shower of sparks. The test engineers then connected metal rods to the 1971 Ford truck, one on the left front wheel and another on the body.
As the Ford truck drives across the many bumps on the path, the wheels of the truck jump around a great deal and the metal rod on that wheel repeatedly hits the high voltage wire- resulting in a shower of sparks. On the other hand, thanks to the I-beam suspension, the metal rod on the body barely moves and it never touches the high voltage wire.
It is a little cheesy, but it really is a great display of the 1971 Ford suspension setup at work.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
