BIGFOOT #8 Testing from 1989 - Jim Kramer - BIGFOOT 4x4, Inc.

Jim Kramer actually did a lot of testing with BIGFOOT #8, even though he ended up driving #9. Here is Jim and #8 doing some testing at the old shop in Hazelwood, MO in August of 1989. You can see them running the truck through a ditch to see how the suspension articulates.
Check out BIGFOOT at bigfoot4x4inc/ or at bigfoot4x4.com

[@Jt7166]

This is awesome. Out of all the brilliant things Bob Chandler has done in his life, videoing everything for 40 years is high on the list... Loving the new emphasis on social media since Dan took over as VP....keep it up...more old school BF 8/9 videos please!

[@JOHNNYFUTS]

This truck changed everything!!!!!

[@fernandochaves9665]

"If you can't beat it, ban it". Valuable stuff, thanks for it... Greetings from Argentina.

[@badass6.0powerstroke10]

Nice footage. Gotta love that Big Block Ford Power !!! FORD FOR LIFE !!! Bigfoot is a legend in my book.

[@PhaQ2]

That moment when you realize the neighbor's kids and their go karts aren't that bad.

[@yeahsuremah]

Haha

[@NobleNoob356]

The truck that ushered in a new era.

[@rollingkapone1804]

Steve hell yeah!

[@mamaluigi2064]

This truck was revolutionary It's set the standard for all monster trucks

[@jeffreydavis5506]

Aaahhhh to be a kid again...for one day even.

[@LUNITICWILL]

always cool to see testing videos of the older trucks

[@waynenorbreyjr9371]

Yes it is! Now I wanna see more!

[@cw50must]

That is so cool, that was the truck that changed it all.

[@stuntmanmike37]

Jim Kramer's a mad man!

[@econrey]

Awesome video. Brings back lots of childhood memories of driving past there with my dad. I even had a Bigfoot power wheels truck :)

[@RailStalkerAdventures]

Ah yes, the truck that was sadly mired in controversy on TUFF TRAX in the 1990 season Bigfoot #8. Scott Stephens did not like this truck at all when he raced against it 34 years ago. Awesome stuff, guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@watahyahknow]

frame looked pretty simple back in those days

[@thecannabiskidfortier6219]

I had one of the vhs copies of bigfoot and the history of the truck. Loved it. Would love to have another copy.

[@waynenorbreyjr9371]

Thx, for posting! More please! Really enjoy these types of videos. Hopefully we'll see more testing of #8 as well as #'s 9-16 and of course maybe additional footage of 18, 19, 20 ad 21 if there is any.

[@showme8867]

Fun,fun,fun, good ole boys and their toys, love running down the hwy and jumping the ditch,lol, great vid thanks for sharing!

[@chevy385]

That truck always sounded so good with mufflers on it!

[@TJ-qz6hr]

Predator carbs for days.

[@jason454ss]

Grew up watching the original Bigfoot movie great to see even more original footage!

[@rollingkapone1804]

Monster truckin sure came along ways!!

[@tf68charger]

gotta love the blower whine

[@350anthony]

Now that is a professional mullet🎅🏿

[@theBloodwolf13]

Love the Bigfoot Ranger in the first shot

[@m_12_44_w]

And now it’s back!

[@alexanderleslie4226]

Love the triple predators!!!

[@brettsharbono3022]

That's pretty extreme suspension design work for 1989. It would be interesting to find out why they didn't develop the front and rear cantilever design further, I've wanted to experiment with something similar on my mud truck.

[@garrettott2250]

Brett Sharbono i think they didn’t develop it any further because newer conventional straight up and down gas shock designs came out in the mid 90s and they gave about the same travel as they did here. So they figured they didn’t need it anymore

[@PfaffPfantom]

They improved the design for #9. But as Garrett said, it was made obsolete with straight shocks. However, I believe modern shocks combined with a cantilever setup would allow for insane amounts of travel, maybe 4 feet or more. I guess it got to the point where they decided they didn't need more travel. But today's trucks are mostly made with freestyle in mind, and I think it would be too soft.

[@inoutdoor4211]

Sounds like a diesel! Surprised looking back at it, they used to collect and muffle these things often, then through the 2000's it was open headers (the best imo) and now full circle, monster jam requires mufflers. these sound better though.

[@dwp139]

Even on travel tires this thing was getting air. Way surpassed it's time when built. The truck born into controversy. But the truck that changed the industry.

[@kevinatfms]

Its still unsurpassed in technology. With todays shock technology and the cantilever suspension design these trucks could go even bigger than they do now.

[@LCM1956]

you really think so? Whats the advantage to this design? It sure looked like it absorbed them small jumps well.

[@PfaffPfantom]

@@LCM1956 More suspension travel, especially with today's shock technology. BF 11 had three feet of rear travel in 1993 -- I'd imagine today it would get four or more. I think the downside is it might be less stable, at least on the front, but I assume this could be fixed by modifying the sway bars. And with today's trucks being mostly made for freestyle, it wouldn't work so well because it's a softer ride. But for racing, it seems like it would be the way to go for obstacle courses.

[@LextechLighting]

Now it's easy to see why bigfoot 8 collapsed the suspension at the fairgrounds during trial runs. There was no meat on that back rail the cantilever connected to.

[@FordFan01]

Would you guys ever think of doing a throwback body of the 1987-1991 style trucks? Like with the old school paint job like seen on Bigfoot 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7? I was just thinking it’d give a nice little touch of the days of monster trucks where you guys used that style but has the new Concussion chassis.

[@Vincent.Joseph]

Ford Fan01 they do, it’s a new truck but it has the original 74 f-250 body style that’s fiberglass

[@johnwilburn]

Bigfoot 6 was the first Bigfoot I saw in person and my favorite.

[@mikerowland1701]

Love it!

[@Dogman36]

what was this trucks very first public show? was it the USHRA Championships in Houston? or for Special Events at Indy Fairgrounds?

[@timt8029]

Love it guys. I wonder if this engine was a 540 or for a brief period of time there was mention that number 8 would use a 571 with 3 carbs. Had to be a new engine because at this point number 7 still had it's 540 as did 4.

[@officialclownbusiness7788]

heh, it looks like a gaint go-kart, and I mean that in a good, fun as hell sorta way.

[@andrewwright9154]

Remember the truck was so good the TNT truck series ban it for a while

[@tempo1889]

I think it was banned for 6 months or something like that.

[@coltenswanson2322]

Yep

[@thunderclap369]

sick

[@amankyrgyz9786]

Drive testing?

[@jacobgreen3415]

Lol a minute of backstreet gotta make that 10,minute mark

[@ianthompson2867]

I'd like to see a video of a build from start to finish

[@TBird100636]

You probably already found it, but in case you haven't, look for "Battle of the Bigfoots", it features a segment about the development/testing of Bigfoot 8.

[@RoofinDanRHODEISLAND]

Mullets and not a bald head in sight !!!

[@theBloodwolf13]

I wonder what axles it used

[@salvadordollyparton666]

Looked like zf axles they still use.

[@davevsevildead9749]

Testing his body in the seat belts, but what about his neck that shoots forward when his body doesnt?

[@patriots46714]

An here I thought trailer tires were just for getting on an off the semi !!

[@jeffbarnett4061]

8289 that's my bday

[@robertanderson3rd53]

FROZEN MAN WAS HERE.

[@joshmiller1928]

I remember back in the day they banned Bigfoot from monster truck racing, so everyone could catch up. Got a pack of Bigfoot trading cards a few weeks ago,from 1987! Andy Brass.live on

[@Scribles]

: )

[@Jason1Pa]

Wow them old roll cages sure don't seem to offer a lot of protection back then

[@TERRORoftheLORD]

Jason1Pa I was thinking the same thing. The driver is actually going to get injured by that door bar in roll over. Moving the driver to the center and adding a HANS was a huge jump in safety!

[@PfaffPfantom]

@@TERRORoftheLORD No one was ever hurt in these BF trucks, and they wrecked quite a bit.

[@jeffe1779]

Who has the video of BF 8 on 48’s

[@johnwilburn]

If they had suspension like this in the beginning, they wouldn't have had a need to go to 66s.

[@trevorodom1930]

What made them put mufflers on this truck?

[@crazylarryjr]

Partly for noise and partly for torque, some believed that the back pressure could boost torque, if built properly. I know gravedigger also used mufflers for a while, till they started building for RPM and raw power. He (Dennis Anderson) said the mufflers boosted response, usually caused by a boost on torque, in the lower to mid range of the power band

[@PfaffPfantom]

Gene Patterson told me it was part of a sponsorship deal. I forget who the company was. They sounded great, much better than trucks without them.

[@jaykoons]

With that engine, almost looks like USA-1

[@pierre-lucmorin157]

Ram

[@mr.everythingrandom9470]

It would be a better rock crawler

[@joshmiller1928]

Mr. EverythingRandom it crawled all over the comp, and Bigfoot has its own category.

[@thebandit7408]

The moment when they stopped being monster trucks, put roll cages with a fake shell same way Nascar went. Sorry but it cheapens it for me and they don't even crush cars anymore they do stupid stunts over and over until they tear up

[@fernandochaves9665]

I agree they stopped being "real" trucks since, but it was a safety matter. Before, all the energy from the jumps and landings went directly to the driver. But I also prefer the old ones based in real frames and bodies, lots of brand identity back then...