‘Nuclear Marshmallow’ Silverado Lives for the Dirt
Dune-jumping enthusiast trades in his dirt bike for a Silverado prerunner.
Dirt bikes are crazy fun, but they’re also crazy dangerous. So what’s an aging off road, dirt bike enthusiast do when he wants a little more, um, protection around him? He trades in two wheels for four, of course. And in the case of 4 Wheel Parts Senior Sales Associate Michael Ball, you build a sweet Silverado prerunner to satisfy your weekend dirt fix.
We spotted Ball and his awesome build over at Four Wheeler, and immediately watched the video of it jumping hills several times over. But despite its obvious capability, the truck is what Ball describes as a “budget luxury prerunner.” Because who the heck can afford the triple digit price tag of a real race truck anyway?
As Ball’s Silverado proves, you don’t have to spend epic dollars to build an epic truck. The build started with the installation of a cage for safety purposes. Then, the Blitzkreig suspension could be mocked up and installed. Dual Fox front shocks and King bumpstops were swapped in, along with a built 4-link. Rear shocks feature Pro Comp bumps and Fox coilovers.
Surprisingly, the front brakes remain stock. But the rear brakes feature Schriner rotors and Wilwood Superlite calipers. 37×12.50-17 Pro Comp Xtreme AT tires wrap around a set of 17×8.5 Pro Comp La Paz wheels for some real grip.
On the outside, not much has changed, including the factory refrigerator white paint. The front fenders and rear bedsides are Trailer products fiberglass units. And of course, a series of lighting by Hella and Rigid helps out when the sun goes down. The bed comes loaded with everything you need for desert runs. Two spares, a toolbox, and a fire extinguisher take up residence in between the bars of the bed cage.
Corbeau XP seats with 5-point harnesses keep Ball and passenger in one piece. And aiding his jumping addiction, a mildly built 6.0 liter LQ9 pumping out 400 hp lies under the hood. It’s nothing crazy or over the top, which matches the rest of the build. After all, Ball just wanted a truck he could take out and have some fun in. Without breaking the bank. And it’s safe to say he didn’t just meet those expectations – he exceeded them.
