BIGFOOT 8

The monster truck industry turned its focus towards all-out racing in the late 1980’s, and it was at that point that BIGFOOT Creator Bob Chandler saw the need for a major technological leap forward in the name of safety and performance. Existing monster truck designs were not exactly prime examples of high technology at the time. They featured stiff leaf spring-based suspensions that were rough and offered little in the way of travel, which of course took its toll on drivers. Most trucks at the time also utilized steel pickup truck bodies, mounted atop heavy steel frames. All of that combined with heavy military axles and full-cleat tires added up to one thing: a very cumbersome monster truck, often in excess of 15,000lbs. Despite their heavy weight, the high-horsepower engines that teams were using in the trucks were propelling them to speeds in excess of 60mph. The industry had reached a point where the trucks could dish out more than the drivers could take, and Chandler decided something needed to be done.

Using Computer Aided Design (AutoCAD) technology, Chandler was able to create a new generation of monster truck (dubbed Stage III) that featured a radical tubular steel chassis design and patented cantilever suspension system. The first of these new trucks was BIGFOOT #8, which was completed in mid-1989. BIGFOOT #8 quickly leapt to the forefront of the monster truck world, and in its first full year of competition became the 1990 World Champion. Since that time, the vast majority of monster trucks have adhered to the basic concept of using a tubular steel chassis and long-travel nitrogen-charged shocks. This style of truck combines speed, light weight, and agility with an extensive roll cage and fiberglass body that makes for a safer, better performing, and easier to fix monster truck.

In 2020 this truck was restored to how it looked in the early 90’s and is currently a display vehicle.