To answer the questions as best I can we tried some different gearing. Top sled of the sled was 27.9mph. Spun the tires at 35.
On the chassis we worked hard to get the chassis as light as possible. We changed lots of parts to ones off other vehicles, like f150 springs and Chevy impala brake calipers. The front suspension has a similar setup to what is on The American Ride. I tried to do it differently and use the stock shock location but we couldn't keep it flat as I wanted. One difference in this setup is it has stronger shocks out front. We changed the stabilizer shocks for a hydraulic cylinder and drilled and tapped the factory steering box. It is amazing how much better it steers. In the end I think the extra weight out front has a lot to do with the smoothness. I wanted to get 1500 out front and thought it was a lofty goal but we are close. If the truck doesn't get sold then I think we can get some more weight off it. The truck should actually be lighter when we put the duals on it this winter.