LAVON MILLER’S ALL-AROUND BEAST PERFORMS UNDER LOAD AND ON THE TRACK

Before Lavon Miller began work on the 2006 Dodge Ram Pro Street 4×4 that conquered the 2016 Ultimate Callout Challenge, he built an all-purpose machine made solely to abuse as a driver, hauler, racer and tester out of a 2004.5 Dodge Ram. After he traded his compound turbo 24 valve Cummins for the ’04, Miller retooled the transmission and fixed up the interior and exterior before driving it as a shop truck for three years at a relaxed 585 horsepower. But when Miller was invited to compete in a diesel challenge in 2014, he set a new goal for the truck. Miller and his Fire-punk Diesel crew out of Plain City, Ohio, set out to see how much power and torque they could cram into a rig while keeping it 100-percent streetable and reliable between commutes, hauling a trailer and throwing down the gauntlet on the drag strip.

Before Miller began to push the Ram to its limits, he had upgraded the style of the shop truck a bit to maintain a sleek, almost stock appeal. The crisp white paint scheme was applied by Chips’s Custom Collision in West Jefferson, Ohio. Smoked taillights along with a shaved rear bumper with the license plate recessed into the roll pan are subtle customizations that make the truck stand out after a second glance. On the inside, Miller kept the Dodge simple, keeping the factory cloth and colors. He eventually integrated gauge pods into the A-pillar and a set above the rear view mirror to keep an eye on all his rig’s vitals. Miller used a Kenwood head unit to control the Rockford Fosgate amp and a 10-inch Infinity subwoofer concealed under the back seat. But that was just the beginning of the custom work going into the truck.

To gain the desired high power coupled with reliability that became the goal three years after the purchase, Miller swapped out the engine to a 2010 6.7L Cummins engine. The Firepunk crew went with Cummins Industrial Pistons for their upgraded pistons and Carrillo rods to add strength to the interior of the block. At the top of the engine, they installed a D&J Stage 2 head and valve springs. Knowing the beast was going to be thirsty on the track, an AirDog 4G pump was outfitted to get the fuel up to an ATS dual CP3 setup and a set of Exergy 200-percent over injectors. Miller now runs an HP Tuner programmer to dial in his tunes. The Firepunk crew installed what Miller likes to call a “conservative” turbo setup to walk the line between crazy power and daily driver with compound Engineered 366-484 billet aluminum turbos and custom fabricated piping. The crew also installed a Stainless Diesel exhaust manifold.. An On3 Performance intercooler keeps the intake charge cool enough as it makes its passes or tows a heavy load.

This impressive array of parts and custom work enabled Miller to get a stout 1,250 horsepower and 2,100 lbs-ft. of torque out of the 6.7. But with that much power, and a goal of drag racing along with daily driving and towing, the drive train needed to be upgraded. Luckily, Miller and his Firepunk team know transmissions better than the back of their hands. They installed their Firepunk Comp 3 48re transmission and a Diesel Performance Converters torque converter with a 2,000 RPM stall speed.

In order for this powerhouse to ride, tow, and race for the rest of its life, Miller knew more would be needed to dial in the rig, so he turned his attention to the chassis. An OEM limited slip differential was housed in the AAM rear axle to hold up to the torque of high boost launches down the strip. To get the rear riding right through any excursions, the overload springs and spacers were removed to reverse level, air bags were added for towing support, and Bilstein 5100 shocks were installed. The front was equipped with a Tru-Trac limited slip differential in the stock front end assembly and Bilstein 5100 shocks were installed up front as well. Lavon’s brother Lyn Miller fabricated a custom ladder bar setup to help keep the truck running in a straight line and prevent the leaf springs from twisting when the loud pedal is hammered. Another aid to keep the Ram pointing where he’d like was the Redhead Gearbox, ‘08-plus tie rods, and a drag link. Upping the style points and traction are the American Force Vector 22×12 wheels wrapped in 305/45/22 Nitto Terra Grappler G2 tires.

With over 1,200 horsepower, this 2004 Ram and its 2010 6.7 Cummins are able run mid 10s on the drag strip and daily drive an average of 20,000 miles a year, much of that distance with a trailer on its tail. Miller and his Firepunk team were able to use the truck to tow a 44-foot trailer to the ODSS races, unhook and attach their custom bolt-in roll bar setup, race the class, and then tow the trailer back home. The Ram won the overall points battle for the 10.5 Index class in the Outlaw Diesel Super Series in 2015. This rig also won an invitational diesel challenge two years in a row without contest before inexplicably not being invited to compete for a third. And don’t worry, now that Lavon Miller has built his Ultimate Callout Challenge slayer, this champion Ram still races in the hands of younger brother Larson Miller in the 10.5 Index class of the ODSS and has already nabbed a win in the 2016 season.

Miller and his crew at Firepunk Diesel set out to push the limits of a street truck and succeeded in creating a show topping winner. It performs like a pure-bred race truck at any drag strip, like a lean work horse at the helm of any trailer, and a well-greased grocery getter through any daily driving. Miller kept his promise to craft a 100-percent functional driver with as much power as possible crammed underneath the hood. UDBG

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