Terminology

AC: An Allis Chalmers Tractor.
Allison: World War II vintage v-12 aircraft engine.1710 cu. In., approximately 2000 horsepower.
Arias: Racing engine brand common in Minis and TWD trucks.
Binder: International Tractor.
Bite: Traction.
Blower: Supercharger.
Boost: Air pressure generally by turbos or superchargers.
Bore & Stroke: Diameter of the cylinders and the distance the piston moves up and down the cylinder.
Box: Part of a weight transfer machine that carries and transfers the weight.
Brush Pull: Non-sanctioned pull.
Cam: The camshaft, a revolving engine part that moves the valves up and down.
Carb: The carburetor.
Chevy: A Chevrolet style engine. Also referring to the Chevrolet brand of cars and trucks.
Chevy Hemi: An engine that uses a Chevrolet style block with Hemi style heads. Arias is a common brand of this style engine.
Class: Type of vehicle and rules used to define that type of vehicle(s). Modified, Super Stock (Open or Diesel), Two Wheel Drive Truck, Mini Modified, Semi, Pro Stock, etc.
Clay: The most desirable track surface.
Cleats: The tread on a tractor tire.
Cubes: Cubic inch displacement of an engine.
Cut Tires: Trim the tire bar to a preferred angle for maximum bite.
Deere: A John Deere tractor.
Diesel: An engine that ignites the fuel by the heat of compression, rather than by spark plugs.
Drawbar: The part of the tractor or truck which attaches to the chain and hook of the transfer.
Drawbar Height: The distance between the drawbar and the track surface.
Drop the Hammer: Hitting the throttle hard.
4 x 4: Four wheel drive.
FWD: Four wheel drive truck.
Fuel: Either Alcohol or Diesel fuel.
Full Pull: Pulling the entire length of the track.
GN: Grand National level of pulling.
Gooney: A puller’s helper.
Grenade- Damage to engine, usually terminal.
Headers: Exhaust pipes designed for free exhaust flow.
Hemi: A Chrysler engine with a dome-shaped combustion chamber.
Hired Gun: A driver who drives tractors or trucks other than his or her own.
Hook: The point of attachment to tractor’s or truck’s drawbar.
Hook Points: Points received for attempting a pull. Each competitor can earn 15 per attempt.
Hooking Up: Tires getting a bite on the track.
Horsepower: The ability to do a specific amount of work during a specific amount of time and over a specific distance. Abbreviated HP.
IH: An International Harvester tractor. (Also International)
Kill Switch: A required hook-up that automatically kills the engine if the tractor becomes unhooked from the sled.
Mini: Small modified tractor, 2050 lb.
Miss the Balance: Improper weight balance on a tractor, either too light on the front resulting in an uncontrollable wheelie, or too heavy on the rear resulting in poor power transfer.
MM: Minneapolis Moline tractor.
Modified: Tractor using any combination of engines, transmission and final drive.
Mopar: Chrysler products.
NTPA: The National Tractor Pullers Association, Inc.
Out the Gate: A full pull, going the entire length of the track.
Overspeed: A safety device on turbine engines to keep them at a safe operating speed. If achieved engine will shut down.
Pan: Part of the weight transfer that makes contact with the track to create the friction necessary to stop the tractor.
Pits: Area for pulling tractors and trucks to park.
Points Champ: The person who has won the most points at season’s end.
Power Track: Track made with the combination of water and clay to pack, requiring a lot of power from the tractor to pull the transfer.
Pro Stock: One turbo charger and limited alterations being allowed in a class.
Pull-Off: A second pulling contest for pullers going past the full pull mark.
Purse: The total prize money awarded at an event.
Read the Track: Determine track conditions (soil type, soil texture. etc.) foweighting tractor and spotting sled.
Revs: RPMs or revolutions per minute of the crankshaft.
Sanctioning: A contract, which evidences the event’s commitment to follow national rules and regulations of the sport and to provide a safe environment for the participants and spectators.
Second Attempt: If, on the first try, the tractor doesn’t move the sled to the 100 foot line, the puller can try again.
Skid: Pan of the sled.
Sled: Weight transfer machine.
Slider: A clutch which uses the centrifugal force inherent in the spinning of the clutch to activate the clutch mechanism (also a Slipper Clutch).
Slip the Clutch: Prevention of 100% lock-up of the clutch, used to hook up the tires to the track. Also means a malfunctioning clutch which never locks up.
Smoke Machine: Used at indoor pulls, attaches to weight transfer machine, sucks exhaust smoke from tractor outside.
Smoker: Vehicle using diesel fuel.
SOHC: Single Overhead Camshaft engine.
Spotting the Sled: Puller choosing where the sled will sit along the start line for the pull.
Squeaked It Out: Barely pulling past the full-pull mark.
Staged: Lined up at the starting line. Also connecting turbochargers in progressive sequence on super stocks.
Super Stock: Refers to multiple turbochargers with few limitations to alterations in the given class.
Test Puller: First puller of each class to check sled gear and weight. Has option of re-pulling or dropping six positions, or dropping to last.
Throw Weights: To move detachable weight around on the tractor to achieve a preferred balance of weight for track conditions.
Torque: The power needed to twist or pull under counter pressure.
Transfer: Weight transfer machine to which the tractor hooks to pull.
Turbine: An engine using the exploding fuel to drive rotary fan blades, creating the turning power of the engine, as in aircraft jet engines.
Turbo:Turbocharger (an exhaust powered compressor adding power to the basic engine by adding more air).
TWD: Two wheel drive truck.
Under the Turbos: Not being able to keep engine speed up to the proper levels to maintain turbocharger pressure.
Weight Classes: 6200 Ib., 7200 lb., etc. The maximum weight of the tractor and driver for a particular class.
Wheelie: Lifting the front wheels off the ground.
Wrench: To repair, work on tractor.