View Full Version : PROJECT HEAVY BETTY. My 5 ton military truck
Trike_crazy
07-11-2017, 09:02 AM
So I seen an old military 5 ton for sale the other day and went to take a closer look at it last weekend. It's an M51 A2 (dump truck) that has had the bed and hydraulics removed. It has the continental mulit-fuel engine in it. Stilll not sure if I should buy it or not. I've wanted one for awhile but nothing ever comes up. This needs work but its what I work on every day since I'm in the military. I'd leave it a 6x6, maybe buy a flat bed and install a hitch to pull my racecar if I don't sell it to cover the cost of this. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170711/8456964d9db26e984c99e7ffdc9b848f.jpg
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jb2wheels
07-11-2017, 09:27 AM
Interesting and I have no first hand experience.
How is it titled, tagged, and insured?
Seems like a lot of truck for $3500.
Aren't they slow/underpowered?
How far do you have to tow your race car?
What do you tow it with now?
Would this be tiresome to drive any distance?
Ghostv2
07-11-2017, 10:44 AM
I know the 2 1/2 ton 6x6's are very popular around here, some people use them as daily drivers. Insurance is cheap since not much can hurt them lol. I'm not familiar with the dump trucks and gearing and such. I would be more comfortable around $2,500 since it's well, not even a complete truck. No dump bed. So who even knows why it was removed or the condition of the hydraulic side of it. Jump on the deuce forums and see what to look out for. That'll be your best bet on opinions. I just love the multifuel engines, some people use gasoline cut with used motor oil. Make sure it's up to date on paperwork or there is another chunk of change you'll have to fork out and time on it sitting around.
I'd rather a deuce and a half for your application if you ask me though. Since they have a 5 ton capacity on-road anyways.
fabiodriven
07-11-2017, 10:59 AM
They're great trucks. 55 mph is your limit and the hitches are extremely high on military trucks so you'd have to lower it to tow. The multifuel will run on straight used engine oil or whatever you want to toss in the tank really. I used to have a deuce, wish I still did. Just run the oil through a ten micron filter and you're good to go. Get on Steel Soldiers military truck forum.
Shep1970
07-11-2017, 02:29 PM
This beast was at trikefest its the only pic i have of it though. Definitely turned heads when it came through244890
Shep
Trike_crazy
07-11-2017, 03:55 PM
I had planned on making a hitch and a bunch of other little modifications. The guy called me back and is stuck at $3500. It is the lowest priced military truck I've seen in my area in a long time. I think I'm going to jump on it and bring it home. I'd like a deuce but with the popularity of them you can't find one for a decent price. Maybe down the road I can wheel and deal this for something else that I like?
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83ATC185
07-11-2017, 04:18 PM
Maybe someone can clarify but do you need a CDL to drive one since the 5 tons have air brakes? Or maybe its just commercially owned vehicles? Maybe i'm making this up in my head? LOL
I say jump on it! i wouldn't think it'd be too hard to get your money back on it. There was two sale here with a covered bed and trailer for $10,500. I doubt theyll ever get that but one of them did sell.
90nut
07-11-2017, 05:23 PM
U-go motorwerks in Floyd's knob IN deals in those and the amazing unimog. Don't have much first hand experience as far as price goes. Kinda seems high, gotta factor in the tires condition, those alone will cost ya $$$
El Camexican
07-11-2017, 06:19 PM
The guy called me back and is stuck at $3500.
Ask him what the "OBO" on the window means.
My ex GF's dad had one of those. He would pull it out and take nurses and doctors to work when the city was under snow. Cool as all heck, but it cost him a few bucks to keep it running.
Trike_crazy
07-11-2017, 06:30 PM
Ask him what the "OBO" on the window means.
He had a trade deal lined up. He told me he'd sell it to me and hold it if I wanted it. Well I want it so I guess I'm just going to have to pay for it.... but I might slip one last offer in before cash exchanges hands...
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fabiodriven
07-11-2017, 07:02 PM
Maybe someone can clarify but do you need a CDL to drive one since the 5 tons have air brakes? Or maybe its just commercially owned vehicles? Maybe i'm making this up in my head? LOL
I say jump on it! i wouldn't think it'd be too hard to get your money back on it. There was two sale here with a covered bed and trailer for $10,500. I doubt theyll ever get that but one of them did sell.
It does not have air brakes. If it's the same as the subsequent 800 series 5 ton trucks, it has air assisted hydraulic brakes. As far as needing a CDL, it would depend on how it's registered and what it's going to be used for. The short answer is no, you do not need a CDL.
Trike_crazy
07-11-2017, 07:35 PM
It does not have air brakes. If it's the same as the subsequent 800 series 5 ton trucks, it has air assisted hydraulic brakes. As far as needing a CDL, it would depend on how it's registered and what it's going to be used for. The short answer is no, you do not need a CDL.
This is air over hydraulic brakes. Once I track down some of the paperwork to get it legal I'm just going to see about getting Indiana Historic Vehicle plates and take it to trikefest for the hell of it. I know the old crewcab isn't liking the yearly trip to Haspin especially going up the hill at the entrance.
When I talked with the seller he told me that he would do some of the maintenance to it like changing the oil and filters. Some of the other stuff I might be able to call in some favors from the other shops in the state and get their old stock they no longer use. Manuals are easily found online or in paperback so I can make sure everything is good.
The biggest issue to me is the 2nd fuel tank isn't working or hooked up (not sure which). I want to use one tank as a diesel tank and the other as a waste oil tank. As long as I can prefilter the used oil before it hits the tank and not get any water in it I should be ok. Once I get the spin on filter conversion done I can keep a few extra filters in the truck if they get plugged by the oil.
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83ATC185
07-12-2017, 08:06 AM
ahh cool i was thinking the 5 ton trucks were different than the dueces, that's good to know!
Herboso
07-12-2017, 10:09 AM
We drove those in the Army as a Combat Engineers. They were our main means of transportation before we went mechanized. The dump bed had a canopy cover similar to the deuces. We hauled our equipment and personnel in the back. I remember sitting on a pile of duffel bags and enjoying the scenery of S. Korea through the back. Those things will last forever if maintained. Our trucks were all 40+ yro. I have no idea what maintenance costs or parts availability or costs are. Would be a fun project and conversation starter to drive one around. Good luck and enjoy.
coolpool
07-12-2017, 11:52 PM
Not quite the 5 ton I used to operate but the same basic unit. That price seems fine by me and since you're used to working on military gear already you could pull this off. The multi-fuel engine is waaay out of my area of expertise as all our Canadian ones had a 250 Cummins w/jakes. As fabio mentioned, steelsoldiers.com will be your friend. The brakes work great when maintained but the air-pack can be pricy to rebuild if needed. It's easy to leave the park brake on and drive away, been there, done that. I remember they tended to get a lot of axle seal leaks and pinion seal leaks; but that could have been coincidence in ones I drove. Make sure the t-case slides in and out smoothly and stays in hi or lo when driving. The t-case can pop out of gear if you hit bumps since this thing will spend a lot of time with its ass in the air with the spring suspension and bias ply tires, lol. And to make matters worse, the dump version is a bit shorter than the cargo variant; and it may have extra springs! You'll also have 24V electrical which will have to converted or your trailer converted. Now, you could put a 5th wheel on it to make it a tractor?
Did I mention it's going to ride like a hardtail Honda, lol.
Trike_crazy
07-13-2017, 02:46 PM
I didn't think about if it would have more springs or not lol. I guess time will tell how it rides. I actually love hardtail trikes so I'll be right at home bouncing around in that thing. I'm going to take a closer look at it when I get the cash and give it a good test drive. I don't like asking for a test drive without being able to put something towards it (like I would expect if someone wanted to test drive something of mine).
The scheid diesel extravaganza is coming up next month too so if I get into it and it seems like too much to take on I'm sure one of those kids with too much of their parents money would be more than happy to take it off my hands and I could probably get more than I paid if I play my cards right. Right now I'm just waiting on the money to hit to hit my bank account so until then its just sitting, waiting and looking up stuff I know I'll want and need to get it up to my liking.
First thingswill be making sure all the lights work and buying a hitch. I've found a class 5 hitch that should fit the frame width. Then I'll have to by a converter to step the 24v down to 12v. I'm asking around my work if they have any light sets for the old wreckers that I can use that just hook to a towed vehicle for the time being. I'm excited to get this thing home and start having some fun with it!
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coolpool
07-13-2017, 05:56 PM
Sounds like things are going your way, awesome. Are the older split rims still on it? If you have access to some old 5 ton carcasses, steal another spring assist drivers seat to replace the solid passenger one, they suck and try to find a 24v dash fan to keep your windows clear in humid/rainy conditions. I'm not sure if the US version had better heaters than our trucks but they are generally weak; and ours were supposed to have the "Cold Weather Kit" installed, ya right! The front window rubbers tend to leak in the rain emitting a constant stream of spittle at you :-) I'm making these things sound bad but they were fun and worked well. Heck in one trip I went from Calgary, Alberta to Fort Ord, Monterey, CA then up Hay River Northwest Territories, great trip! Here's a pic of a Canadian version. Differences: air cleaner on the fender, side stack, 250 Cummins (Naturally Aspirated) with Jake brake (that why the hood is raised in the center) and Cold Weather Kit. Our messed up government won't sell them so all the surplus units are sitting on bombing ranges :wondering
Trike_crazy
07-27-2017, 12:41 PM
So I bought the truck. Spent the last week or so fixing little odds and ends that weren't working or broken. The truck drove pretty good on the way home. Slow as hell though with a top speed of 45 lol
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350for350
07-28-2017, 09:03 PM
Man, that would have been perfect to haul around the Army Trike and Marine Trike that Flyingw built a few years back!
coolpool
07-29-2017, 12:09 PM
So I bought the truck. Spent the last week or so fixing little odds and ends that weren't working or broken. The truck drove pretty good on the way home. Slow as hell though with a top speed of 45 lol
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Excellent! Get some new pics up of it. How rough was the ride :-)
Trike_crazy
07-30-2017, 02:41 PM
Excellent! Get some new pics up of it. How rough was the ride :-)
It was pretty rough with absolutely no weight on the back lol. I'm currently waiting for my next round of training to be over so I can go pick up the new wheels and tires for it. I found 7 395/85R20 tires with wheels for about $2000. Those are about 46 inches tall. The wheel will make it single wheel instead of dual wheel on the rear. I still have to find new lug nuts once I get the wheels. I can't wait to get them and get them on!
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Trike_crazy
08-07-2017, 05:44 PM
Went after drill last night and picked up the tires. All brand new tires for $1900 on wheels. Couldn't beat the price. Now I'm just waiting on my new lug nuts to come in so I can get them on the truck!https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170807/66c6370698f0386887855e6c35a5896b.jpg
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Trike_crazy
08-10-2017, 11:55 AM
Got 2 tires mounted. I was working on getting the rear tires off when the torque multiplier I bought broke. It was getting late and i was already tired from moving tires around lol. I'll probably just bring home an impact from work to finish the job. Looking pretty good so far.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170810/4010aa9e745ac54166d95ae21967dd30.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170810/6d6a07ceea31b723d75fcbd10e8423c3.jpg
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big specht
08-10-2017, 12:47 PM
Hell yea Now you might be able to 55 mph lol
fabiodriven
08-10-2017, 01:46 PM
Torque multiplier?! We used a four way!!
coolpool
08-10-2017, 03:28 PM
So how long did it take to figure out the wheel nuts are a left hand thread on the left side of the vehicle, lol. Will you have to change the rear studs to mount super singles? Pretty sure they are a smaller diameter than the fronts. The dual rear Bud wheel studs have an inner and outer portion. I do remember a problem with the outers wanting to unscrew from the inner stud along with the lug nut causing major grief. Here's an example of the tool we used for that problem that holds the inner square head fast while it turned the nut.
https://www.alltiresupply.com/products/budd-wheel-power-wrench-set?variant=16348243333
Maybe some of your old motor pool mechanics have one laying around, hint, hint. Or is this the "torque multiplier" you speak of already? Remember its called "scrounging" not stealing. You can't steal from the government, they don't like competition!
Trike_crazy
08-10-2017, 07:40 PM
So how long did it take to figure out the wheel nuts are a left hand thread on the left side of the vehicle, lol. Will you have to change the rear studs to mount super singles? Pretty sure they are a smaller diameter than the fronts. The dual rear Bud wheel studs have an inner and outer portion. I do remember a problem with the outers wanting to unscrew from the inner stud along with the lug nut causing major grief. Here's an example of the tool we used for that problem that holds the inner square head fast while it turned the nut.
https://www.alltiresupply.com/products/budd-wheel-power-wrench-set?variant=16348243333
Maybe some of your old motor pool mechanics have one laying around, hint, hint. Or is this the "torque multiplier" you speak of already? Remember its called "scrounging" not stealing. You can't steal from the government, they don't like competition!
Yeah, the lug nuts I ordered for the rear are exactly like the fronts. 40 of them for $80 shipped. The tool I ordered (pictured) has a 58:1 reduction but being that it was a cheap made tool it broke lol (also pictured). The left and right hand thread didn't get me this time but when I first joined I had a moment lol.
I plan on getting some of the BII ("basic issue items" for those that don't know) from some trucks units have turned in in the past. It's amazing what they keep or throw away. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170810/c26de3f7466a0d5a23b0db64e87a8bfa.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170810/f96da20d53181243c25a7a56e9501df0.jpg
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coolpool
08-11-2017, 12:09 PM
Getting BII stuff is a great idea. We never used anything more than the standard issue wheel wrench, 24" handle and a jack stand to support everything while you jumped on the handle. Keep the pics coming, you're bringing up old memories for me and fabio.
Trike_crazy
08-16-2017, 03:06 PM
Well I got the wheels on last weekend. I set it up like the 900 series 5 ton trucks so the rear end looks a bit funny with the drums showing. I like it though
Now its just getting the little stuff finished like the taillights and adding a hitch plus finding pintle setup since mine is missing. Hopefully if everything goes well I'll be driving this to trikefest to take on a few of the bigger trails and smaller hills. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170816/c77d85076d98bf72a4504a6b6446e830.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170816/bdfc833b728cb53445fadf548dc124d6.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170816/b9d7f0afb336d71a9e1849e445966e64.jpg
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big specht
08-17-2017, 01:26 AM
Will it go over 50 now
Trike_crazy
08-17-2017, 07:21 AM
Will it go over 50 now
It should lol.
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coolpool
08-23-2017, 10:55 AM
That looks awesome! Are you going to try and shoe horn the spare behind the cab?
Trike_crazy
08-31-2017, 01:21 PM
That looks awesome! Are you going to try and shoe horn the spare behind the cab?I haven't decided what to do about the spare yet. I have my eye on a flatbed with a liftgate that will work with the frame height of the truck. Only issue is that the bed is longer than the space I have on the truck. So I may take off the old spare rack and BIi box to make room then go from there.
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Trike_crazy
09-21-2017, 07:10 AM
I haven't made any huge progress on the truck. But I did get some new LED marker lights installed all the way around. Even got some LED headlights. I've been trying to get the paperwork together and filled out to obtain a title so I can get it on the road. I can't wait to drive this thing around! https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170921/a2d3617ecc6f784b2504386487421fb7.jpg
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coolpool
09-23-2017, 08:18 PM
Sweet ride! Is it going to be an issue getting it plated and will it need a comercial inspection?
fabiodriven
09-24-2017, 10:05 PM
Sweet ride! Is it going to be an issue getting it plated and will it need a comercial inspection?
If you can, avoid commercial at all costs, unless you're legit planning on using it for a business. Commercial is really expensive for registration as well as insurance, and it would become a problem when traveling interstate because unless I'm mistaken, you'd have to pay IFTA taxes or some other horse shite government fee just to drive down the road in each state you drive through. There are ways to get non commercial plates for those depending on the laws of the respective state you're in. Sometimes antique plates are an option.
I was in the process of registering my M35A2 as a camper here in Massachusetts, which I'm sure is feasible in many other states. A camper was defined as having a bed, a terlett, and a sink. So I bought a cot and a little sink, terlett was going to be the last piece but I didn't get that far before I decided to sell it. Basically though, it would have met the requirements of being a camper and there wasn't anything anyone could have said about it.
This would be a good opportunity to post gratuitous videos of me pulling my neighbor's mud truck off of a car he got stuck on top of that he was crushing for his kid's birthday party. He got hung up so I dragged him off with my deuce. Unfortunately photobucket isn't going to allow you to see those videos. I'll have to see if I can upload them to YouTube or something.
90nut
09-24-2017, 10:21 PM
There is a guy up the road from me that has a 5 ton he drives on the road. I'll try and see what his plate says. My old f-450 required commercial insurance and the like. Truck was a great tow pig but a real pain in the wallet at the bmv and insurance company. Your 5 ton is looking good!
fabiodriven
09-24-2017, 11:13 PM
Gratuitous army truck glomming.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2coIyFsNJM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Xc7iFTF4Ww
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0uxVHCDk88
coolpool
09-29-2017, 12:01 PM
Awesome fabio, love the whistle of a mutifueler. Does your truck sound the same trike? Funny how we thought the mutifuelers were cool and the US servicemen loved our Cummins with Jake brakes. Soldiers are never satisfied, lol.
fabiodriven
09-29-2017, 01:38 PM
I had to swap that turbo twice before I found a whistler Pete. The turbo that came on my engine was the best and most recent for the multi fuels, but it didn't whistle. There is a specific turbo body that the whistlers have, which my original turbo was not, but even if you find the right body style there's no guarantee which turbine is inside of it. I worked with a parts guy who wanted my nice turbo and he said he'd keep swapping turbos out until I was happy. First one he sent was no bueno. As you can tell the second one did not disappoint, lol.
Trike_crazy
09-29-2017, 02:58 PM
Mine sounds just like the one in the video. Mine has the LDS (170hp) vs. The LDT (130hp) the deuces came with. I might try to do a walk around at some point.
On another note, I finally filed for a court order to get a title. I should know in a week or so if I can get it. I also just got the horn working. Found a wire that was cut right at the first point in the troubleshooting while checking for power. Fixed the wire with a butt connection with built in heat shrink. I have to say that the horn is FREAKING LOUD!
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Trike_crazy
09-29-2017, 03:03 PM
Oh and as far as registration the rules in Indiana allow me to register the truck under the military registration number in my name and all I have to do is paint the numbers on both sides of the hood and on the rear of the truck. As far as insurance I'll see about using Hagerty or State Farm. At least with State Farm I can get a discount because my home is insured by them.
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fabiodriven
09-30-2017, 12:57 PM
Yes! That's the nomenclature that had slipped my mind. LDT and LDS. I got my deuce directly from the government and it only had 6,000 miles. The government resets the odometer when the truck gets refurbished, and those trucks are as good as brand new after they're refurbished. The LDS was not authorized in the deuces, they were only for the five tons. For whatever reason, some hot rodder in the army pulled strings and had an LDS put in this deuce. That's why the turbo that came on my truck was desirable. So I ended up with a hot rodded deuce.
Trike_crazy
10-19-2017, 06:24 AM
So I've made some more progress over the last few weeks. I bought some new mirrors, installed a new exhaust stack, a smaller steering wheel, swapped all of the exterior lights with LED's and started swapping out my bent up rear cross member with one that I traded my old wheels and tires for. I've also picked up the newer style air motors and valves for the window wipers with the park function and a full windshield washer system for extra convenience.
The last 2 pictures are of my lost patience with trying to knock out the rivets with a hammer and punch. I hooked it to the truck after I knocked the top rivits out and pulled it off with a couple of tugs from the truck. Now I just have to get the new one in!https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171019/02e862fbd3e26ff3b126d5d95afa76ca.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171019/c03865c1ffa5182e58436ba184cb6dee.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171019/b3c7cbbe9ee7c94dd7307122a96b3606.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171019/55b82424bede0d380eda2409f07e347c.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171019/ea46a54ae03b3e3b3d10c2f11b83a242.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171019/abb356d83f5ab2644885e19f4a92b95e.jpg
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coolpool
10-19-2017, 10:32 PM
Great progress! That rear cross member didn't look too bad? I don't see any oil leaks from the pinions which is a plus.
Trike_crazy
10-20-2017, 01:14 PM
Great progress! That rear cross member didn't look too bad? I don't see any oil leaks from the pinions which is a plus.It was missing the pintle and the bottom part was bent upwards about 3 inches. I figured it would be easier and look better overall to just replace the whole thing. Now I'm going to splice the truck wiring into the wiring I took with the new cross member because the wiring on the truck got wrapped around the rear axle output at some point and messed up the wires. I got the lights working but there are a bunch of exposed wires showing that I would have to cut out and replace anyway so I'll just make 6-10 connections versus more for repairs lol.
The picture is a little better shot of the cross member. It still doesn't show how bent it is though
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https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171020/99e0aac6d816b2cd18780656561ecadc.jpg
oldskool83
10-20-2017, 03:07 PM
What does one do with somthing like this? Very off but interesting project.
Trike_crazy
10-20-2017, 04:55 PM
What does one do with somthing like this? Very off but interesting project.Well if I still have it next year I'll be taking it to trikefest. I didn't have any particular reason to buy other than I've always wanted one. I figure if I get the flatbed with the liftgate my dads boss has it will actually be useful. Other than that I'd like to use it in local parades.
I'm also planning on crushing some cars with it for fun and generally doing crazy stuff with it like mud bogs and some offroading.
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coolpool
10-21-2017, 11:00 AM
Now I see, looks like someone had wrapped a chain or cable around the x-member at some time and pulled. One area that gets overlooked easily is the trunion bearings under the rear leaf packs. There's a grease nipple recessed into the casting underneath that's easily missed. The bearing allows the rear axles to rotate up and down with the suspension. As for off roading I'd be cautious, the diffs are all open and not true posi tracs. It can be 3 wheel drive when you don't want it to be. And the front wheel drive only engages full time in low range. I believe a certain amount of slippage in the rear will engage the front end in high range. Maybe im off on this, fabio?
Trike_crazy
10-21-2017, 09:17 PM
If I take it to haspin its $100 to get it pulled out anywhere on the property lol. I don't plan on taking it off road anywhere else until I or a friend get another one.
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fabiodriven
10-22-2017, 10:38 PM
Now I see, looks like someone had wrapped a chain or cable around the x-member at some time and pulled. One area that gets overlooked easily is the trunion bearings under the rear leaf packs. There's a grease nipple recessed into the casting underneath that's easily missed. The bearing allows the rear axles to rotate up and down with the suspension. As for off roading I'd be cautious, the diffs are all open and not true posi tracs. It can be 3 wheel drive when you don't want it to be. And the front wheel drive only engages full time in low range. I believe a certain amount of slippage in the rear will engage the front end in high range. Maybe im off on this, fabio?
^^^This is gospel. Keep your trunions greased because that is not a job anyone wants to pay for, it's a doozie. Most army trucks the trunions last a long time because they simply don't get the loads you see on civilian trucks usually. They certainly can wear though so keep them greased.
Pete is spot-on about the final drive system. Assuming the 500 series is the same as the 800, the front diff is only engaged in low range. In high range there is a sprag which will engage the front axle if the rears slip, but it's more of a little effort as opposed to being fully locked in. The air you hear when you put the truck in reverse is the front axle lockout because the sprag cannot operate in reverse, so no front axle effort at all in reverse in high range. I'm not positive but I'm assuming the front axle stays engaged in reverse in low range, but I suggest you double check that. I'm doing all of this by memory. It very well may have zero effort to the front axle in reverse high and low range, I'm not positive. The 900 series had a manually engaged front axle that could be fully engaged in high and low range, just flip it on or off. I would imagine that's not a cheap upgrade, but I would consider it essential if I were going to keep the truck. That's just me though.
Trike_crazy
10-24-2017, 11:28 AM
I know the 900 series can't be backed up in low because of the reduction in the transmission will break the transfer case. Either way I would like to at a later date upgrade to a 800 series trans and transfer case or just find a complete 800 series with a winch if possible. The only benefit to upgrading my current truck is that upgrading is easier on my wallet over the course of time rather than one large expense on a whole truck even though its cheaper overall.
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Trike_crazy
12-07-2017, 12:04 PM
No real updates as of now. I did send off all of the paperwork to the Indiana BMV to get the truck titled and registered....... that's been a bit of a headache but I think we finally got everything worked out. The first time I sent the paperwork to them they sent it back because the number I had painted on the sides of the hood and the rear of the truck weren't the ones they wanted. I called and explained to them that the website said the registration number had to be painted In Accordance With applicable military regs and the painting the VIN on the there wasn't an actual regulation the military used if that's the number they wanted on the truck. Once we got that sorted out they called about a week and a half later asking about an odometer disclosure statement needed for vehicles under 16,000. I politely told them that my truck didn't need one because its over 16K. So hopefully I'll be getting a title and my registration soon in the mail. I'm ready to drive this thing now that it's getting cold because I'm looking forward to the snow lol. :crazy:
Trike_crazy
12-12-2017, 09:48 AM
Got the title back for the truck this weekend. Now I'm just waiting on my registration to show up then I can swing by the insurance company to get this beast 100% legal because I know I'll end up getting pulled over for something in it (definitely not speeding though). I anticipate that when they don't see a license plate that they will have questions so I want to be ready.
big specht
12-13-2017, 08:32 AM
The only way you would get a speeding ticket is in a school zone
plastikosmd
12-13-2017, 06:49 PM
With a tail wind, sweet ride
Trike_crazy
01-03-2018, 04:46 PM
Update: Truck is 100% legal now. $118 for 26,000 pd permanent military registration and $70 a month for liability insurance. The ladies at the BMV suggested that I wait to drive it until I get the paperwork in the mail but the only thing stopping me from driving it is the fact it won't start because of the below zero temps we've had over the last few days. My fix is to use 4 yellow top optima batterys in series-parallel to get the power I'll need. I'm planning putting 2 batteries in the original location on the right side under the cab and put the other 2 under the seat in the cab in a dual battery tray.. I also have a batter isolator and controller to separate each 24v bank so I'll have reserve power if the main batteries are dead
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coolpool
01-03-2018, 05:16 PM
Great news bud, glad it all worked out. That sounds like a good plan to have reserve batteries ready to go. You know the military vehicle hobby is every bit as addicting as trikes, you'll have a trailer for it soon enough or possibly another vehicle ;-)
Trike_crazy
01-03-2018, 08:59 PM
Great news bud, glad it all worked out. That sounds like a good plan to have reserve batteries ready to go. You know the military vehicle hobby is every bit as addicting as trikes, you'll have a trailer for it soon enough or possibly another vehicle ;-)Already looking for another lol. I've had a few leads but no money to pursue them. I'm looking for an 800 series 5 ton with a winch so I'll have my own recovery assets if one gets stuck or breaks down. I've also been looking for a 20,000 24v winch for my truck because I don't want the bumper extensions that go with the stock setup. I figure I can mount it behind the stock bumper with a little bit of creative reinforcement and mounting. I like how overall short this truck is and would like to keep it that way or close to it.
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coolpool
01-04-2018, 12:14 PM
Didn't know such a winch existed, that would be neat setup. I always liked having a pto winch with the extended bumper setup to give you a better platform to stand on when working under the hood. A level wind system looks cool too but they're rare I suspect. What's going on the back, box, 5th wheel? Hows your old Ford pickup running, that's a nice rig! I remember seeing it at TF2015.
Trike_crazy
01-25-2018, 03:18 PM
Didn't know such a winch existed, that would be neat setup. I always liked having a pto winch with the extended bumper setup to give you a better platform to stand on when working under the hood. A level wind system looks cool too but they're rare I suspect. What's going on the back, box, 5th wheel? Hows your old Ford pickup running, that's a nice rig! I remember seeing it at TF2015.
The old ford is doing pretty well. I need to start buying parts and redoing the brakes and exhaust system.
The plan for the back of the 5 ton is a wood bed for the time being to use as a party deck for mudd boggin events and such.
Another thing that I have failed to update is that the truck is finally 100% registered, insured and titled in my name. I've put a few hundred miles on it so far and its been awesome driving it around with all of the looks I get in it. Yesterday I used it to pull a car on my tilt deck trailer. Before I loaded it I parked the truck half on the car just for kicks. It was headed for the scrap heap anyway lol. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180125/5af0c61d02d5ecd61e9e33dda5dc5b3a.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180125/fdf38f729f917814c2c75154472fdce2.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180125/74a832ebfab8f3e517120ff68537518e.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180125/b2a6ff854da4161f6bc0e22b8c53f731.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180125/c92f2307747df3e016a036483df7bd24.jpg
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big specht
01-25-2018, 06:20 PM
lol I'm sure your wife was proud of you lol
Trike_crazy
01-28-2018, 02:09 AM
lol I'm sure your wife was proud of you lolWhen she asked where I was (I was at my aunts) I sent her a picture of the truck parked on the car. Her reply was "WoW". She knew it was coming lol. There will be more car crushing in the near future too
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coolpool
01-28-2018, 12:34 PM
You're going to get hung up one day, lol. If we twisted our old 1954 gas powered 5-tons that much the fan would hit the rad! The 1976 diesels were way better. What year is that one again?
big specht
01-28-2018, 12:45 PM
I can't blam you if I had one your damn right I would be doing that too
Trike_crazy
01-29-2018, 07:36 AM
You're going to get hung up one day, lol. If we twisted our old 1954 gas powered 5-tons that much the fan would hit the rad! The 1976 diesels were way better. What year is that one again?This one is around a 1968. I say that because I never have found a vin breakdown. What I did was look at other trucks like this with vins lower and higher than mine an seen they were all 1968's.
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Trike_crazy
04-18-2018, 10:31 PM
Well I've been making some headway with the bed situation. Picked up a usable flatbed, hydraulic pump and single cylinder lift tonight for $500. The bed is rough shape but the other stuff that comes with should make up for it. It will work until I find a better one. I had to have a bed on it for this weekend . I'm going to the Redneck Rave in Medora, Indiana. It's basically a big mud bog with some tug-of-wars and other events. Hopefully heavy betty will make the trip mostly uneventful.
I did drive it an hour and 20 mins to work a few weeks ago and it was a fun drive home since people could actually see what the hell it was lol. So may thumbs up it was crazy. I also changed the engine, transmission and transfer case oils before taking it to work. I've also added a hitch to it that's low enough for a trailer to be hooked to without a crazy long drop hitch.
I only have a few more things to do for it to be ready for this weekend. The goal is to haul a jeep in the bed and a K5 framed/V8 powered geo tracker on my tilt deck trailer. Wish me luck!https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180419/6174c3406e7e4531be44f8812361625a.jpg
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tripledog
04-18-2018, 11:22 PM
Looks like 5 tons of fun to me. Awesome machine you have there!
ironchop
04-19-2018, 12:57 PM
.... . I'm going to the Redneck Rave in Medora, Indiana. It's basically a big mud bog with some tug-of-wars and other events.....
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Thanks for the heads-up.
I never heard of it till you mentioned it. Sounds exactly like my kind of fun. I know exactly where Medora is too since we used to bounce around off-roading from Martinsville to Mitchell to Seymour to Bedford to Nashville to Vallonia and everywhere in between back when I was a Hoosier. I'd been going to Haspin in trucks and Jeeps long before Trikefest was a thing too
I might have my 79 SB dentside 460 4x4 ready for next years redneck rave.
Nice work on that truck
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Trike_crazy
04-22-2018, 08:13 PM
Thanks for the heads-up.
I never heard of it till you mentioned it. Sounds exactly like my kind of fun. I know exactly where Medora is too since we used to bounce around off-roading from Martinsville to Mitchell to Seymour to Bedford to Nashville to Vallonia and everywhere in between back when I was a Hoosier. I'd been going to Haspin in trucks and Jeeps long before Trikefest was a thing too
I might have my 79 SB dentside 460 4x4 ready for next years redneck rave.
Nice work on that truck
Sent from my Z958 using TapatalkNo need to wait. They have another one planned for the weekend of July 19th at the same place. My only advice is bring TP and don't bring too many big items like a huge trailer or RV. The place was PACKED to say the least. They ended up having people camping in the parking lot because they didn't have anywhere to go and the ground was so soft that guys were getting stuck left and right.
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Trike_crazy
04-22-2018, 08:37 PM
Here's a few of the pictures I've collected from the friends that went with me. I got stuck twice with the 2nd time ending with me getting pulled out by 2 jeeps hooked together and a 12,000 pound Badland brand winch. That mud was THICK. The day before I didn't have much problem getting through the same hole.
I had a great time. I also seen a few 3 wheelers there and met with a guy that goes to trikefest so all in all a great weekend. I didn't take any trikes with me because they are all mostly down and being prepped for trikefest. I didn't want to take a chance of something getting torn up and not being able to fix it before then with my Annual training coming up.
The last pic is of my buddy's buggy in the back of a u-haul because in playing with my truck I bent the hitch. So we had to rent something to take it and his brother's K-5 framed tracker back home on the trailer. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180423/ce46c5c56e984cdd731f2e3690b51b4a.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180423/5675b3297426386450aafabc3ffdbdf4.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180423/6c4ed8b7ab831b31b077938206bf8ce7.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180423/ae16ca14021c54984179c072a9ff9d83.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180423/fcd1c3e5761c0ba5113d2906f082b72d.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180423/21c3e5d4a171d20c4516ad81541b60d3.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180423/8915768da092c6ca047b05449f661cb4.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180423/c31d68126d6c7bd8e06bb11b12ea2abd.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180423/9a35ece90be3d9dc84439641228f5bc0.jpg
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Trike_crazy
08-01-2018, 08:02 AM
So just a little update on Heavy Betty. I took her to Redneck Rave #2 and had a little bit more excitement than I should have. I backed up on a car they had in the mud pit area and sliced a sidewall on one of my tires. I swapped the tires around so the the back axle could hold the weight of the trailer, chained up the intermediate axle and drove her 80 miles home. Just outside of where we left the fuel tank started leaking. Once home I took the tank off to find a hole from rust where it had sat on the support rails. It didn't help I was squeezing this truck down trails meant for jeeps or small trucks but Betty held her own! So now I am on the hunt for a driver side fuel tank and I still have to swap my spare tire onto the truck after I fix the valve stem. Other than that she's been a great truck with very few issues. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180801/a9db3661168952ab10d2d772dbd9ae8d.jpg
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coolpool
08-01-2018, 06:30 PM
You sure are putting it through it's paces, bravo! That tire bill will suck I'm sure. Ever consider tire chains for the mud? You could probably weld a patch on the tank after a proper steam cleaning, I suspect theres lots of metal to work with.
big specht
08-01-2018, 09:06 PM
I second welding it up too. Just clean the sh!t out of the out side and run a car exhaust into the tank for awhile to help get the fumes out of it before you weld it.
Trike_crazy
08-01-2018, 11:44 PM
I still have a spare from when I first bought all of the tires. I'm going to buy what's basically a spool. Red barn customs makes what they call the cannonball. It's about $500 but its cheaper than the locker ($1500 which I'll buy later for the front axle). I'll put the cannonball in the intermediate axle so if I have this issue again it'll get power to both wheels. With the one tire up it the power all goes to that tire like any other open diff. I figured with the intermediate and front axle locked it'll be 5 wheel drive with the rear axle open to help with turning.
You sure are putting it through it's paces, bravo! That tire bill will suck I'm sure. Ever consider tire chains for the mud? You could probably weld a patch on the tank after a proper steam cleaning, I suspect theres lots of metal to work with.
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Trike_crazy
08-02-2018, 06:20 AM
This is the part I was talking about. I'm hoping to have one by the beginning of next year https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180802/696abd9ebcc620a1b5d929b62440cd84.jpg
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big specht
08-02-2018, 06:36 AM
You have a welder don't you? Lol
Trike_crazy
08-02-2018, 01:04 PM
You have a welder don't you? LolYes, lol but there is way more welding time in that setup than I'm willing to do lol. Plus I'll be able to convert it back if I wanted to for whatever reason.
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Trike_crazy
08-04-2018, 01:02 PM
I had forgotten to post the only good picture that we took at trikefest lol. This was taken on the rocky side of the hill on the main trail out to the shoe tree. The truck is right at the shelf just about 2/3 the way hill. Fun times lolhttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180804/29ec12e36a46bbd3e7fdb5edbb568037.jpg
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fabiodriven
08-04-2018, 01:12 PM
Tyler I had a great time with you and your pop this year at Trikefest and that truck was an absolute staple of the event. It was really good hanging out with you and talking, looking forward to next time! You got me all revved up about the Polarii!
ATCKevin
08-09-2018, 10:19 PM
Just read through this whole thread and I've gotta say I love it! I have always loved old military vehicles and that truck is just awesome! I have a 1954 M38A1 but it doesn't even hold a candle to the cool factor of that dump truck.
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