Unimog Axled M715 Build

Looking good! Just don't spend 5 years on the 4-link! :lol: (believe me, I know how easy that is to do!)

You should re-arch the fenders to match the tire radius.

Yea, I better at least have the rear axle spung under this thing by the winter time. The front has the temporary leaf springs which will make it a roller and closer to a test drive.

The rear fenders actually almost match the diameter of the 49 inch tires exactly. The only problem is when its flexed all the way some small degree of "rear steer" begins to happen.

Like I was saying a few months ago, this bed is in really nice shape and I'd hate to hack it up. I think a trail bed might be the best option for this thing but that would be further in the future. Right now I'm aiming at best putting the wheelbase to fit under the wheel wells.

Next time I'm up near the jeep I'll get some pictures of the rear axle which is currently welded to the frame to show how the tires fit the wheel wells.

Few updates, I haven’t done much of anything on my Jeep.

Weather is finally great here in AZ and you can stand to be outside. I decided a few months back that for me to routinely work on this truck more it needs to be closer than 45 minutes away from my house. After 5 years or working in the dirt next to my house I bucked up an poured a huge concrete pad to store my junk on and to work on. I’ve had a cabover camper on my F350 all summer and I finally have a level surface to store it on. The final straw was a large grapefruit tree finally dying to convince me to cut it down and pave over the area.

Here’s the area which is usually littered with tools, a jeep, a trailer, and all sorts of other parts and junk. These guys were the lowest bid and they offered to help me move all my junk over out of the way so they could start the next day. There was an small existing 8x10 piece they had to bust out first. I’ve done an engine swap, spring over, tube bending, all sorts of stuff with that little piece of concrete over the years.

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...psa2989fc0.jpg

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...pse622a458.jpg

Just cause my neighbors love me so much we had the concrete truck show up at 3:45am, pouring was complete before 6 am. (It was the only time they could reserve a truck that day) Neighbors didn’t care at all cause they knew this meant less stuff would be in my driveway.

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...ps162c9159.jpg

Later that day… the tubes sticking up are for my gate pins to lock into. My gate hung a little higher to help keep things out of sight from the road. I’ll eventually get more lattice up around the perimeter to separate my pool from my junk storage area. Overall length little over 50 feet by 12 feet wide plus an 8 x 15 area that I’ll use for tool/equipment storage.

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...psa7a17353.jpg

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4cbf6a89.jpg

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...psd56f4b98.jpg

I’m hoping to be able bring the Blue Jeep down to my house sometime this month. It’s going to take quite an effort as it did to move it when I bought it but it’s a roller now and I can mount my Warn 8274 to my trailer so it should be easier.

Nice pad!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

That looks great. Where I am living is OK to work on stuff. I have 3+ acres. But I am moving to a community that would now allow this. So, my M715 is in the garage and the Mustang sits in the driveway in the sun :(

I am very glad that you have good neighbors. Somehow, I would bet that you help them out as well. Looks great!

About a month ago I moved the Jeep down to my house, had to remove it from the garage its been in for 6 years to where I poured the pad. Did this alone so it took a while to pull off.

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1rbdwqzw.JPG

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...psjgqg3ivz.JPG

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...psjskwolou.JPG

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...psiokm5nt3.JPG

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...psbrv9mmxc.JPG

This weekend I did a some grinding, cutting, and painting and got the T-case triple shifters all buttoned up. Just wanted to get these installed since they had be in my trunk for a while although I'm a long ways away from driving this thing.

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...ps56772606.jpg

Following this build. I have some 416 mog axles and every time I look at them and my 715 I get ideas.

Designing the suspension is the biggest challenge. You can't just mount them to leaf springs without traction bars. I'm 95% done designing on my rear suspension 4 link in CAD. Going to get all of my brackets water jetted hopefully in January.

Those look like the shifter boots I got with my doubler kit from ORD. I am definitely following your build. I have wanted to see a linked suspension on one of these.

Cool to see portals going under a M715
Subscribed to watch the progress...
Keep up the good work!

Yes, those shifters and boots are from an ORD kit that came with the truck.

This week my flange adapters came which adapt the flange on the pinion adapter to a 1410 series end. I went to the driveline shop today to get some pricing on what my options are. Ideally I want to run 1410 series u-joints everywhere but everything comes down to price. I have a 1350 series driveshaft that could be modified but it might be smarter to turn that into a spare for my other truck.

My cheapest option would be to get some of those special conversion U-joints that have two different sizes on them but they cost about twice that of a regular U-joint and I would still need to pay to have the shaft cut down to the right size. I’m not going to get a driveshaft made until the suspension is finished so my dimensions are the most accurate. Maybe by then it will just make sense to pay and do this right the first time.

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...pszpspxmu1.jpg

If I remember correctly the M35 driveshafts are a 1410. I used M35 driveshafts on my truck and just took them to a driveline shop to have them cut to length and balanced. Cost me lest then 150 total including the cost of the drive shafts.

Thanks for the info on the deuce and a half driveshafts I didn’t know they were that 1410 size. A guy I work with is in the middle of a bobbed deuce project and I asked him where to get some driveshafts. He gave me his intermediate shaft for free but its only 30 inches so I’ll only have to pay to re-tube/lengthen it. Here’s a picture of the driveshaft and one of guys M35 he’s building.

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8fdf68fd.jpg

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...pseeb3dae5.jpg

I had to have one shaft lengthened and one made shorter. I got mine from a member here at a great price.

Not sure if you have figured out your fuel tank issue yet, but I was thinking maybe you could weld up the ends of your storage area under the front of your bed and make that the gas tank. that would be really sneaky and hidden and also be about the correct size in gallons. I would weld in some plates about 4 inches in and keep the doors on the sides usable. you could also access the fuel level gauge from the door and put the level gauge in the plate you weld in.

Just a thought.

Interesting thought, getting a fuel sending unit/level gauge might be tricky. As of right now I think I'm just going to get a cheap fuel cell and mount it in the bed just so there's less work. Cleaning out all the rust and paint from inside that compartment would also be tough. One of those tool box fuel tanks would be pretty nice but they are pretty expensive even used ones. Since I'm a long ways from driving the truck I'll probably just keep my fuel line to a gas can approach.

I've been wheeling custom shafts from high angle driveline for 15+ years. Same shafts same joints even 1410s all around. For somethin that size I would consider 1480s even

Any new updates on this project?

Been dragging feet, working on my other M715 just a little bit so its ready for the camping season. Still need to work on my solid modeling more and print out more 1 to 1 paper templates to check fit since there are several issues with things not fitting.

I know in diesel power magazine there was a m715 with mog axles and a cummins engine, trying to get more info on that one as well.

Here's a link to that truck, it has Unimog 435 axles under it which are newer than the 404's I have. He's also running a 5.9 Cummins. This was featured in Diesel Power Mag back in 2007.

http://www.dieselpowermag.com/featur...l/viewall.html

Few updates other than its been like 114F outside here in AZ...

Just ordered 4 sets of 1.25 inch shank rod ends from a guy liquidating a project. They are from ruff stuff specialties.

http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/..._Code=125RESET

I've been working on ironing out the bracket designs by printing them out 1:1 and marking them up and updating the drawings. I'll post some pictures of the rod ends when I get them in.

Here are the 1.25 inch Hiems from Ruffstuff with SS misalignment spacers, jam nuts, and tube adapters. Got 8 of these total half right/left hand thread. Last week Ruff Stuff had a 20% discount going on so I purchased all of my 3/4" grade 8 hardware and material for the rear 4 link, 2 inch .25 wall DOM.

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...ps889e6bdd.jpg

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...psd276cef6.jpg

Kind of a side bar, but I got this Chevy Truck for $400 bucks I’m parting out. Its gotta PTO Braden LU2 winch on the front I think I’m gonna keep and eventually mount to this truck. Also found the front driveshaft is the exact same size at my green M715 so I gotta spare now. After cleaning up some of the grime I found out the 14 bolt rear has a locker and the 350 as Edelbrock Performer Aluminum Heads. The p/n on the heads price them out new north of $700 a piece!!! I’m gonna tear the engine down in a few weeks to see what other goodies it might have plus to inspect it since there wasn’t a carb on the intake but these heads could be finding their way on to this truck as well.

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...psqr2xshai.jpg

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...psjkpsqtqd.jpg

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...psnydbgegy.jpg

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...pszafkecwg.jpg

Nice score.

I pulled that motor all apart and it had performance pistons, lifters, rods, and a mild cam on top of those performer heads. One of the cylinders had water in it though. I decided it would be worth it to build up this engine and eventually put it into this jeep. I had to have one cylinder sleeved, valve job on the heads, and the other standard machine work for the block and crank. Here's me picking it up the hard way since my other trucks had trailers hooked up to them.

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...psogsnfx7a.jpg

http://i1149.photobucket.com/albums/...psa3vveuqi.jpg

Any updates?

Man I'm terrible with my progress. Too many projects, too little free time.

I got the motor built up and painted, probably 95% complete over Christmas. Got my last 2 wheels machined for my other M715 so they have the 6 on 7.25 pattern as well as the 6 lug Unimog pattern in December also. I'll try and post some pictures of that soon.

Just got back from spending 2 days at King of the Hammers and I thinking I'll be catching the build bug again here soon.

I can see 1000.00 bills all over this. glad somebodys got big bucks as I sure don't.

I love the wheels what are they and where did you get them, thanks, awesome truck.