marinegrunt : Some Q's and a little flattery

Some Q's and a little flattery
Post by marinegrunt on Sept 11, 2006, 7:49pm

You're all so knowledgeable, you're all so intelligent, you are masters of your, uh, households...yeah. So did that lubricate the wheels a little?

Now for the questions...so I returned from deployment and happily received my DD-214...(IM FREE) and its time to work on my baby...I have been in contact with a family friend with fingers into Military Surplus who is hunting down a set of Deuce and a Half axles for me, I am under the impression that they are a relatively close fit for a 715 making them ideal for the project...can anyone verify if its either true or false...the next crazy idea is how difficult if at all possible it is to install 2 front axles in order to create/modify a form of quad steering ability utilizing a hydraulic set up. Are there a set of 16.5 rims out there that can accommodate the larger axle. I'm not looking for anyone to give me a step by step manual...this is my project...I just want to know if anyone has had a lot of contact with some of these ideas or if anyone has even tried it...success or failure.

Larry

Re: Some Q's and a little flattery
Post by porkchop on Sept 11, 2006, 8:39pm

Hey thanks for your service, but don't be to sure on that freedom . Many have already put rockwells under their trucks and will be along shortly to tell you about it. Have you tried the search?

Nice to have another Marine on the board.

Re: Some Q's and a little flattery
Post by compexp on Sept 11, 2006, 10:25pm

there goes the neighborhood......

seriously, welcome back (to civvie life). thanks for doing your time. (even though I was Army, I respect your service too.)

Re: Some Q's and a little flattery
Post by jeepistdougiowa on Sept 11, 2006, 10:42pm

Welcome to the madness!


Quad steering is cool as heck, but in my opinion it's not really needed. You may gain an advantage here and there on a trial, but what happens many times is that people lose track of where the rear end is when trying to negaotiate a tough spot and end up making a costly mistake. If you really think you want to pursue it, I'd give serious thought to moving the rear frame rails inward so you actually have room for the tires to turn as the stock width just doesn't allow much for it.

For the record, I don't, nor have I ever had quad steering. I just watch those who have it when I get the chance, read, and listen to other talk...then make an opinion based on what I've learned. IMO, lots of expense and hassle for minimal gain.


Good luck with the project however you choose to approach it!

Re: Some Q's and a little flattery
Post by bluesman2a on Sept 11, 2006, 11:52pm

Welcome back, and thank you for your service....

Rockwells are a common swap in a lot of larger rigs. Lots of cool stuff out there for them. I would take a trip over to http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/ and do a little research. Pony up for the membership so you can easily search. There's a lot of stuff out there on this. There's a guy named Dan Dibble who has lots of rockwell tech on pirate and always has lots of scantily clad hotties in his posts.

Some things you might want to consider:
1) Axles: typically referred to as "Rockwells"
2) Steering: typically referred to as "Rear-steer"
3) brakes: commonly a pinion brake which sucks on the road. look into disc brake kits for these. Expen$ive though.
4) Full hydraulic steering is also common with this, commonly "full hydro". Do some research into orbital valves and pumps here. Check out a guy named Station on pirate for the scoop on good steering junk.
5) you can "scalp" a rockwell for more clearance, a couple of places make modified covers.

While all this is cool, you might want to look at your goals for the truck. Later model CUCV axles are a more common swap (60 and 14 bolt) and are good up to about 40-42" tires. Also less of a hassle than rockwells since the bigger deuce axles are top-loaders.

Re: Some Q's and a little flattery
Post by marinegrunt on Sept 12, 2006, 12:35am

Alright, thank you for all this...I know my "freedom" is slim..as there has already been a recall on my young comrades, particularly us dumb grunts for 2,500 starting this spring though I dont necessarily think they will be tugging on me..that was my 3rd tour in 4 years and they are after men in their 2/3 year of their inactive obligation. To be honest I've been a member of the zone for about 2 years or so granted not active and when I just tried to sign on it said my account was no longer active. So Im a boot again yah!

After my 2nd tour I made some of the easier purchases...ie: 44"s boggers, the truck, and other items such as seats lights, acc... so my goal is those 44"s...shortly there after I lost my focus...I purchased a '02 Sierra and started dumping money into that to make it a suitable hauling truck..(ie 7" lift/35" tires) for 715 when shes done. Now I have regrouped and am redoubling my efforts. I'm not too worried about the technical stuff, i've got a hell of a guide...my father is heavily involved in military vehicle preservation, was a co-founder of the MVMVCC, a branch of the MVPA here in the north east. Like many of you he's dabbled in most everything...has assembled more then 50 M151's over the past couple decades of my youth,(matter of fact, thats what I learned to drive on) and now retired, reassembles CUCV's for a little spending cash..ones up for sale here shortly down in Gilbert, Penn.

So back to the subject at hand...my intentions are as follows...I have the truck sitting in my yard..former plow truck all stock with exceptions of a Medium Duty 350 crate swapped in (w/waterproof ignition to my glee) as well as power steering set up. I've got the boggers sitting in the basement of the barn away from wandering eye's and somehow I want the two to be united in glorious bliss. There are CUCV axles crossing through our yard monthly and I dont think it would be at all hard to snatch two up..I had thought of tossing a set of lockers in a pair but this is where my concern lies...common sense, there is always a weak link.. right now with the 350 pushing 44"s, lockers and the Dana's might work...but to make things worse my father is teasing me with a 454 he recently acquired..(purchased a truck for the duelly axle and saddle tanks and the old man didnt realize the importance of what was under the hood) If that is installed then I have serious doubts of the Dana's holding up to serious hammering..I had set my mind to eliminate that nightmare by just going over-kill with the Rockwell's..I'm curious how close the leaf spring packs will line up with the perches or if I will be needing to relocate the perches to accomodate the 715 springs.


It seems if I go ahead with things and accomplish rear steer(sometime by 2010, not really) then I will have to let you try it out doug.

Re: Some Q's and a little flattery
Post by bluesman2a on Sept 12, 2006, 12:51am

There are a couple of guys around here who "Rock-well"... Can't help you with the perches on them. I know at the minimum you'll need to go SOA front AND rear to clear the diffs.

Re: Some Q's and a little flattery
Post by 40grit on Sept 12, 2006, 8:25am

gotta go SOA ( spring over axle) in front and flip the rear- rear shackle at a minimum to fit the rockwell pumpkin under the motor...I got a bunch of pics, since that's the route I'm going..give me a few hours, got some BS to do at work, then I'll come back and throw out some pics...you just need to add some perches to the rockwells, they fit fine under the stock springs...more info later....

Re: Some Q's and a little flattery
Post by marinegrunt on Sept 12, 2006, 3:27pm

I had read before back in the zones glorious years before this melt down that a SOA front and shackle reversal would be bare minimum in order to fit the 44"s let alone the axles...I suppose the big question was relocating the perches on the axles to line up with the springs. Its good to hear that it doesn't sound like i'll run into many issues..I think I caught on the member pictures that 52" Chevy springs (wasn't it?) matched up with the front of the 715 and Z-71 springs worked with the back...an additional idea I had played with was custom shackle hangers in order to add some height/clearance. I am very anxious to see these pictures.

Quick question..any members from the MI area...Im from NH but the girl wants me to come out to this area where she is from...it certainly would help if there was some one local to show me the trails.

Re: Some Q's and a little flattery
Post by 40grit on Sept 12, 2006, 7:20pm

just need to go buy a few weld on spring perches, cut the round tube part flat, and weld them where they need to be on rockwell housing.

stock naked frame
http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/4...ramedt1.th.jpg

frame on rockwells
http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/8...ellstf2.th.jpg

rear end on rockwells
http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/1...ckupme8.th.jpg

http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/590...ellsip8.th.jpg

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/5...f250mo8.th.jpg

Re: Some Q's and a little flattery
Post by saxon on Sept 12, 2006, 11:26pm

I was scrounging, as usual, on craigs list seattle/tacoma, auto parts listing, there was a set of rockwells for 1200.00. saxon

Re: Some Q's and a little flattery
Post by saxon on Sept 12, 2006, 11:46pm

I thought I.d better check that listing again, I look in the morning with coffee, 5:30 am, a little grogged out! If you're interested, google craigs list seattle, search engine rockwell alxes 6.72 gears $1400