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Well, after taking about a month to get the axles, then pulling them apart, removing the brakes, putting them back together (not done with the front axle yet). I finally got the rear axle on with the 53" tires on the stock 20" rims. Please note, this is all for test fitting to see where I will need to mount stuff, cut stuff, and make some brackets, etc.
I really wish I had a forklift to test out articulation, and to just pick the sucker up to put the tires on it!
Man, with tires/rims this heavy, you really have to raise/lower the axle to the height of the wheel. No way I want to pick up close to 500 lbs to get it on the axle!
The front of the truck is still resting on the leaf springs until I finish with the front axle (any one have some cheap boots for my knuckles? :) ) And it isn't sitting level, so that makes it look odd.
And there is no air pressure in the tires. The sidewalls are just that stiff, for now.
On with the pictures.
http://www.froadin.com/images/m715/m715_back_on1.jpg
http://www.froadin.com/images/m715/m715_back_on3.jpg
A little perspective on size.
http://www.froadin.com/images/m715/m715_near_shop1.jpg
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Oh, and here are a few pictures of the beggining of the grooving I will do to the tires. It's amazing how much you can cut and still have a perfectly good tire (cutting the wear blocks is my main goal for now).
http://www.froadin.com/images/m715/53_cut1.jpg
http://www.froadin.com/images/m715/53_cut2.jpg
http://www.froadin.com/images/m715/53_cut3.jpg
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Hammer,
Is that rear end stock uncut width? I'm also assuming those are stock 9x20 rims? What is the overall outside of side wall to outside of sidewall measurement?
Looks great!
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Back axle is uncut, and the hubs are still stock location, for now.
Yeah, stock 9x20 rims, man, what a PAIN to mount those big tires on those narrow rims. Ended up bending the arm on my engine hoist pulling the rim through to mount the ring. And I still have two left to mount!
I haven't measured outside to outside yet. I need to soon so I will know how close it comes to fitting on my trailer.
Note, there are aluminum lift blocks on the rear for height adjustment. These are for test fitting only. I have no intention of running these.
Now, I am in a quandry, I plan on running full hydro steering. But until I have that all setup, I will have no way to steer this sucker! I don't want to waste time/money/effort rigging something up so I can steer it until then, but I am not sure I have a choice. Any one know of a cheap rigged up way I can steer it until I put the full hydro on?
Here is a pic of the back axle on stock springs.
http://www.froadin.com/images/m715/m715_back_axle.jpg
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Rollie, right now the rear tires with the hubs in, like stock, outside of tire to outside of tire = 96" wide.
The front axle is taking a little more effort because I have to pull the knuckles apart to clean them out.
That and I have swapped the transmission out on my cherokee a few times recently. So that keeps taking my time away.
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Looking good hammer, aprears your gonna need some height to clear them SOB's. :)
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No, I am not going to lift it, I am going to change the fenders to clear the tires. I want the truck to be as LOW as possible.
Thanks.
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Hammer,
Your a sick pup. Um, anyway...find a plow control and mayber you can U bolt it to the front tie rod and make a quick bracket off of one of the bolts on the pumpkin. It'll steer with just a 12 volt batter then and the flip of a switch. I've got an old "Dyna-Mite" plow control that I would use in you situation until I had the rest of the system done.
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Actually, I was thinking about the steering this weekend. Seeing as I only need manual steering to move this around until the rest of it comes together. I think I am going to cut the steering arm off and weld it back onto the front of the same top plate it came off of. This will allow be to run a simple drag link with my stock manual gear box for now. Not great, but I am only going to use it for moving it around the yard anyway.
Not many plow controls down here in TX. Or at least not many that I can find.
What would one of those cost anyway?
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Hammer,
How is your front axle width going to work out? I'm assuming the flange to flange measurement is a little wider then the rear. Do you plan to use the same stock wheels? I'm thinking of doing the same thing you are doing and don't want to spend any extra money cutting and modifying the axles or getting custom offset wheels, but am thinking it may be nessecery for the front. Also, you may want to consider moving the front axle forward a couple inches to help clear the body when turning. I like the idea of keeping it as low as possible and modifying the fender wells to clear. Thats what I did for my 44's and and thinking of putting the 53" under the same truck similar as you are doing. I plan to drive it on the road as legally as possible.
Rollie
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The front axle has the hubs out, like stock. And the rear axle has the hubs in, like stock. There is about a 10" difference I think (eyeballing it looks like 8" difference to me).
I haven't decided on how I am going to have the rims/hubs setup, I still need to mount the front, and see what clearance issues I have while turning.
While mounting the tires on the narrow stock rims, I ended up ruining two tubes so far. So I will need to at least figure out how to get tubes in these tires on the narrow rim. Sure glad these tires don't sag much with no air.
If the tires clear the cab for turning, I will leave it as is for now. And move it forward when I go with coil springs. I have a feeling I will not have front fenders, or the bed on for checking clearances.
I think my fenders on the bed will end up at the bottom of the bed rail/box. And the front fenders just below the hood (like a flat fender almost).
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Hammer, why not just flip the rear to hubs out? That will even them up. That's how I'm going to run the ones under Velvet (eventually..haha). My Red Deuce truck was an M34 with singles all around and a narrower overall rear track when compared to duals. Um, or what about hub-in on the front?
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Wait...I cracked out there. Hub out rear will be wider than hell. YOu can flip the front or narrow the housing and use two passenger side axles. That's good for 7".
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I don't care for hubs out with the stock rims because you are putting the hub out in danger's way.
I will be moving the hubs around to see what I like, but first I need the front axle on to see what I have to deal with.
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I see where you're going. I'll be a 13" smaller tire...only a lowly 42" on Velvet, but running on a super single deuce wheel will put the tread of the Goodyear Xtra grips darn near even with the outside of the fender flare. I'm a little concerned with top loader clearance. I'll be to that soon.
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Well, I got the front axle put back together (still no boots), and got it under the truck yesterday. I still have the stock NDTs on the front, so it looks a little odd for now.
And the chunk is only about 1.5" away from my deep sump milidon oil pan. That will not work!
Today I will get some pictures of the setup so far. And I now get to start thinking about how to clear the oil pan. Maybe I will just move the motor back a few more inches. Who knows right now.
