New to the Deuce/5-Ton

[ohfiredude]

Newbie here in NE Ohio...

Getting started with my Deuce project here.

As of now, the only exposure I have had to a Deuce , 5 ton, or any military vehicle for that matter is watching them go down the highway.

Sure, i've seen tons of pics on the net of deuces & 5 tons, but thats about it.

I'd like to see one in real life before finally deciding what to buy and how I ultimately want my truck to be.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Dave

 

[gimpyrobb]

Find a member near you to check things out or stop in at the Findlay rally, you can check mine out. Welcome.

 

[Jinx]

If there were any way to test drive one first, I'd recommend it. While I was shopping for a deuce there were two trucks I was interested in and test drove them both. Keep in mind these trucks have stiff clutches compared to a car. I wouldn't want to drive one in heavy traffic. The manual steering is also difficult at low speeds and they have a turning radius of an aircraft carrier. If you are tall, there isn't a lot of legroom. The steering wheel sticks way out from the dash and the seats don't go back very far. Other than that, they are great trucks.

 

[ohfiredude]

Find a member near you to check things out or stop in at the Findlay rally, you can check mine out. Welcome.

Thanks!

I'll be at the rally, so I will have to look u up.

 

[ohfiredude]

If there were any way to test drive one first, I'd recommend it. While I was shopping for a deuce there were two trucks I was interested in and test drove them both. Keep in mind these trucks have stiff clutches compared to a car. I wouldn't want to drive one in heavy traffic. The manual steering is also difficult at low speeds and they have a turning radius of an aircraft carrier. If you are tall, there isn't a lot of legroom. The steering wheel sticks way out from the dash and the seats don't go back very far. Other than that, they are great trucks.

Hey thanks!

I read that you can get air assisted steering for a truck, that true? Also i hear the gear shift pattern is different from a normal 5 speed. I'm 5-8 here, so height is not a prob.

 

[gimpyrobb]

The air assist is not worth the asking price imho, but is available. Yes, the shift pattern is goofy, they had to do it that way to get the od gear to fit.

 

[AaronHorrocks]

The Differences between a deuce and 5 ton are huge. Unless you're ready for a 5 Ton, you might want to start with the deuce before making the next jump to a 5 Ton.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Yeah, I kinda missed that part. Whatever you might think is big on a deuce, you will find MASSIVE on a 5ton, parts wise, the cabs suck just the same.

 

[EulaVFD#620]

I am 6'03" and I have no problem driving the deuces that the fire department has, but if I happen to have to ride in the passenger seat to a fire, both knees are permanently pressed against the glove box..... Probably is a good Idea for me to be first to the station so I can Dive .

620 Out

 

[AaronHorrocks]

I had to start buying whole new SETS of tools to work on the 5 ton. (That's getting expensive!) And I have to find some specialty stuff and order this and that. The shear scale of things on this truck is overwhelming - much larger than the 2.5!

 

[ohfiredude]

Yeah, I'll probably start with the Deuce. The 5-ton would probably smash my driveway, LOL!

 

[oilcan]

I sent you a pm because I'm gonna be up in your area with a few trucks. We can meet up and you'll see what they can do.

The steering isn't that bad once you get used to it... Don't forget to keep your thumbs out!

 

[GoHot229]

Your shift pattern is reverse at left up, down from there to compound first then your H pattern second through third, forth is over where your typical fifth would be, far right down, then finnaly up right to fifth. In other words all a typical H pattern except fifth and forth are reversed.

 

[BKubu]

I agree with AH...start with a deuce. They are fairly cheap and are a lot of fun.