saddamsnightmare
Well-known member
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- Location
- Abilene, Texas
October 13th, 2009.
More sauce on the goose, please!
I have heard a lot of grousing in here that the Air-O-Matic steering units aren't power steering and its better to cobble up some joe shade tree hydraulic units.... Listen up! I just had the local ex-Nam deuce mechanic replace a rear main and carrier seal that was leaking on my M35A2 "Saddam's Nightmare" (truck in my icon), and he put on the Air-O-Matic I got a while back from Brian Bull (May the saints praise his name and the Pope beatify him), and it really tamed the deuce. The old boy had never seen a deuce fitted with an Air-O-Matic in the 'Nam, or at least not in his motorpool, and he was completely entralled with the unit, saying "you can steer it with one hand!" You can.
The deuce is a completely different animal with the air assist, and it will recenter itself if you start the wheel back towards center, the caster and camber will restore the steering to center by itself if you don't fight the wheel.
In the speed range of 2 to 20 mph, the deuce reacts so fast to the Air-O-Matic that it can be frightening if you're not ready for it, and on soft surfaces (with all the rain we've had this week, that's everything not a main highway), it reacts even faster. Boys, I do not begrudge Mr. Bull a penny of what this unit cost, it was everything he said and more...... I hope when he gets back from wherever he's at now, he gets to put one on his deuce. Uncle paid good money for these, and when the deuces are phased out, there should be more Air-O-Matics hit the market at a more reasonable price then new.... GRAB ONE!
You won't have to worry about losing your thumb to a rock or stump....
And one gets used to the air venting just like you do for the air compressor governor.... It seems to be an eminently strong and well designed power steering unit (and yes, compressed air qualifies as "Power" when used in this application) that should last as long as the truck.
Just my .02 worth,
Cheers,
Kyle F. McGrogan
More sauce on the goose, please!
I have heard a lot of grousing in here that the Air-O-Matic steering units aren't power steering and its better to cobble up some joe shade tree hydraulic units.... Listen up! I just had the local ex-Nam deuce mechanic replace a rear main and carrier seal that was leaking on my M35A2 "Saddam's Nightmare" (truck in my icon), and he put on the Air-O-Matic I got a while back from Brian Bull (May the saints praise his name and the Pope beatify him), and it really tamed the deuce. The old boy had never seen a deuce fitted with an Air-O-Matic in the 'Nam, or at least not in his motorpool, and he was completely entralled with the unit, saying "you can steer it with one hand!" You can.
The deuce is a completely different animal with the air assist, and it will recenter itself if you start the wheel back towards center, the caster and camber will restore the steering to center by itself if you don't fight the wheel.
In the speed range of 2 to 20 mph, the deuce reacts so fast to the Air-O-Matic that it can be frightening if you're not ready for it, and on soft surfaces (with all the rain we've had this week, that's everything not a main highway), it reacts even faster. Boys, I do not begrudge Mr. Bull a penny of what this unit cost, it was everything he said and more...... I hope when he gets back from wherever he's at now, he gets to put one on his deuce. Uncle paid good money for these, and when the deuces are phased out, there should be more Air-O-Matics hit the market at a more reasonable price then new.... GRAB ONE!
You won't have to worry about losing your thumb to a rock or stump....
And one gets used to the air venting just like you do for the air compressor governor.... It seems to be an eminently strong and well designed power steering unit (and yes, compressed air qualifies as "Power" when used in this application) that should last as long as the truck.
Just my .02 worth,
Cheers,
Kyle F. McGrogan
