1078 LMTV dump conversion

[Ford Mechanic]

Hey guys, The municipality I work for is looking at a 1078 LMTV and hoping to get a couple different uses out of it. The one that I'm concerned about is putting a dump kit on the bed to use it for yard waste, spoilage removal, dirt, crush and run transport to work sites. I'm concerned about the aluminum bed and how it will hold up, spoilage from worksites normally has a couple big chunks of concrete or asphalt from where they tore up the road or possibly pieces of steel or concrete pipe from the repair. The other concern is the underside of the bed where the lift would be attached, will it hold up to the duties being the structure is all aluminum?

I have thought about a couple options, I could line the bed floor with steel plate and bolt it down to secure it. That would take quite a bit more abuse, but it would not likely be a permanent fix as well as possibly have issues with dissimilar metal corrosion.


A option about the lift would be to build a sub frame that spread the weight out quite a bit.

The best option I have come up with is to replace the bed entirely with a steel one and resolve all those issues.

Any thoughts?

Also can I duel this truck out on 1100r20 M939 rims? It would also help with height conflicts.

Thanks
Mike

 

[74M35A2]

I'd go sub-frame with hinges built into that (easy), then line the bed floor with thick outdoor plywood, carriage bolted down. Steel plates are heavy and will cut into your load carrying and dump capacity. You'll get a few different opinions here, which is a good thing as you know.

 

[wheelspinner]

Mike the bed floor is already steel plate.

 

[snowtrac nome]

Its the sides that wont take the abuse, I would think a hook lift would be a better option, swap from dump, to flat, to tank, to sander.

 

[porkysplace]

Its the sides that wont take the abuse, I would think a hook lift would be a better option, swap from dump, to flat, to tank, to sander.

The welds won't like either , aluminum is good for hot asphalt , but not concrete, old asphalt . rocks ect. .
Steel boxes take a beating from it , most new steel dump boxes are high tensile steel.

 

[98G]

The wheel swap to dualled 11.00's should work. I've used one on a 1082 trailer.

I wouldn't try to make the bed into a dump. The bed itself would probably be ok, but the sides are fragile. I'd replace the whole thing with a dump bed. (I had a guy trying to buy the bed off my m1082 for use as a dump for his farm. Sadly I had to turn away a sale and talk him out of it.)