Fredo Corleone
Member
- 525
- 15
- 18
- Location
- Colchester, Vermont
I hate the snow it slows us down too! Nice project!
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Well....I did not know if it qualified....since I kind of made it in to a "wrecker".....Oh yeah did you put that monster in the wrecker count?
No "state secrets" on the paint..lol I use "Camouflage Sand" from RAPCO #30277Soni
If it's not a "state secret" what is the paint/code, for the paint you use on the truck in your avatar and, on your M123 crane truck? It looks pretty close to the Israeli sand-grey, that is a cool color.
Yes, I thought of that for sure! After doing some research though and finding out that the Eaton axles, used by Oshkosh in the Mk17, were specifically designed for the LVS only, I decided against it for the following reasons:Any thoughts of using the rear axles from that MK17 under the truck? I honestly don't recall the ratio they had. But that front axle of the 916 looks to match the axles under the MK units. The bonus would be the selectable lockers.
Ahh didn't know what the 916's ratio was. Guess that rules that out.Yes, I thought of that for sure! After doing some research though and finding out that the Eaton axles, used by Oshkosh in the Mk17, were specifically designed for the LVS only, I decided against it for the following reasons:
-The third member with it's air locking differential and the 5.43 : 1 gear ratio is proprietary to Oshkosh and only built for the USMC PLS. In commercial applications, this same axle housing would house a two speed, air shift differential.
-Most of the internal differential parts can only be procured through government surplus or from Oshkosh direct.
-There are no other gear ratios available for this differential.
-The seven speed, double overdrive Allison transmission is geared almost to high with the M916's factory 6.17 : 1 gear ratio, so I need at least 6.17s to even be able use seventh gear, when running the 16.00R 20 Michelins.
-I'm pretty happy with the performance and simplicity of the factory Detroit lockers and the repair parts for the Rockwells (Meritor) are still readily available in the commercial trucking market.
Now, I am planning on eventually using the the semi eliptical, long leaf, single point suspension that Oshkosh used in the Mk17, on the rear of the FEMTT. I feel that it is a superior design over the Hendrickson walking beam and would certainly give the truck better articulation and a better ride.
Any additional thoughts on this subject would of course be appreciated......
Richard,Soni.....with your fab skills and resources why not put air ride on it? If you have never driven a HEMMT you will find out that a cab forward (not a cab over) will beat your teeth out. And it will take a while to get used to the cab-forward design when turning corners.
Thanks for the good suggestions! The M916 actually uses a single speed, 1:1 rato, Rockwell transfercaseAhh didn't know what the 916's ratio was. Guess that rules that out.
I know when I was considering my hybrid M55/MK17 I had worked out the numbers on the ratios. I could get away with a 395 in the rear axles and a 16.00 on the front and the T-case work properly. I know Floridistan built a similar setup, but had his front driveshaft disconnected due to mismatch.
Since you've got lockers already in the axles, there's not really a gain.
If gearing is a concern, what about swapped down to a 800 series t-case? I assume the 916 uses the same t-case as the 900 series that has an overdrive in high range?
The MK48 cab has a big tunnel through the center of it, that should provide adequate air flow for the radiator.Im not familier with cab forward will there be any cooling issuses with the radiator being right behind the cab.
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