Bobbed Wrecker concept

[Rambling Wreck]

I'm in the mobile home buis, and our trucks have to be short. One of my contractors used a 9000 ford with 5 ton running gear, and a 750 holmes boom on a short bed. Its performance was amazing. I agree that longer is more powerful over-all, but you sure could get in more places with yours! I'm really liking the concept.

Yeah, I agree. There are plenty of short wreckers out there. Longer does equal more leverage but it also means less maneuverability. It all depends on your application. The cool factor of the short wrecker is off the chart! I really hope to see this built.

 

[jroten]

I used a Century 412 wrecker unit that I converted into a rotator using a worm drive on my deuce. The wheel lift is still in the design phase. I have added a album on my profile new toy with progress so far

 

[Rambling Wreck]

FIVE years later and I am still digging this. Thanks for the update and please keep us posted.

 

[Rescue101]

Now THIS..........is COOL ~!~

 

[jroten]

Slow, but steady progress on the wrecker. I installed hard plumbing and a one way foot valve inside the driver side A3 fuel. This will allow me to use the tank for HYD oil. I have also added a gas powered HPU in the bed to run the wrecker. I was able to source some surplus 24volt electric over HYD valves. Now I will be able to run the wrecker by wire and not have to worry about mounting a control valve at ground level or finding placement for all the hoses needed. I have 90% of the hosing done just held up waiting on the swivel connection for my main pressure and return lines.

 

[DavidWymore]

I have a 12k winch in the bed of my Xcab Longbed Cummins Dodge with a boom I built. Truck is on 39" LAV tires, locked diffs, slinky suspension. It's dragged a lot of stuck/broken down jeeps, sand rails, and F250s out of a lot of places.

 

[DavidWymore]

Point being...do it! ...before I beat you to it with one of my parts deuces.

BTW...simply building a tower on the back of a tow vehicle and pulling upward on the towed vehicle greatly increases traction and pulling power...to the point of breaking stuff...I know.

 

[tobyS]

Hey guys, just read the (great) thread and have linked it to my crane winch thread build.

https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?175944-front-winch-crane-on-M35A3.

I started with the desire to do a front crane and winch, but have been convinced the front suspension would be very limiting. And if the suspension were heavier, the steering joints would be next. My original plan was to make the A3 into a 4x4 and use an M105 bed. I have a LMTV bed, but it is even longer than the original cargo when I want shorter...and the wheel well of the 105 matching. My winch is a 10000 lb LMTV hydraulic, which will arrive any day.

The cranes you discuss are related to my design goals. But what jroten has constructed would be great, mounted in my space between the cab and the bed. I have a boom crane with that configuration but this would not have as long reach as my boom truck....way more handy than a wrecker with fixed boom and not have to be assembled or disassembled to use it like the gib. In my case, I will mount it between the cab and bed, keeping the rear axle about where it is. Bed could still dump then.

We have a sticky for making a dump bed... we should have one for making a 6x6 to a 4x4. Maybe have one for cranes as well.