Deuce Rough Terrain Limitations

[rustystud]

Makes sense. So wouldn’t hydraulic power steering necessarily improve picking better lines?

Yes it would. I plan on adding a power ram to my Deuce soon. I had all the parts made up several years ago, but never had the time or place to rebuild the front end. Now if I can just finish my shop !!!!

 

[montaillou]

...had a significant change in your mpg with the 6BT?

To be honest, it's hardly been driven since the swap. Been having a whole lot of other work being done, mostly to the cab.

If fuel mileage is a concern, you may want to add at least 1 set of lockout hubs. Some people put a set on one of the rear axles as well as the front, I only did the front. My understand is that power distribution to the rear axles is not equal, so choose wisely.

 

[Watsonpreston]

I believe my 2.5 ton truck is one of the most capable 2.5 ton truck

There’s a couple different videos on my YouTube channel

10 inch lift in the rear with 5 ton suspension that I took most of the springs out of
Frame and bed shortened 30”
Spools in the rear axles
Both rear drive shafts are high angle, custom driveshafts
8 inch lift in the front
Detroit locker in the front
Saginaw 710 steering gearbox plus hydraulic assist
Running 53 tractor tires now
Truck will trail ride and rock craw
Mud nothing normal stops It


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Watsonpreston]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[therealquaid]

I believe my 2.5 ton truck is one of the most capable 2.5 ton truck

There’s a couple different videos on my YouTube channel

10 inch lift in the rear with 5 ton suspension that I took most of the springs out of
Frame and bed shortened 30”
Spools in the rear axles
Both rear drive shafts are high angle, custom driveshafts
8 inch lift in the front
Detroit locker in the front
Saginaw 710 steering gearbox plus hydraulic assist
Running 53 tractor tires now
Truck will trail ride and rock craw
Mud nothing normal stops It


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Looks amazing! I’ve seen quite a few videos of your truck and threads as well

 

[Watsonpreston]

Thanks
your mods listed above will help you the bobbed is situational might help might hurt
The power steering is the most helpful mod off-road


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[therealquaid]

Thanks
your mods listed above will help you the bobbed is situational might help might hurt
The power steering is the most helpful mod off-road


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I’m currently looking into power steering, trying to figure out the major differences between Boyce’s kit

and Waterloo’s

 

[Watsonpreston]

I personally like Waterloo kit better because of the style of pump being gear driven like the stock 5 ton pump
I do not believe Waterloo is going to make any more kits

I have broke a handful of the 710 gearbox’s under normal condition they won’t ever fail but these are not normal conditions. Once i had the gear box drilled and taped for hydraulic assist haven’t had a failure the hydraulic cylinder takes up all the shock loads
And prevents me from shearing off the bolts on the kingpin


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[therealquaid]

I personally like Waterloo kit better because of the style of pump being gear driven like the stock 5 ton pump
I do not believe Waterloo is going to make any more kits

I have broke a handful of the 710 gearbox’s under normal condition they won’t ever fail but these are not normal conditions. Once i had the gear box drilled and taped for hydraulic assist haven’t had a failure the hydraulic cylinder takes up all the shock loads
And prevents me from shearing off the bolts on the kingpin


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for that insight! Unfortunately Waterloo doesn’t make them anymore but I’ve found two kits for sale. So the Boyce kit does not use the stock 5 ton pump in theirs?

 

[cattlerepairman]

Thanks for that insight! Unfortunately Waterloo doesn’t make them anymore but I’ve found two kits for sale. So the Boyce kit does not use the stock 5 ton pump in theirs?

Looking at the picture, the Boyce kit uses a bolt-on, belt-driven hydraulic pump.

 

[G744]

Military proving ground testing back in the 50's found that in every case, super singles were superior to duals in off-road mobility.

That is the reason there were SS 2.5 & 5-tons built with them, like the M34.

In later years, most operations were highway routes, and duals were better handling the weight.

In the sandbox operations, we re-learned the advantage of SS tires. Most of them now are rated at high weight ability, with radial construction that will run at low pressure.

 

[therealquaid]

Military proving ground testing back in the 50's found that in every case, super singles were superior to duals in off-road mobility.

That is the reason there were SS 2.5 & 5-tons built with them, like the M34.

In later years, most operations were highway routes, and duals were better handling the weight.

In the sandbox operations, we re-learned the advantage of SS tires. Most of them now are rated at high weight ability, with radial construction that will run at low pressure.

Woah that’s pretty interesting I love that stuff. Any recommendations where I can read more about it?

 

[rustystud]

Military proving ground testing back in the 50's found that in every case, super singles were superior to duals in off-road mobility.

That is the reason there were SS 2.5 & 5-tons built with them, like the M34.

In later years, most operations were highway routes, and duals were better handling the weight.

In the sandbox operations, we re-learned the advantage of SS tires. Most of them now are rated at high weight ability, with radial construction that will run at low pressure.

You have access to the 1950's testing results ? Could you post them here ?

 

[G744]

I taught classes in the base library at the YPG back in the 70's.

Access to many reports on tactical vehicle testing was available, and I was really into army trucks. I couldn't take any of the material out of the facility, unfortunately.

Another thing I remembered was one report said tire diameter was more important than width in off-road operations. It was likened to casters on shop equipment, smaller ones get caught in floor cracks more often.

I'll check with a friend that worked there as well and see if any of those docs are available online now.

 

[therealquaid]

I taught classes in the base library at the YPG back in the 70's.

Access to many reports on tactical vehicle testing was available, and I was really into army trucks. I couldn't take any of the material out of the facility, unfortunately.

Another thing I remembered was one report said tire diameter was more important than width in off-road operations. It was likened to casters on shop equipment, smaller ones get caught in floor cracks more often.

I'll check with a friend that worked there as well and see if any of those docs are available online now.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge about that! I really appreciate that an experience like that can be shared so we can keep the history of these trucks and the people that worked with them.

It’s particularly interesting to me that you actually mentioned the YPG because this thread was started by questions that came up in my mind while I was driving off-road near Yuma.

Do you remember if they possibly did any tests looking into a longer wheelbase of a 6x6 vs a shorter wheelbase of a 4x4?

 

[G744]

The late 40's/early 50's Test & Evaluation Command gave us heavy tacticals in several wheelbases, i.e. the tractor/dump, the standard cargo, the long wheelbase cargo/extended van in both the 2.5 & 5-ton series.

This included the sealed 24V electrical systems with lots of commonality among other tacticals, automatic all-wheel drive, and fully field-changeable cab tops and bodies.

In the 4X4 category, Dodge had the lock on the tactical with the G741 total redevelopment program following the success of the WW2 models.

The Desert testing was rigorous on the little trucks, and many innovations and improvements were done over the older designs. Aberdeen and the Arctic Proving Grounds did their part as well.

This was not limited to fording capability, ride quality, better off-road ability due to suspension changes.

 

[G744]

From a personal point of view, the huge amount of automotive engineering that went into the 50's fleet of tacticals paid us taxpayers great dividends.

Look how long they were in front-line service, compared to the last few years with many new designs that are being phased out without getting anywhere near the service record of the older generation.

Granted, the older trucks were "both hands on the wheel" designs, and you had to know how to work a clutch right. My dainty wife handles our M54A1 just fine, if I help her get up in it.

 

[HN6]

Lockers, power steering of some sort, super singles. the big buggies here where I live all run 2 steer axles, meritor hubs and 50-60'' ag tires, completely different game. Depends what you want. I like the 3 axles and some weight, safer in deeper river water....


pic of 5 ton stuck on that same levy the deuce went up, longer wheel base stopped it.

The problem with pics and video is it does not tell the complete story or what these modified trucks can actually do. I have said there is no way to man times to count now and it still makes it.

 

[therealquaid]

From a personal point of view, the huge amount of automotive engineering that went into the 50's fleet of tacticals paid us taxpayers great dividends.

Look how long they were in front-line service, compared to the last few years with many new designs that are being phased out without getting anywhere near the service record of the older generation.

Granted, the older trucks were "both hands on the wheel" designs, and you had to know how to work a clutch right. My dainty wife handles our M54A1 just fine, if I help her get up in it.

I agree with every single bit of that sir, that’s part of why I love MVs! And so many people working together to build a reliable machine for a purpose.

 

[therealquaid]

Th

Lockers, power steering of some sort, super singles. the big buggies here where I live all run 2 steer axles, meritor hubs and 50-60'' ag tires, completely different game. Depends what you want. I like the 3 axles and some weight, safer in deeper river water....


pic of 5 ton stuck on that same levy the deuce went up, longer wheel base stopped it.

The problem with pics and video is it does not tell the complete story or what these modified trucks can actually do. I have said there is no way to man times to count now and it still makes it.

Those are some really nice pictures! And I agree pics and video can only do so much, I love to hear from others experiences and to learn more about the Deuce.