Just purchaced my first truck M944a1

[1z-bar]

Just purchaced my first truck a M944a1. I am going to pick it up friday at Redstone Arsenal, Al. I'm planing on driving it back {they said it ran with a jump}. Anything special I should take along? I'm taking it back to Berne Indiana to my dad's house to check every thing out. Dad's a navy diesel man {retired} and is going along for the ride.

 

[MWMULES]

Down load the operators manual, do all the before operations checks before you fire it up, if they let you. Do the maintenance as most of these trucks have been sitting for 6 months or longer. Take the right fluids to top everything off. The last thing you need is a 20T truck out of control and hopefully you have had some time behind the wheel on a 900 series truck.

 

[srodocker]

 

[BKubu]

My suggestion...get it shipped. If, as with most everyone else who drives a truck out, you are trying to save some coin, at least invest in getting the truck shipped to a location off-base where someone can do a good inspection and either you or that person can do a full servicing on the truck. As MWMULES said, driving a truck that has been sitting is a risk. How much better would you feel if someone told you that they full serviced the truck and drove it around a bit and you knew it was a good runner? Something could still fail on the trip home, but you'd feel a lot more confident, I'm sure. This would also give you time to get tags and insurance. I am nervous and cautious when driving trucks that I've owned and serviced on long trips! I once posted about an M35A2 that I had owned for quite a while. To make a long story short, after driving the truck, I noticed some brake fluid where there should be none. Upon further inspection, I noticed a rusted-through brake line. This was on a truck that I had literally gone over front to back, top to bottom...and I missed a brake line, probably because it was intact although appeared to ahve only surface rust. A bit further and I would have had a run away truck on my hands. My $.02...

 

[swbradley1]

I just did an inspection for someone at WPAFB last week and the truck was in Kuwait at one time and shipped back. No batteries, no brake fluid, no coolant (that we could see) and low on oil. At that point I just PM'd him and said tow it or trailer it. You don't have enough time sitting in the GL yard to do a good service to drive several hundred miles.

I suggest the same for you. Get it shipped and the you will have a semi-stress free environment in which to do the proper maintenance on it.

Safer too. I could have driven my 818 the 13 miles home even with the knock but I paid $257 and had it towed with a 60-ton wrecker.

sw

 

[1z-bar]

I am planing on checking it out in the yard the best I can. I have an operators manual for the M939 and dad's played with the 250 cummins. If their are any isues I plan on having it shipped. Can any one recomend a good one, i checked Showroom Transport and they said they could hall it it, but it wouldn't be cheap.

 

[Scarecrow1]

I may be wrong but a friend from Columbia SC told me that they will no longer allow you to drive them off the yard ...At least that was at Fort Jackson last year ......Like I said I could have been mis- informed ...I sure would like the option of driving it off

 

[123mack]

If you reall want to drive it, the idea of having it towed off post is the best option. Maybe a member in the Huntsville area can help. Back in January when I went to recover my wrecker, they wouldn't let me do anything where there would be a risk of spilling fluids. I found this out when I tried to install a new fuel filter. Even though I had a 5gal bucket to catch spillage. the GL guy said "no, you might knock it over and the post environmental clean up crew would have to be called out". I ended up putting it on a Landoll.

 

[nhdiesel]

First rule about GL auctions, ignore the description completely. I purchased one truck as non-running, it just needed a jump start and brake fluid. My other truck was listed as running, but it had all fluids drained. Once we did put fluids in and tried starting it, we found the block of the brand new engine to be cracked and oil and coolant was flowing out of it.

Before going to do the recovery try to locate someone as close to the base as possible to act as home-base. You may get very little time on the base. And you may only have one shot at the recovery, so if the truck won't run, you may not have time to come back another day to do a 2nd recovery. It depends on the attitudes at that base.

If you can afford it, have it at least towed off the base. But if you are doing it yourself, have a recovery plan in case they try to rush you off the base quickly. The first steps of the inspection should be to check the engine oil, coolant, and check the brakes. Those items will at least allow you to drive off the base and pull over if they are pushing you off the base.

If you have time at the base, go through the rest of the pre-trip inspection from the manual. Make sure you check differential, transmission, transfer case fluids. Once the truck has run and warmed up and built up air, shut it down and listen for air leaks.

Bring spare belts and all filters with you. When you get it off the base to the "home base", change all of the fuel filters. Trust me on this, my excellent-condition Deuce only had 1 fuel filter actually filtering anything because 2 of them had been improperly installed. Do a thorough inspection of the wiring, hoses, etc. Check bolts on the driveshafts! One of the trucks we picked up had the driveshaft bolts only finger tight. Check other bolts and fasteners. Check lug nuts.

Once you are off the base and on your way, stop after a few miles to check things again. Check for leaks that didn't show up before, check tire pressures, etc.

After everything we have warned you about, sit back and take a breath. Don't be scared. You have just as much chance of having problems after buying a car from a used car dealer. Trust me, I'm a mechanic and did state safety inspections, and I've seen just as many dangerous vehicles come out of a used car dealer, and the people buying those had no clue and thought they had gems. At least you'll be going in prepared for the worse.

Jim

 

[two.fiveM35]

I would agree with having it shipped. If you brake down on the way home, you probably won't have the tools to fix it and won't find a place to get parts for it. The cost of getting it tow to who knows where, may be more $ than having it shipped. What I did was drive up to Redstone and took delivery of my M35, drove off base to the motel and waited for the trucking company to show up the next day. I also took a whole lot of tools, fluid, cables,jack, compressor, etc with me incase I needed it. Thanks god I didn't.

If you go the shipping route, it is cheaper to find a trucking company directly rather than go thru a freight forwarder. It was hard for me to find a trucking company to show up at Redstone at an exact appointment time, and they (Redstone) are not flexable wth their pick up times. That is why I finally decided to drive up there and wait for the transport truck.

 

[1z-bar]

I hope it goes off with out a hitch. I was "told" that when it came in on a trailer - they jump started it and drove it over to where it was parked. This is the 7th or 8th shop truck I bid on. The first one was at wright pat AFB and i got to check that one all out before I bid. The other ones I just talked to the personel. At Redstone they seemed to know what they were talking abought {I hope}. Some places they had some real winners working their. Pineville La. comes to mind...

 

[nhdiesel]

Also keep in mind that heavy trucks are NOT cheap for an emergency tow. A local company estimated about $400 to get my Deuce 50 miles. That would cover a whole lot more on a trailer. Costs on interstates can be even more. The company truck for a place i used to work at broke down in PA. (I warned them it wouldn't make the trip). It was $600 to get it to the next exit where the truck stop was.

You'll probably do fine. Good luck, take it slow and easy, and have fun. The recovery can be fun if things go well (or you only have minor issues).

Jim

 

[wreckerman893]

I will be at Redstone Wed morn at 0800 if you are going to be there at the same time I can assist. We have another member that lives right off post that can help out too.

You can still drive vehicles off Redstone but make sure you have proof of insurance, valid DL, current tags and a photo ID for all passengers in your party to get on base. They do not check paperwork at GL when you leave but I would have insurance on the deuce just in case you got stopped by the MP's.

I am picking up a deuce engine in a can for another member so I will be in my deuce....at this time I am not planning on bringing a towbar......but I usually have my slave cables, fluids and a few implements of destruction.

That is a long trip for a unknown truck but I have done the same thing and did OK both times....once from Arkansas and once from Indiana.

If you have a support vehicle for emergencies you should be OK.

PM me if you need further assistance.

 

[1z-bar]

Thanks wreckerman893 I am going to get their thursday night so I can get it friday at 0700. I will have a support vehicle with plenty of tools & fluids. Thanks for the offer though

 

[wreckerman893]

Do you have a confirmed appointment scheduled thru Teresa?

GL Redstone does not load out on Fridays unless they have changed their policy in the last few weeks.

I would hate to see you drive all that way for nothing.

 

[1z-bar]

I talked to mike at GL Redstone {he was the one that told me it ran} he didn't think friday was a good day either. But when I called Teresa she told me 0700 on Friday. Friday works better for me, I work third shift {maintenance} so I only have to take off one day.

 

[wreckerman893]

I stand corrupted.... ......

I talked to Teresa this morning and she gave me the skinny.

They are loading out until noon on Fridays to move stuff out.....that means there is a lot of stuff inbound......I may fall off the Green Iron Addiction wagon in the near future.

 

[1z-bar]

Update: I picked the truck up at Redstone Al. {Gate 3} friday morning. Started right up {new batteries} every thing was good on engine and transmition - belts, fluids ect. Power steering was low {holding tank leaks a little}. A few of the tires were low they let me fill them up 2 tires were checked, the spare was new!
It drove great, top speed is 53 MPH tacking 1700- 45 MPH up a hill 60 down. I got through Ten. and 30 miles into Kentucky when my pasenger side middle tire let go {checked tire}. Called for help to change it {had it jacked up and almost off before he got their}. He got the spare back on checked other tires, noticed slight buldge on other checked tire {1994 dated tire}. Went 20 more miles - tire had buldge the size of a grape fruit. let air out of tire had 110 Psi {service had filled all the tires up to 100} went to 90 psi. called around - no tires any where. Drove up to the next exit to see if bulge stayed the same, It grew an 1.5"
Found a guy close buy with a low boy to bring it the rest of the way home.
Any one close have tires?

 

[two.fiveM35]

Glad you made it home.

 

[doghead]

Which size and style do you have on your truck? They used 20" rims with tubes and also used 22.5" tubeless rims. Do you want to match the tires , like what is on it now or use anything? Need more info.

As for the trip home, You could have just removed the bulging tire and rim, and ran it with a single wheel.