M35A2 "new" brush/grass fire truck

[SEAFIRE]

Our "new" M35A2 brush/grass fire truck. It has already towed several other grass fire trucks out of the mud since being placed in service, we really love the winch, our other M35A2 does not have a winch.

1968 M35A2 W/W non-turbo deuce supplied by the Texas Forest Service. 500-gallon plastic water tank with high-pressure pump with 2 hose reels. Exhaust re-routed to side of truck with 3 1/2" exhaust pipe for future turbo conversion. Front mounted skid plate.

Fiberglass cab top from Boyce equipment.
Conversion/paint work done by Action Welding in Port O'Connor Texas.

Does anyone know where to get the proper shear pins for the winch?

 

[acetomatoco]

jatonka@telenet.net has shear pins.

 

[comdiver]

Good looking truck! Do you know what kind of paint was used? It looks like semigloss in the photo. Was the old paint all removed?
I bought an old fire house a few years back, that I am making into my shop/home and my truck painted red might look good in front of it. I like the thought of an industrial type finish.

 

[JeepMan]

The news shows these trucks being used in the Florida wildfires.

 

[ucfjeeper]

yea, I've seen a few driving around down here. Theres a county station that has one as their brush truck up the road from me and there there are a few people who own them, themselves that volunteer its use for wildfires.

How big is the coverage of the wildfires up there in NY?

 

[SEAFIRE]

acetomatoco; thanks for the email addy, I'll contact him to see about some shear pins.

A surplus place told us to use soft stainless bolts, but we sheared one of these yesterday trying to pull a light Chevy 4x4 brush truck out of the mud. We tried to use brass bolts when we first got the truck, but these broke as soon as you put any strain on the winch. The truck came from the forest service without any pins.

Question, does anyone know the weight "limit" for the winch on the M35A2? I assume the winch was designed to pull other similar sized vehicles out?

comdiver; I'm unsure of the exact paint used, the truck was lightly sanded before it was painted, and the inside of the bed was sandblasted. the place that did the work already had the red paint in stock and does a lot of welding/painting for offshore oil/gas rigs and such. Next time I see them I'll ask what paint was used.

Here is our other 1968 M35A2. Interestingly enough the serial #"S on both of our M35's are less than 100 digits apart, both trucks originally came from the Texas National Guard and were in great shape. This one had extensive rebuild tags and had a turbo, the 2nd one I describe in the topic had no rebuild tags and no turbo.

 

[Alredneck]

Good lookn rigs, keep up the good work fellas, Captain

 

[bulldog_mack13]

They need thease bad in CO, i volunteered my stock M35 last time

 

[MATT]

The Colorado State Forest Service has 150 M35's and M715's located throughout the State.

 

[Pinkie]

The winches are rated for 10,000 pounds. That is 10,000 lbs vertical pull, not inclined pull like the civvy winches are rated. You should be able to compare that winch with a 15,000 or 20,000 civvy winch.

J.R.

 

[FMJ]

When you get the proper pins, check the fit, they should be snug, if the pin is loose/fits loose in the hole, that will make it shear easily.....I have a couple of winch trucks where this is the case, I'm still trying to figure out the best fix for this short of welding up the holes in the yoke and the shaft and redrilling them. Also check the fit of the yoke on the winch driveshaft, it should be a snug fit and not "wobble"

 

[bulldog_mack13]

They needed mine here in the springs for the fires

 

[tmbrwolf]

DO NOT EVER USE BOLTS!!!!!! use the correct shear pins I've seen winch's with cracked housings and blown PTO's because of bolts (common for ag equipment). If the truck is on loan from the Texas Forest Service, contact their shop they may be able to get you the correct shear pins from DLA if they are getting parts from MILSTRIP.

 

[royt1998]

Nice looking trucks I am building one myself wiil post pics when done

 

[SEAFIRE]

Thanks for all the help, proper shear pins ordered.

tmbrwolf:
we were only using the bolts due to the fact the Texas Forest Service did not have any and the surplus places I contacted were out.
Normally I can call the yard in Lufkin and get most "major" parts. So far I've gotten turbo's, generators/alternators, and the arms that connect the rear axles to the frame shipped to me free of charge. Most of the time these parts shipped to us are used, but in reasonable shape being checked out by the Forest Service mechanics.

Once the Forest Service delivered us a M35A2 dropside that turned out to be a lemon. They brought us another M35A2 and told us to strip the lemon for spare parts, we stripped it of everything usable, even the outer rims and tires on the rear. The Forest service just requires that the truck have an engine block and 6 tires when they pick it up.

Gaskets, manuals and other small parts we normally have to get ourselves.

 

[SEAFIRE]

Well the Shear pins were ordered, I got a call back saying they were out......

Does anyone know of any other place that has shear pins for the PTO winch on a M35A2 ? I've been calling all the major surplus places?

 

[texas-5-ton]

Red River or Memphis equipment should have them

 

[maddawg308]

jatonka has the proper shear pins as well. Good price, too.