M543A2 Winner On GL

[jasonjc]

Had this been 12 years ago I would have been glad to moved it out of there for you or had a buddy do it but I think every one I knew there is long gone now.

 

[rumplecat]

On a different topic, the tires on the wrecker have good tread but they look original to the truck, is it too heavy to convert to singles on the rear, maybe 14 or 16sx20? How wide a tire can you fit on the original 11X20 wheels?
James G.

 

[jasonjc]

you can get like new 1100-20 at taxearkana cheap

 

[rumplecat]

Wrecker was loaded today and is on the way, should be here Wed. or Thrusday. Driver was not too happy with GL they had estimated an hour to load him, he got there at 7:30am he left loaded at 11:30.
James G.

 

[DDoyle]

I've never set out to put larger than stock tires on any of my vehicles - but I am here to tell you that you need AT LEAST as much contact area as you have now.

My 5 ton wrecker leaves deep ruts in places that a deuce goes without leaving a trail.

A friend in the reserves tells me that on muddy trails they drive the deuces and five ton cargos - and the wrecker is winched along.

Hope this helps,
David

 

[rumplecat]

I may have some first hand experience on making ruts when the wrecker shows up. he has a step bed with a dove tail, I will have one and one half to two feet to ramp up to allow the wrecker to drive off the trailer. I have some 6X8s I am thinking about cutting up for steps or he suggested just backing into ta shallow ditch and driving it off. I have to do something pretty quick he may be here as early as Wed. afternoon!
James G.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Even the M108 makes depressions in the yard where the cargos don't. Be warned, unsticking a 33,000# wrecker can be painful.

 

[jeli]

http://news.webshots.com/album/30912605HIcUpQRXLp Here's a link to a photo spread of a Marine M936 with super singles. The only thing I never liked about singles on a wrecker was the height. The tires must ba able to carry the weight since Hemitts have singles.

 

[DDoyle]

As Jeff Foxworthy would say - you might be a readneck......

But I believe if the step were only 18" I'd just drive it off, especially if was loaded so that it could back off.

My concern about the singles isn't the weight rating of the tires - but the ground pressue exerted by the vehicle.

Regards,
David

 

[rumplecat]

My truck driver call he has a problem with the 543! He said his truck was acting pretty sluggish with the wrecker so he ran by some friendly scales, he says the wrecker is topping the scales at 40,000 lbs. I told him no way but his reply was the weigh ticket was right there in his hand! How could a 543A2 be that heavy, I listed it at 34000 thinking that would be on the heavy side! I have pulled everything not bolted down off the wrecker and even the fluids are drained except 40 lbs of oil in the crank case???????? Any ideas?
James G.

 

[rizzo]

Even the M108 makes depressions in the yard where the cargos don't. Be warned, unsticking a 33,000# wrecker can be painful.

I got mine stuck a couple months ago, not fun. I learned alot and if in the same situation would ba able to get it unstuck pretty easy.
That rear winch sure is strong. I broke a strap rated at 45k with a single line pull.

 

[rizzo]

My truck driver call he has a problem with the 543! He said his truck was acting pretty sluggish with the wrecker so he ran by some friendly scales, he says the wrecker is topping the scales at 40,000 lbs. I told him no way but his reply was the weigh ticket was right there in his hand! How could a 543A2 be that heavy, I listed it at 34000 thinking that would be on the heavy side! I have pulled everything not bolted down off the wrecker and even the fluids are drained except 40 lbs of oil in the crank case???????? Any ideas?
James G.

sounds like he might be trying to get some extra cash. I never thought that 5 k made much of a difference. (I could be wrong)

 

[rumplecat]

He is saying the extra weight is putting him over his legal limit of 57K.
James G.

 

[DDoyle]

The manual says the net weight of the truck is 34,600 lbs. Fluids would add at the most another ton, the OVM probably a little less than that. The truck most assuradly was not turned in with all the OVM, which included a LOT of handtools.

I'd be real reluctant to be accusatory until the truck is in sight (too vulnerable to tampering)...but if he wants more money, then he'd need to reweigh while I watched - it is possible that the scales he used were out of calibration. OR, the wrecker is heavy, but short - leaving plenty of room for other freight to be loaded on the trailer.

My .02,
David Doyle

 

[rizzo]

The manual says the net weight of the truck is 34,600 lbs. Fluids would add at the most another ton, the OVM probably a little less than that. The truck most assuradly was not turned in with all the OVM, which included a LOT of handtools.

I'd be real reluctant to be accusatory until the truck is in sight (too vulnerable to tampering)...but if he wants more money, then he'd need to reweigh while I watched - it is possible that the scales he used were out of calibration. OR, the wrecker is heavy, but short - leaving plenty of room for other freight to be loaded on the trailer.

My .02,
David Doyle

 

[ah1955]

Your trucker must have a single axle tractor if thats all he can scale. With a 5 axle tractor and trailer you could gross 80,000 lbs. and if he can't load and scale 40,000 lbs. you don't have a truck that you can make a living with.
Sounds like he's trying to get more money or he was never equpt. to do the job from the start. If you were given a mileage rate tell him to to just del. the load and the save the stories, if he is charging by to weight then find a public scale near you to have his truck weighted loaded then weight him out empty then settle up, if you bill of laden says shipper stated weight and he agreed by loading the load then thats what the charges shoud be based on.

 

[rizzo]

Your trucker must have a single axle tractor if thats all he can scale. With a 5 axle tractor and trailer you could gross 80,000 lbs. and if he can't load and scale 40,000 lbs. you don't have a truck that you can make a living with.
Sounds like he's trying to get more money or he was never equpt. to do the job from the start. If you were given a mileage rate tell him to to just del. the load and the save the stories, if he is charging by to weight then find a public scale near you to have his truck weighted loaded then weight him out empty then settle up, if you bill of laden says shipper stated weight and he agreed by loading the load then thats what the charges shoud be based on.

 

[rumplecat]

RE: Re: M543A2 Winner On GL

I don't intend paying him any more than agreed to. The truck is stripped of every thing not bolted down except the batteries and motor oil, all other fluids have been drained, there is no way it can weigh 40,000 lbs.
James G.

 

[DDoyle]

RE: Re: M543A2 Winner On GL

While I still strongly doubt that the truck grosses 40000 lbs, unless drained there are several hundred pounds of hydraulic fluid in the crane.

 

[rumplecat]

RE: Re: M543A2 Winner On GL

Wrecker is here! Would not start on the step bed, batteries were low so I headed to Wal Mart for $120 worth of batteries, which is a whole lot better than the $450 for a wrecker the trucker was advocating! Took about three tries with the fresh batteries to get her going. What does not work; no brakes, no power steering, tac does not work, and the glad hand on the front passenger side is broken off at the elbow! What type of power steering fluid do I need and how much. The brakes I can manage since if you let off the gas it stops, it is not a big roller! With the glad hand broken off is this a source of no air pressure? But it is a good looking MV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Any help is appreciated.
James G,