Role reversal

[cranetruck]

Almost six years ago, the cranetruck began the long haul from OK to VA with the xm757 as shown below. Last Saturday, the 757 was used to tow the cranetruck back after it threw a rod on its journey to its new home.

The 6x6 had a much easier time towing the 8x8 than the other way around as it turned out. The lightweight xm757 (17,000 versus the cranetruck at 24,000 lb or so) is not the best recovery vehicle, but completed the 4 mile haul without complications other than the need to install all drive shafts before making it up a gravel road/hill. I usually have the inter boogie driveshafts removed since not all tires are of the same diameter (not good on paved roads).

 

[gungearz]

Good move....

 

[Recovry4x4]

Yikes, the motor went away? Was that the one from Brandon or has that not been installed yet?

 

[gringeltaube]

Wow...finally threw a rod!? Prolly that very same knocking one???
Sorry to hear that.


(If engines had a soul and feelings... it just never wanted to leave "home" and simply took its revenge.......!)





G.

 

[M1075]

Great pics, bummer story. The truck only made it 4 miles on the new journey? I guess that is better than 400 miles. I can't believe it has been six years!

 

[Katahdin]

Good story. How many miles did you end up putting on that ol' girl?

 

[AMGeneral]

Yikes, the motor went away? Was that the one from Brandon or has that not been installed yet?

I don't think that engine has been installed yet Kenny.

That definetly sucks.

 

[sigo]

Wow, who would have thunk it? I wouldn't have guessed the crane truck would make a better tow vehicle. Makes sense, but at first look the 757 appears to be a beast. That modified M49 is a sweet truck, too bad about the thrown rod.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

Adapt and overcome.

Bummer 'bout the rod.
Glad you were carrying a spare-truck instead of just a spare-tire.

 

[cranetruck]

Yikes, the motor went away? Was that the one from Brandon or has that not been installed yet?

It was the original engine...put many hours on it operating the crane around the yard since returning from CA in 2006, the heavy load did it in when Joe began the trip home to Charleston, WV.
Kenny, your engine is on the bed.

I ended up putting 19,483 miles on the truck/engine and about 1,250 hrs total.

 

[swbradley1]

Now that's a ventilated block. Sorry about the truck.

 

[Recovry4x4]

So Bjorn, does this affect the sale of the truck? I'm sure you told them about the the rod and threw in the replacement engine. Will you or the purchaser be repowering the truck there? Oh, not my engine, your engine!

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

Now that's a ventilated block.​

Or a large paperweight with a Wrecker attached.



​

 

[clinto]

How bad was the knock when it let go and how much worse had it gotten since it began?

 

[cranetruck]

How bad was the knock when it let go and how much worse had it gotten since it began?

The knock has been pretty constant, most noticeable at idle. The oil pressure has been very low and unpredictable, never got around to troubleshooting..could be a bad sending unit... I wasn't with the truck when it failed and can't tell that part of the story. We used the crane for hours that same day loading and raising the vehicle for tire work.
Joe was aware of the problem and opted to drive the truck home, but will now tow it. He mentioned a possible Cummins engine replacement and no, Kenny, it does not effect the sale.

 

[housemover]

I was fully aware of the knock but it wasn't very loud so I gambled on a 190 miles but lost. Now I'll bring her home and put a lds I have in don't want to change the truck to much. The up side is there are very few guys that can say there truck has been towed by a xm757. The story is worth the extra trouble.

 

[John S-B]

That reminds me of the 5 ton wrecker we had in my old NG motor pool. It was a '54 with a gasser motor. We towed that POS more than any other vehicle in the motor pool, and we had a huge motor pool. It was the only gas truck we had, everything else was diesel. (excepting the 880 series pickups.)

 

[gimpyrobb]

I was fully aware of the knock but it wasn't very loud so I gambled on a 190 miles but lost. Now I'll bring her home and put a lds I have in don't want to change the truck to much. The up side is there are very few guys that can say there truck has been towed by a xm757. The story is worth the extra trouble.

Glad to see you know how to "spin" the breakdown!! Also glad to see a member of the site is getting the truck. You will love the LDS.

 

[cranetruck]

The cranetruck was successfully towed away to its new home yesterday.

 

[73m819]

AT one time it was suggested that I might DRIVE the CRANE TRUCK to Tims La. rally, guess I would have made it 4 miles. so much for a drive to La.