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Superthermal's M813 Build, THE BOT

Superthermal

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I have purchased 3 Detroit lockers for the axles and three sets of Konig chains for my 16.00R20s. I will be attempting to make the "track" chains discussed back a ways in my thread.
I will start installing the lockers on Monday with the help of another SS member. I need to pull my S-280 out and then remove the cargo bed. This will allow me to remove the chunks from the top through the top of the frame. The front is a bit more tricky. Will be lifting the front of the rig off the ground, removing the front tires, and resting the rear of the springs on railroad ties and some 2x12s . Ill take the drums off and the steering arms off the top of the knuckles then undo the front U-bolts. Then with some luck I can slide the axle out from under the front of the rig so the surgery can take place.
Wish me luck.
 

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Superthermal

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Utah, Murray, United States
Is there any shimming to do after the swap or is it just a carrier change over?
There is a great video done by yhe Western Canadian Rockwell guys on Youtube on how to do a chunk inspection. In yhis video they cover the details on a 2 1/2ton chunk but point out along the way yhe differences with the 5 ton. Very helpful.20240925_145255.jpg
 

Superthermal

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Utah, Murray, United States
Getting the last locker installed in yhe front axle. Would be "easier" if I was doing a big cam swap and just pulling the chunk out the hood rather than havimg to pull yhe entire axle out from under the rig. The UBolts were an absolute bear. Everything else was smooth to this point. Will get the chunk pulled tomorrow and the locker installed.20241009_135612.jpg20241009_152854.jpg
 

Superthermal

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Utah, Murray, United States
It feels good watching other people tackle hard projects and make progress all from the safety of my phone...hehehe.

Keep it up!
No kidding this was a bit much to bite off, but was able to punch the leaky inner seals out, replace the boots and put the locker into the chunk clean everything up on the top loader, reinstall the chunk and do some clean up of tools etc... On Saturday Looking to finish. Will be getting the axle back under, get the new inter seals installed, replace all the brake lines, drums back in place among a million other things.20241010_150455.jpg
 
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Superthermal

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Location
Utah, Murray, United States
Driving with the two rear lockers I honestly could not tell any difference on dry pavement. Truck turns same as always and no tire dragging due to the lockers being able to free spool the faster rotating tire.
Will be using my 1x4 air hose assembly I made back a bit to ensure that all 4 of these rear tires are kept at the exact same air pressure to try to ensure they all wear evenly. Will also connect the two fronts to do the same. (See the part I used in the item #10 of this post:

 
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Superthermal

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Location
Utah, Murray, United States
What pressures are you running front & rear?
The front is at 60 and the 4 rears are at 52. My tires were new with the fuzzies on them and I found that running anything more than this that the tire side lugs were not wearing the same as the center section of the tires. When at the above psi the side fuzzies began to wear evenly with the rest of the tire. Now that was with the bed empty and no S-280 shelter in it. But I haven't adjusted the pressure since. If you don't have fuzzies to wear off your tires you can put some paint or heavy chalk on your tire in a line across or on several of the lugs and see how the chalk/paint wears off as you drive. You want it to be as even as possible to ensure full contact of the tire for the longest wear life.
How about you? Your front winch weighs almost 800lbs in all. What are you finding suits your setup?
 

US6x4

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I'm running 60 in front, 35 in rear and 40 in the middle for now, but I still experiment with different rear settings. Truck is empty.

I like the chalk/paint idea - will have to try that out.
 

Superthermal

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Location
Utah, Murray, United States
Bought two 8D batteries to ensure cold starts are solid.

Still need a winch. If I can find the rest of the parts on this side of the country for the winch I already have then great! But since that is looking to be a hard find, I have been considering a 24 Volt 25K Sherpa Stallion winch for $1999. I would mount it on top of the frame rails in-front of the grill out of harms way. This would make me consider change some items for my charging system, 8D batteries can only take in about 60 amps charge anyway so the stock 60 amp generator should be fine, but having a one wire 33si that does 100 amps wouldn't hurt my feelings any when the draw of the winch at max would be 210 amps at 24V.

I did pick up a remote brake fluid reservoir for my master cylinder and a cool valve setup for the front sprag disconnect to freewheel the front axle. I'll install those when it is a bit warmer out.

Still considering the big jump to a Hydromax brake system. My notes on getting this done are here in an old thread I had found, I put my notes on how the system would be installed on my M813 if I jump into it. The thread is a good long read for info on how the Hydromax system works.


I'm going to put a copy of my notes here, for safe keeping and editing here rather than on that thread.

. Hydro max 2" piston unit with 50/50 proportioning and a 24V booster. There are models with a pressure differential switch to notify a warning light letting you know there is a problem, and it has a low level brake fluid sensor. I am not sure I care for either of the options but the proportioning is needed.


. Firewall mount Wilwood pedal assembly or similar (I would be getting the double peddle 7:1 mechanical advantage unit and using the 2nd peddle to install a hydraulic clutch assembly which would remove the "flex play" out of the stock linkage that annoys me when wheeling when the body and frame flex independent of each other. I need to verify the Hydromax booster will be able to bolt on the firewall side of the peddle, I haven't been able to find a bolt patten layout for the Hydromax boosters... so this could change.
Peddle pair link:
Clutch Master Cylinder link:
Clutch Slave Cylinder link:
This Clutch slave cylinder has only a 1.36" Stroke, I may need more than that... Will look into it.

. Flexible brake line hoses from proportioning valve/or MC to frame rails as this M813 flexes like no other and the lines cannot be hard lined down to the frame.

. Trailer brake mod to keep trailer brake function if I actually ever get a trailer. I already have a hand operated trailer air brake arm, which is intended to be mounted on steering column. Since I see no other sensible/affordable easy to install options this is all I think I would need.

.15lb Residual pressure valves for the brake lines if using drums still and 2lb for disc brakes.


On my M813 I would totally want at the same time to swap to disc brakes. All dreaming here. From what I have researched the F750 10 stud discs with the 4 piston calipers look like a solid fit. To do this mod I would flip my rear hubs, run long lug nut studs through the disc brake, then through the hub. I would then bolt/weld some caliper mounting plates to the axles. This way the disc and caliper will be tucked up inside the wheel and out of harms way.
A bonus from flipping the hub, is my rig with HEMTT wheels on all 6 tires are inset in the rear. Normally people put them on just the front axle to keep 16.00R20 tires from hitting quite so much on the steering box cover due to their 1 1/2 or 2" offset from stock 5 ton rims, but if you run them on all 6 the fronts are offset out from stock and the rears are inset from stock giving the rig a narrower rear tracking of the tires. I would prefer a wide track in the rear as well so flipping the hub is desired which will make the track width same front and rear but being wider by that 1 1/2 or 2" offest the HEMTT wheels give.
END OF HYDROBRAKE THREAD.
 
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