Wehring LMTV Mods

[wehring]

I have made several mods to the M1078A1R LMTV and some have been discussed in separate threads so I decided to start one thread to have one place to post them and all future mods. I hope this helps... so far it has received:

* 6.14 axle gears (added 15 mph at same rpm)
* cut and extended bed cover posts (prevents bumping my head)
* custom bed cover (top only - no sides)
* LED head, tail and marker lights
* GSS Cobra seats and Bostrom free float bases (removed behind seat obstructions to allow reclining of seats)
* Added turret type hatch to top of cab
* replaced steel wheels with alloy wheels and michelin XZL tires w/o runflats and used Equal tire balancer
* Reprogrammed computer to 330 hp
* corrected speedo for new axle gears
* had keys made for doors
* cut rear ladder to allow truck movement with ladder installed
* replaced "beep beep" horn with a more fitting one
* added strobe light
* aircraft intercom system and headsets
* Overhead GPS on RAM mount

Future mods:
* DAKAR style light bar on front of cab with limb risers and brush bars
* winch
* interchangeable receiver hitches
* music radio
* A/C
* fold away middle seat with 5 point harness and foot rest
* Window tint
* dual 100 gal fuel tanks with locking caps
* Cruise control

 

[wehring]

pics

some pics

 

[wehring]

light bar

here is the DAKAR truck light bar and limb risers I will soon build and add to the truck

 

[Shark Bait]

Looks good. Have any pics of the dual tanks? Thought about that with mine. I like the hatch on top.

 

[cranetruck]

Nice Justin!
200 gallons of fuel is a lot to haul around, did you not mean two 50 gallon tanks for a total 100?

 

[dawico]

Very sharp looking truck. I like the trailer too.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Very nice Justin.

 

[4x4 Forever]

Yup, Very Nice Justin...Now I want one...

 

[wehring]

Hello again gentlemen. Thank you for the kind words. Been off radar for a while but this build will change that.

Bjorn,
This will be a BH15 truck. I was on the AC12 convoy and extra fuel is comforting. Twin 100s will give me a conservative 1000 mile range. The Bostrom bases, GSS seats that recline, 75 mph speed and cushy suspension make that range a reality. Was talking with NDT and he made an accurate assessment of these trucks in saying that they are the least "tactical" trucks in our inventory... I agree. They are more like an F650 than a deuce and with a little work they make really nice over the road trucks.

more pics to come.

Justin

 

[Oxyacetylene]

Awesome work so far, I like it. The only thing I have on you is a winch! Well, the stock winch is only 11K, so nothing special for a truck this heavy. I would like to see some pics of the interior work, seats, RAM mount, etc. I like that hatch too. Is the hatch water tight? I use RAM mount stuff myself and have been very happy with them. Right now I am just using the windshield suction cup adapter and X mount to put my phone in the truck when I want to use it for GPS/Nav.

 

[wehring]

pics

Here are some requested pics. I wish this truck had a winch. I am considering adding an 18K Warn 24v winch but that is not as nice as the front & rear capable factory setup.

The GPS is a Garmin DEZL760. I like the big screen. I ran a hardwire in the cab cavities to keep the cab free from lighter plug wires.

The seats are GSS Cobra and the supercab design of these trucks allows plenty of room to recline the seats.

 

[BBoomerBootCamp]

Nice work Justin!

 

[Oxyacetylene]

Looks great! I am digging the hatch; I may have to add that to my wish list for someday in the future. Is it a standard hatch for an FMTV?

 

[wehring]

Thanks Boomer! I hope to get back to Sedona soon. Will drop you a line.

The hatch is an FMTV hatch but it comes off of the louvered cabs. I had to buy a whole cab to get the hatch but it was worth it. It is perfect for the parades!

My wrists are swollen today. Been using a sawsall to remove some more funflats to mount some more tires on aluminum wheels for this truck. I am reserved in using "hate" but I truly HATE spending hours on a sawsall cutting the runflats into pieces to get them out of the Michelins but the end result is worth it. Here is the recipe... 395 XZLs on aluminum wheels and 24oz of Equal tire balancer per tire. They run smooth at 75mph. Remove the runflat and use Dawn to wash out the runflat lube from the tire. Mount without beadlock or runflat on aluminum wheel. The down side is that the CTIS system cannot be utilized because of possible (probable) air system contamination form the Equal media. The upside is a very nice ride at freeway speeds. To those of you that are speed nay-sayers... these tires are the XZLs that are rated for 70mph (not 55) on an MRAP. This truck is 13,000# so 75mph is well within safe working speed.

 

[Oxyacetylene]

Could you maybe use a balancing ring mounted behind the wheel instead of the media in the tire? My truck says it weighs almost 19k, but I haven't put it on a scale either.

 

[wehring]

Yes, i took half cut wheel and drum to Centramatic in Dallas to use as a model to build some. No word yet.

 

[NDT]

Here's an alternate concept for "rally" truck protection concepts. Possibly designed by Oshkosh, this is "Hound" from the Transformers 4 movie. Looks pretty good to me, might even stencil the autobot symbol on the door of mine. (The movie is not exactly worth sitting through)

 

[Terrh]

I love your truck! Keep up the good work.

 

[blhar15]

Very nice

Where did you get the axles for the 6.14 ratio?

 

[wehring]

I put the cruise control info in a separate thread but that is the latest mod. The final word from Centramatic is that they cannot fit a balancer between the wheel and drum. Going to convert to disc brakes so I can use the centramatic balancers. Next upgrade is to add a tach to the dash.

Just sold my F350 and Gooseneck so I will look into adding an electric trailer brake kit to this truck and pick up a pintle type equipment trailer. I know that air is already there but an e-brake trailer will weigh less and is all I need (20K#). Thoughts?

Justin