• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

What did you do to your deuce this week?

Dipstick

Well-known member
1,101
1,267
113
Location
Effort PA
@Dipstick , even with the FDC bypassed, the engine will happily burn the full variety of fuels (but without the FDC it will not try to compensate for varying energy density; the truck will feel fine with Diesel and feel like having more or less power with other fuels, depending on the fuel used). Bypassing the FDC is cheap insurance against oil dilution.

I am driving a "pretend bobber" right now (interaxle driveshaft between the rears removed) and while I do not notice a power increase, I do feel that it turns tighter than before.
Thanks for the info cattlerepairman! I think I may just leave the FDC alone. Brutus' engine seems to run well enough. I just have to find some flatter roads to drive on. It's really nice to have the maneuverability of a bobber, but I don't have close to your payload capacity. I think the rear axle is way under rated. It doesn't have kingpins. I think it should be rated at 15,000 lbs. not 11,000 like the front axle which is has kingpins.
 

BHaas35

Member
20
45
13
Location
Weatherford TX
I really like your hitch! I've drilled a few holes in my frame. I had no problems. The keys are low rpm about 350-400 rpm. Consistent even pressure and not too much of it. If the drill bogs down, you're pushing too hard. Let the drill bit cool off every minute or so. Put some tap magic or heavy oil on the bit. I've found that DeWalt Black Oxide bits are best for steel. Drilling in an upward direction is never easy or fun. These tidbits of knowledge were gained from my recent battery support fab. I hope you don't mind the above, but I give this kind of stuff a lot of thought and I only mean to be helpful.
Don’t mind this assistance at all! Wish I knew it prior to starting. Holes were to be 25/32 but had nothing in the local hardware stores larger than 3/4 so I got a Milwaukee hard metal step bit. Worked great on 3 holes then was more dull than a polished rock. Went and purchased another for the other three holes. $99 a pop. Prior to using the step bit I used a 1/4 and 15/32 to drill a pilot hole. Each hole took about 2-3 hours…not joking. The alien metal technology they used for this frame is definitely impressive. I will definitely use your method when my hands recover and feel like putting a tool bench in the back of the bed.
 

Dipstick

Well-known member
1,101
1,267
113
Location
Effort PA
Don’t mind this assistance at all! Wish I knew it prior to starting. Holes were to be 25/32 but had nothing in the local hardware stores larger than 3/4 so I got a Milwaukee hard metal step bit. Worked great on 3 holes then was more dull than a polished rock. Went and purchased another for the other three holes. $99 a pop. Prior to using the step bit I used a 1/4 and 15/32 to drill a pilot hole. Each hole took about 2-3 hours…not joking. The alien metal technology they used for this frame is definitely impressive. I will definitely use your method when my hands recover and feel like putting a tool bench in the back of the bed.
Oh boy. Step drills are no good for anything more than a thin residential electrical panel. Using them on a truck frame is like trying to saw through angle iron with a toothbrush. Were the holes in the mount really that big? If so, that's way design overkill. Nothing bigger than a 1/2" grade 8 bolt (9/16 clearance hole) would ever be needed. The tensile strength of one 1/2" grade 8 bolt is 150,000 psi. The breaking load is 21, 285 lbs. In other words, one 1/2" grade 8 bolt could easily support more than the entire weight of a Deuce without breaking. There is shear strength to factor in, but I'm sure that is also very high. I remember most of this stuff from Navy Engineman school and from hanging out with my ships MRs (machinists). The web is an invaluable source of information on this stuff. That's where I found out all of the information on drill bits and drilling steel. All very scientific. I will try to post the web sites I used if I can figure out how to do it. By the way, I've found that 1/2" drill bits are about the biggest you can find in most places with an occasional 9/16" bit around. Tractor Supply is the best place to find and purchase grade 8 nuts and bolts from my experience. Glad you weren't offended by my post.
 

BHaas35

Member
20
45
13
Location
Weatherford TX
This is good to know! Would have saved me a day for a 1/2” and save me a couple hundred $$. The bolts that came with the hitch are 10.9 25/32 and about 2” in length. Just did a bit of reading and see that 10.9 are grade 8 but metric? Bolts look a bit over kill but heavy duty for sure. I’ll be using 1/2” from here on out. Thanks!!
 

Dipstick

Well-known member
1,101
1,267
113
Location
Effort PA
This is good to know! Would have saved me a day for a 1/2” and save me a couple hundred $$. The bolts that came with the hitch are 10.9 25/32 and about 2” in length. Just did a bit of reading and see that 10.9 are grade 8 but metric? Bolts look a bit over kill but heavy duty for sure. I’ll be using 1/2” from here on out. Thanks!!
Yup, 10.9 mm is metric. The usual rule of thumb is to have three or four threads protruding past the nut when all snugged up. Anything more and you just have to fight the nuts off after years of use and rust. The proper torque for a 1/2" bolt is 71 to 75 foot pounds according to the SAE (Society of American Engineers). Not very much really with a 1/2" torque wrench. But for your application just get em' tight and use thick flat washers on both sides. Glad to be of help.
 

Wolfgang the Gray

Active member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
323
69
28
Location
New River, AZ
Took my Deuce to the Phoenix Memorial Day event at the Greenwood Cemetary. 19 vehicles attended from our club (AMVCC). Missing Man flyover, as well as a model airplane club with their scale warbirds from a Curtis Jenny to F-16 turbine.
 

Attachments

92ramaro

Well-known member
101
263
63
Location
Riley, MI
Two straight days of drilling into this kryptonite. And hundreds of dollars of drill bits later. Got the hitch mounted. Probably the most frustrating job I have done yet. Never swore so much in my life…
We cheated for Daisy's hitch install.
Idk if you can find a place local to you that will rent/loan out a mag-drill, but having access to one via work was definitely a life saver for us if anyone is considering their own hitch install in the future.20191012_115709.jpg
 

frank8003

In Memorial
In Memorial
6,426
4,985
113
Location
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Don’t mind this assistance at all! Wish I knew it prior to starting. Holes were to be 25/32 but had nothing in the local hardware stores larger than 3/4 so I got a Milwaukee hard metal step bit. Worked great on 3 holes then was more dull than a polished rock. Went and purchased another for the other three holes. $99 a pop. Prior to using the step bit I used a 1/4 and 15/32 to drill a pilot hole. Each hole took about 2-3 hours…not joking. The alien metal technology they used for this frame is definitely impressive. I will definitely use your method when my hands recover and feel like putting a tool bench in the back of the bed.
Look at how That step tool is ground when new. make a grinder to suit.
It is worth the wheel for the grinder to re-sharpen them.
Me Thinks If I was not so freakin old I would have another new business..............
 

frank8003

In Memorial
In Memorial
6,426
4,985
113
Location
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Oh boy. Step drills are no good for anything more than a thin residential electrical panel. Using them on a truck frame is like trying to saw through angle iron with a toothbrush. Were the holes in the mount really that big? If so, that's way design overkill. Nothing bigger than a 1/2" grade 8 bolt (9/16 clearance hole) would ever be needed. The tensile strength of one 1/2" grade 8 bolt is 150,000 psi. The breaking load is 21, 285 lbs. In other words, one 1/2" grade 8 bolt could easily support more than the entire weight of a Deuce without breaking. There is shear strength to factor in, but I'm sure that is also very high. I remember most of this stuff from Navy Engineman school and from hanging out with my ships MRs (machinists). The web is an invaluable source of information on this stuff. That's where I found out all of the information on drill bits and drilling steel. All very scientific. I will try to post the web sites I used if I can figure out how to do it. By the way, I've found that 1/2" drill bits are about the biggest you can find in most places with an occasional 9/16" bit around. Tractor Supply is the best place to find and purchase grade 8 nuts and bolts from my experience. Glad you weren't offended by my post.
One should always use fasteners as originally installed when the whatever was built the first time. It is important.
 

cattlerepairman

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
3,256
3,354
113
Location
NORTH (Canada)
Noticed slop and a "clunk" in the rear drivetrain when swapping tires. Sure enough, a U-joint in the inter axle driveshaft had decided to call it quits.

2 new Spicer 1410 from the local Traction store, a bit of pressing and very little swearing...done.

Replaced a pinion seal on the middle axle while I had the shaft off.


Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk
 

Merc1973

Active member
308
38
28
Location
Sykesville, MD
Swapped out the ancient spare tire for a fresher one that matches the driver's side with new inner tube and flap. The old spare was terrible and out of round but it worked. The shock was toast on that side anyways, so I installed a Monroe for $30. I took a picture of the driver's shock part number for reference if the Monroe craps the bed. I keep eyballing some larger tires like some 11.00x20 NTD or some Goodyear G177 radial or larger, but after wrestling with one wheel by myself.... Heck no!!! I installed a slobber tube since mine was non-existant. I also greased all zerk fittings. I never know huch many pumps to fiill the king pins and trunion bearings? I did 20 pumps for each king pin zerk and 30 pumps for each trunion. 2 u-joint zerks were being fussy, not sure if they were accepting grease, I may just replace them. I love the overkill of zerks, 5 just for the pintle hitch.
 

Attachments

Last edited:

Dipstick

Well-known member
1,101
1,267
113
Location
Effort PA
Fast forward to 48:38. You need a Mag drill like Andrew camarata

Great video! I'm jealous of your dump trucks. I've always had a thing for dump trucks since I was a little kid. Always wanted an Autocar or a Mack DM myself. I learned a lot from your video as far as your use of the mag drill and the design of your equipment plate. First class job of fabrication.
 

Dipstick

Well-known member
1,101
1,267
113
Location
Effort PA
Merc, I watched your International 10 wheeler video. By now I'm sure you're shifting it like a pro. You've probably figured out double clutching by now and shifting without the clutch too. Responding to your post on greasing 20 to 30 pumps of the grease gun, that's a a hell of a lot of grease. As long as the truck has been regularly greased, 5 to 10 pumps is usually all you'll need. The king pin tolerances are very small and as the excess grease oozes out your just filling the area behind the Deuce's axle boots with globs of grease. I usually pump until I see some fresh grease pushing the old grease and some dirt out. Then I give it another shot or two. This would apply to trunnions, ball joints, and universal joints too. The biggest problem I've had with my two old trucks is that nobody ever greased them, so over time what little grease was there was like dried dirt. I had to buy a grease joint rejuvenator tool to free them up. Otherwise, I never would have gotten any fresh grease to go in. Great little tool the rejuvenator.
 

cattlerepairman

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
3,256
3,354
113
Location
NORTH (Canada)
@Merc1973 I switched to the taller tires and I would not go back. The key are the rims, IMHO. If you can snag a set of two-piece rims, it makes mounting/unmounting of the tires so much easier than with the stock split ring rims. In a pinch, you can even swap a tire on the truck, without removing the rim from the truck.
As for the tire weight, I lay them down only when I have to. For mounting/removing the wheel, a shovel under the tire works well to slide it in and out, or I just lean the wheel against me a bit and "walk" the wheel out, moving it back and forth. The 11.00R20 I can lift from the ground and stand up. Bigger than that, no thank you.
 

Merc1973

Active member
308
38
28
Location
Sykesville, MD
Great video! I'm jealous of your dump trucks. I've always had a thing for dump trucks since I was a little kid. Always wanted an Autocar or a Mack DM myself. I learned a lot from your video as far as your use of the mag drill and the design of your equipment plate. First class job of fabrication.
@Dipstick

I am not the creator of those videos, i just linked a relevant video. Andrew Camarata is. I wish i had is skill, available to heavy equipment and live in a castle made of shipping containers like he does.

Thanks for grease tips. I have seena video on the rejuvenator, thanks for the reminder! I do pump until I see grease on all other fittings, nothing came out of trunion.
 
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks