• 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 have you done to your 5 ton this week?

Tallman

New member
2
0
0
Location
Boston, MA
So, I dipped my toe into the military vehicle collection with a M923A1. I picked it up in Sparta Wisconsin and drove it back to Halifax Massachusetts. 1600 miles later and my butt is still numb a week later. I made a stop in Oshkosh for a new headlight and the passenger window (glass broken). I still need to either pound out the passenger side front fender and the tailgate. I averaged 9-10 mpg at 60-65 mph on the way back. Long ride... but very fun! Memorial weekend was the perfect weekend to make the ride.
 

gottaluvit

Well-known member
So, I dipped my toe into the military vehicle collection with a M923A1. I picked it up in Sparta Wisconsin and drove it back to Halifax Massachusetts. 1600 miles later and my butt is still numb a week later. I made a stop in Oshkosh for a new headlight and the passenger window (glass broken). I still need to either pound out the passenger side front fender and the tailgate. I averaged 9-10 mpg at 60-65 mph on the way back. Long ride... but very fun! Memorial weekend was the perfect weekend to make the ride.
Welcome from Ohio. You got a great ride. Any pics?
 

General Hood

Member
712
2
18
Location
Fort Towson, OK
IMG_20160608_145014335.jpg
There could have been a lot worse places to break down, but after a short time and a few choice words in the 92 degree heat, she was back up and running again. A nice lady in the parking lot offered me a Blue Bell ice cream, making the drive home quite refreshing
 

Swamp Donkey

The Engineer
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,450
119
63
Location
Gray, GA
I picked up this box a while back from Tbar123. It's been sitting in the garage for a while taking up room and tripping me up. All the while though I had the same plan for it that I devised the first time I saw it. I just needed the time. Well...

This is an aluminum MRAP stowage box. The problem with these is the large holes in the back side. I didn't take pictures before I covered them but you can see what I mean in one of the pictures of the inside. I used some 16ga steel to cover them. I attached it with silicone to seal everything. When the box is mounted the plates are sandwiched between the box and headboard so nothing else was needed to hold them in place.

20160612_193049.jpg

20160612_193100.jpg

The panels I used to cover the holes. The small holes are the mounting holes. I removed all the carriage bolts from the headboard that would end up behind the box. This gave me a smooth surface to work. I then used some slightly longer stainless bolts to replace all of them. They all hold the box in place and will also serve another purpose mentioned below.

20160612_193450.jpg

You can see the large holes in the back here.

20160612_194220.jpg

This box is tall but not deep. This would leave a lot of wasted room since everything would sit in the bottom. So...half of it will be a hanging box with hooks for smaller chains, clevis and such. In the other half I'll install trays top to bottom. I used bolts 1/2" longer than necessary so they could be used as mounting studs. I'll spray the inside once I get some more bed liner.

20160612_201410.jpg

I'm really happy with how it turned out. The box is sealed with weatherstripping and has 2 rubber pinch drains on the bottom in case water does get in.

20160612_201443.jpg

20160612_201734.jpg
 

Swamp Donkey

The Engineer
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,450
119
63
Location
Gray, GA
I replaced the heater and fan box on the firewall with a new one. I picked this up from Agazza2 when he removed it from his truck to do the HEMTT cab conversion. It must've just been replaced just before it was auctioned because it looks like it just came out of the box.

So I know what you're thinking. Why is Swamp Donkey messing around with the heater in the dead of summer? Well, my old heater core had a seep from the seam where one of the tubes was joined to the core. That tube had gotten bent at some point and partially collapsed the joint. It went unnoticed for a while because there was never the first drip. Over the winter it saturated the floor mat and made a nasty mess.

I picked up a new floor mat from Fuzzytoaster that I plan to install this week. I don't intend to have the same thing happen again and it's no better time to fix the problem then when I don't need it.

A word of advise. If you ever have this box completely out, you'd do well to remove the side and pull the core out of the box. They use some light duty insulating strips to keep the core from moving in the box. Even on the new box, you can shake it and feel the core moving around. I took that foam junk out and replaced it with some dense automotive grade weather stipping to secure it better. Now it's nice and tight and there's no worry of rubbing a hole in the core due to vibration.

I'm on vacation this week, and since it seems nobody else is doing anything to their trucks, I'll bore you with the endless projects and parts swaps I'm catching up on. I got a whole garage full of parts to work with so you've been warned. :mrgreen:

20160614_014400.jpg

Here are a couple of comparison shots. I took some data tag shots for future reference. Note the volt and amp differences.

20160614_005309.jpg

20160614_005342.jpg

20160614_005352.jpg

I also popped in a new coolant filter and checked the coolant PH while I was in there.

More to come...
 

mdemars03

Member
254
0
16
Location
El Paso, Texas
I have some vacation come up in a couple weeks and hope to be able to catch up with some projects on my truck as well. Been slow doing anything between work and the 100 plus degree temperatures.
 

Swamp Donkey

The Engineer
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,450
119
63
Location
Gray, GA
I have some vacation come up in a couple weeks and hope to be able to catch up with some projects on my truck as well. Been slow doing anything between work and the 100 plus degree temperatures.
Yep, while I don't think we're at 100°, It feels like we're at 100% humidity. It'll sure take it out of you. Nights are cooler but then you gotta deal with the June bugs while using all the lights.
 

Jmag

New member
7
-1
0
Location
Ocean Pines, MD
I have had my heater core rebuilt, picked up and installed the drop sides, tailgate, bows and cover. Now I only need the super cord to hold the cover down tight. If anyone has it or knows where I can get it, it would be greatly appreciated.<br>
<img class="previewthumb" id="vbattach_628355" alt="" src="http://www.steelsoldiers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=628355&stc=1" attachmentid="628355"><img class="previewthumb" id="vbattach_628356" alt="" src="http://www.steelsoldiers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=628356&stc=1" attachmentid="628356">
 

simp5782

Feo, Fuerte y Formal
Supporting Vendor
12,118
9,351
113
Location
Mason, TN
Yep, while I don't think we're at 100°, It feels like we're at 100% humidity. It'll sure take it out of you. Nights are cooler but then you gotta deal with the June bugs while using all the lights.
And the skeeters that think OFF is a type of cocktail sauce!
 

Another Ahab

Well-known member
17,989
4,532
113
Location
Alexandria, VA
And the skeeters that think OFF is a type of cocktail sauce!
Adding insult to injury, over in the D.C. area now, we got the Asian Tiger mosquito that bites in the daytime. They showed up here a few years back.

We no longer have to wait until sunset for that special joy of mosquitoes.


mosquito.jpg
 
Last edited:

Amer-team

Well-known member
1,707
32
48
Location
Centralia/WA
You guys are lucky, I never knew there was a time when mosquitoes didn't bite. But it is more irritating when having them buzz your ears at night. Ordered Wheel O-rings so maybe we can slow the air loss down on the tires. 4 of the 6 are leaking off.
 
Top