What have you done to your 5 ton this week?

[kendelrio]

When I bought my 5 ton, I couldn't get the back sliding windows open for **anything**.

Started prying and thought "that's a good way to break glass", so what I did was remove the entire assembly, took the window frames apart (4 bolts, very easy), removed the glass and gaskets from the frame THEN started the prying etc.

Removing the glass allowed the frame to flex enough to break free. They had frozen in place due to not being used.

I cleaned the frames, sprayed a little silicon lube and worked them back and forth to ensure they're free and reassembled.

Cleaned the old sealant off of the frame and truck, applied a good flexible sealant and reinstalled.

Now they slide very easily open and closed!



**protip** You will need a friend to help remove the window frame as it is held in place with through nuts and bolts.

 

[Derrickl112]

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[Russ Knight]

Finally got around to adding trailer connections for the gooseneck hitch. 7 way rv, 7 way pole, and gladhands.

That's a bada$$ truck! What is it? And the trailer light sockets look great!

 

[Russ Knight]

Now, I haven't done this to my 5-ton, YET. These just arrived today. It took awhile to get the light brackets, but when work slows down I'll start mounting, painting, and running wires for the new turn signa; lights with markers, new Auxiliary Drive Lights, the new Ditch Lights, and my Infrared Lamp I mounted last year.

The Ditch Light brackets can use a blackout lamp buckets found on the M809 series and other trucks of the period. Some 28v aircraft taxi flood lights fit the buckets. The brackets mount at the bottom of the windshield hinge using 3 out of the four hinge bolts, and clear the windshield, allowing it to lay down without any inference, or hindrance.
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Some data plates for the switches...

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The Aux. Drive lights are the armored lamp types with HI-Low beams.

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The Warning signal lamp brackets found the M816 are what inspired my idea for the Aux. Drive light brackets.

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The aux. drive light brackets are sourced from some extra turn signal brackets I had laying around. This is the pic I sent to the Master Craftsman who built them for me. He is Adam. He does really good work. My request was that any bracket he builds need to look like a stock bracket, and he did not disappoint. US6X4 is the one ask for all the details. Thankx Adam, your work is Awesome!

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Where did you get the switches ?

 

[Russ Knight]

Brutacus, I'm glad you got your parts in good order and thank you for the kind words! That is quite the collection of lights I must say.

At a casual glance it's hard to know all that went in to making those light brackets and there were many steps involved. For the aux. driving light brackets the hoops had to be cut off and lengthened about 5/8" for a symmetrical clearance around the light. Then the center mount had to be laser cut and formed up and the ball mount was made from trimmed down black out light brackets. Everything but the hoop was then spot welded together like the originals:
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The ditch light brackets were the biggest challenge because I had to reproduce the ball mounts after the first two were used to make the driving light brackets. I actually had to design some tooling and get it machined up just to make these parts and they turned out perfect on the first try
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You have some serious skilz!

 

[Brutacus]

Where did you get the switches ?

2 of the switches I bought from SS members, the other two I found on ebay. The data plates for the switches were designed/commissioned by US6X4. I don't think he made those himself. I gave him the details of what I was looking for, and he didn't disappoint.

 

[Russ Knight]

I need one for my light bar, and another for my infrareds. Awesome stuff you got there!

 

[US6x4]

I need one for my light bar, and another for my infrareds. Awesome stuff you got there!

I design the data plates (size, shape, font, verbiage, etc.) and then I send the digital files to a data plate maker who produces them and ships them back. If you want to get some made send me a PM

 

[Micmada]

I use the acid you get from Lowes that polishes new floor tiles for home or garden. It is not by the cleaning supplies section but the tile section or floor resin section.

I don't understand how vinyl can rust, but the inside top of my cover has a lot of rust spots. Maybe left over minerals from hard water is what is rusting? Metallics in the paint? No clue. Has anyone found an effective way to remove the rust? Like CLR or something?
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[Micmada]

When I bought my 5 ton, I couldn't get the back sliding windows open for **anything**.

Started prying and thought "that's a good way to break glass", so what I did was remove the entire assembly, took the window frames apart (4 bolts, very easy), removed the glass and gaskets from the frame THEN started the prying etc.

Removing the glass allowed the frame to flex enough to break free. They had frozen in place due to not being used.

I cleaned the frames, sprayed a little silicon lube and worked them back and forth to ensure they're free and reassembled.

Cleaned the old sealant off of the frame and truck, applied a good flexible sealant and reinstalled.

Now they slide very easily open and closed!



**protip** You will need a friend to help remove the window frame as it is held in place with through nuts and bolts.

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On my to do list. Mine is so rusted and crumbling.

 

[Mullaney]

Stand Back everybody... This is a big project here!
Removed the old and added new mirrors.



Don't tell anybody, but I think that spot mirror needs to be replaced too. The ball in the socket is rusted up tight. It looks like the braces could be removed and passed through a blasting cabinet too - with a little paint added.

 

[CHIEFSONN]

Well this week l had some trouble with my forward running lights and the directional not working,but after a few hours going over the tm's and testing for power at the light switch and testing the directional lever for continuity for the 4 positions , burnt out lamps loose wires bad ground it turned out to be the flasher.
All of this was done in the rain the day before l had to get this beautifull truck and Son up north to pick up a m322 terex loadking trailer that I just won on Gov. Planat.
Up at five to give me planty of time to arrived on time . Signed it hooked her up
and headed for home with some heavy rain storms, good thing l just installed new wiper blades on the the day before.
So l decided while l was still hooked up to my trailer and still in nc it will be a good time to pick up a length of drainage pipe 12" x24'
The round trip was about 600 miles l had no problems with the truck and a great day spent with my Son.

 

[Bill Nutting]

In the last two weeks I switched out my drivers seat with an air ride seat, installed a 24 volt inverter so I will have 120 VAC while running down the road and repaired some minor stuff in preparation for the upcoming MVPA convoy.

 

[Jbulach]

I finally got my cheap, train horns mounted.
Couldn’t find a enough room under the hood to mount them without some real elaborate bracketry, until I realized just mount them to the hood.
Still need to paint the heads of the stainless bolts.
I tee’d into the existing horns, they all compliment each other nicely, and the new horns aren’t quite poop your pants loud with the shared air flow.

 

[swbradley1]

I tee’d into the existing horns, they all compliment each other nicely, and the new horns aren’t quite poop your pants loud with the shared air flow.

Need more air flow then. Ya want it "scare the skin off a dead raccoon" loud. Just in case.

 

[Goliath P. Jones]

I’ve been enjoying mine taking it to the local tractor show during the military appreciation weekend section of it. My son drove it in the parade portion of it, I met some great guys that are part of the local chapter of military vehicle collectors. Mainly they’re into the ww2 and Vietnam era vehicles, but they welcomed us with open arms and I joined their club. Lol, mine was the newest and largest vehicle in the group that day. Going to meet up with them again at the upcoming festival event during September the next town over. Have an event this weekend to participate it in for an honoring military heroes (active and retired military personnel) in a poker run. I’m just parking it at the end destination in a brewery parking lot with a few other military rigs for the viewing and reminiscing by the participants in the poker run. When I bought the rig I hadn’t realized how much I would be able to get it out there for others to see and enjoy, turns out there’s a lot of people that are local enthusiasts and enjoy seeing it out and about. Time to get serious about growing the collection.

 

[Mullaney]

I’ve been enjoying mine taking it to the local tractor show during the military appreciation weekend section of it. My son drove it in the parade portion of it, I met some great guys that are part of the local chapter of military vehicle collectors. Mainly they’re into the ww2 and Vietnam era vehicles, but they welcomed us with open arms and I joined their club. Lol, mine was the newest and largest vehicle in the group that day. Going to meet up with them again at the upcoming festival event during September the next town over. Have an event this weekend to participate it in for an honoring military heroes (active and retired military personnel) in a poker run. I’m just parking it at the end destination in a brewery parking lot with a few other military rigs for the viewing and reminiscing by the participants in the poker run. When I bought the rig I hadn’t realized how much I would be able to get it out there for others to see and enjoy, turns out there’s a lot of people that are local enthusiasts and enjoy seeing it out and about. Time to get serious about growing the collection.

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Well, by gosh and begorrah it seems that you have found something good to do with your truck! Happy to hear it! Glad to hear that your local MV Collectors Association welcomed you into the fold.

There was an event planned in Monroe NC that was cancelled last year. It is planned for November this year but it seems once again that our Idiots In Charge are pulling out all the stops for masks in all public buildings and I PERSONALLY expect to see another stupid shutdown. I had planned several small parades to attend and so far all of that seemed to have been cancelled too. DangItAll!!

 

[Goliath P. Jones]

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Well, by gosh and begorrah it seems that you have found something good to do with your truck! Happy to hear it! Glad to hear that your local MV Collectors Association welcomed you into the fold.

There was an event planned in Monroe NC that was cancelled last year. It is planned for November this year but it seems once again that our Idiots In Charge are pulling out all the stops for masks in all public buildings and I PERSONALLY expect to see another stupid shutdown. I had planned several small parades to attend and so far all of that seemed to have been cancelled too. DangItAll!!

Yeah our state dictator has decided to put out another mask mandate with no end date expected and has started mandating vaccinations for agencies and businesses but for some reason has given exemptions to the legislative and judicial branches, evidently it’s only safe for the lower people. Not sure how that works, but I guess it fits the saying that ours is not to question why, but to do and die.

 

[Russ Knight]

Sold mine. I'll miss her, she has been a good one.

 

[Mullaney]

Yeah our state dictator has decided to put out another mask mandate with no end date expected and has started mandating vaccinations for agencies and businesses but for some reason has given exemptions to the legislative and judicial branches, evidently it’s only safe for the lower people. Not sure how that works, but I guess it fits the saying that ours is not to question why, but to do and die.

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Yep. Getting tired of the crap for sure.

Talking to one of the lawyers that we print for in town, apparently they have a shutdown in place for the courthouse.
Several people claim to have the WooFlu and they are back to Zoom meetings for court again.