Thread: How Much Wood Could a Wood Truck Truck?

Lessee... carry the two... move the decimal... add the remainder....

Yep! I figure 2600 lbs on the back of the Yota yesterday. .58 cord of green Sugar Maple and some even heavier waterlogged White Birch as well. I knew it was a load when I had to start off in low range but as I wound my way through the corners she was rockin' and rollin' quite a bit. I knew I was on the high end of things this time.

I'm gonna have to figure out something for the brakes if I keep this up.






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Might buy some life insurance while you're getting brake parts.




Mr. HE

Was that a joke or a sarcastic reply? I've been building this truck with the expectation that it will carry a ton of wood at a time. Yesterday was a bit more than I expected but 2000# isn't a stretch. Toyota used the same brakes and axle parts on this truck as the single wheel 1 tons they built in the 80's. I built the spring pack so I've got a fair idea what it's capable of. And I was traveling on roads I knew fairly well rather than testing the rig in unknown places. The brakes comment is mainly because I don't like the amount of safety margin I'm working with. It's no worse than many of the older drum brake vehicles on the road and there's some argument that it's better even with the weight. But I'd still like more.

Looks like some unused space in the rear?

Looks like the truck handled the weight OK. Not squatting as bad as I'd expect.

As far as the brakes go........ I've seen some cars somewhere that use a 'chute to slow down??

Nice load. Still would have been better the bulk of it on a trailer.

An extra axle or 2 or 3 makes a heckuva diff on load moving capability.

Although I agree with you in principle those old toyotas are amazingly tough for a little truck. They were built back when toyota was pulling out the stops to try and garner more market share. Same with their little cars back then, 70s and 80s.

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this is how much wood my wood truck can truck when a wood truck trucks wood...

and yes I have learned to make sure chains to hold sides in get placed back together...it almost looks like the truck is getting ready to blow...

Just drive it slower.

It looks like the truck is on a 1/2 ton chassis being that it has 6 bolt wheels. If it was a 1 ton, that amount of wood would have been easy for it.

I've got a trailer but there's no way I could have gotten it in and out where this wood is.

I met a guy in MT that had a Yota used for scrap metal. Neat truck as he lengthened the frame and put a trailer axle right behind the drive axle. Even used a trailer brake controller for the extra axle. Not so good when you have to get out in the woods though.

I was in no hurry to get home but people here tend to get stupid around slow moving equipment. Its just good to have good brakes.

As to load capacity, it's not your judgement that counts if some trooper says c'mere.
He/she could easily check what the mfg posted as load capacity. (You use up part of that.) Then said trooper could say "come with me to the nearest scale." Like they do with the big-uns.
Re trailer: Toyota also rates combined gross weight. You might want to know what those limits are.
Some of those mountain grades in NH will put it to the test

Originally Posted by 1project2many

Its just good to have good brakes.

Deffinatly, Your Breaks can never be too good. the easiest way to up grade your breaks would be to instal some drilled and slotted rotors, along with a high performance pad on the front and go from there. The holes and slots help disapate the gasses, dust and moisture between the pads and rotores and the hi-pro pads offer greater friction and less breake fade with a longer lasting pad (I've had good reasults from EBC pads). Stainless steal braided lines are another way to improve breaking. You might not notice the difference with them alone, but the rubber hoses strech and swell when the breake is applied. Taking away from your caliper pressure.

Since all the weight will be in the back, that puts more stress on your rear breaks.(under normal surcumstances your front breaks do 75% of the work) I'm not a toy guy so I'm not sure what you have to work with back there, but I'm assuming that you have rear drums, in witch case the best solution would be to do a rear disk conversion (***not the most cost effective way***).

There are lots of ways to up grade breaks, some are better then others. Some arnt worth the money. You can do piston upgrades, larger calipers from a doner truck, break boosters and the list goes on.

Like I said I'm not to famillure with toyotas, so I'm not sure of all your options. Check out some Toyota offroad forums. I'm sure there will be tones of people with oversized tires that had to upgrade their brakes to get ther rigs to stop.

Personally I would start with rotors and pads, maybe some Stainless steal braided lines if your budget allows it. See where that gets you, and decide how much more stopping you need.

First off I would be less worried about your axles than I would your frame. Toy's have a weak frame and if you keep loading it that way soon it will bend usually right behind the cab. Second it sounds like your trying to use mighty mouse where hulk is needed. Toys are good for many things but carrying large loads is not one of them, they lack the power, frame, drive train, brakes, ect. It would be easier to just buy a different truck then to rebuild a toy to be a full-size truck.

As far as brakes go drum brakes are actually more efficient than disc brakes although they require more tinkering to keep them in proper working order and adjusted properly. Drum breaks use a compound leverage to stop the truck, not just the pressure on brake piston. Drum breaks also last about 3 times longer than the disc brakes will. The only problem with drum breaks is you have to keep them adjusted, and they are not as good at wet braking as slotted and drilled rotors are. Look underneath a semi, farm truck, ect all drum brakes and they work great.

Haul smaller loads and the truck will last very well, keep overworking it and soon the truck will be broke or worse. If you had to use low range to move then it was overloaded. As my old shop teacher said use the right tool for the right job. Nice truck just smaller loads.

If he can't get his trailer into where he gets his wood, it's offroad. If your offroad you want disks. Semi's rearly leave the highway. And I haven't seen To many farm trucks with properly working breaks. Not around here anyways.

Edit: I do agree about the truck being overloaded. But I'm not one to listen to someone telling me that all the work I've put into my truck has been for nothing, and I should sell it for a 1ton. So I wouldn't suggest it to anyone. I was just trying to help with the problem at hand. For now, He needs better breaks

Most medium duty trucks now come with disk brakes. One big problem with drums is brake fade. I didn't get it the first time I looked at the truck that it was a toy. Yeah, if your hauling wood like that, get a real truck.