Super truck build.

[AIM]

I've been dreaming for a while now about a project that I'm gonna get started on. The ultimate bad ass wood cutting work truck...
I want to take an older truck and restore it from top to bottom and customize it to my taste. By older I mean anything from about 1975 to 1995. Here is what I am thinking. Please chime in with any input you may have.

Ford, Chevy, Dodge.. They all made good and bad trucks so I don't care.
1 ton
single axle, duallies are a pain where I cut wood.
big block gas motor beefed up. I don't like diesels.
Automatic trans with gear drive transfer
single cab
pto winch
locking rear ends
custom utility bed that dumps.
(I wanna build my own utility bed that is designed for just saws and cutting gear. The bed itself will dump while the side boxes stay down on a skeleton type frame.)

As for the ford chevy dodge thing. I know some years they all made good trucks and other years they made some junk. I just want to get one that the frames were heavy, the axles were tough etc. A friend of mine told me for example that ford lightened up the frames from 198? to 198?. This will be a truck to avoid.
I also know that it's hard to find an older dodge that doesn't have a rotted out frame.
I know a lot of you guys have had a bunch of experience with these trucks so feel free to pass out some knowledge or opinions.

 

[woodman6666]

One thing that quickly came to mind maybe put your tool box stuff etc in front of the dump bed in stead of on the sides that way it can stay near the cab when the dump goes up as for hoist find a 2 stage cylinder off an old 2ton truck should be almost free at a salvage yard

 

[amateur cutter]

You may want to look into an old military truck, many were 1 ton single wheel 4 X 4's with NP 203 gear drive t-cases that already had the PTO built in. They tend to be pretty low miles, low geared. 4.55 usually, & have front & rear lockers. The drawback to your app. is that most were/are 6.2L diesel engines, & 24volt electronics. The 24 volt is any conv. to 12v the 6.2 is a direct swap/fit to a non injected small or big block chevy engine. Just a few thoughts. A C

 

[wvlogger]

Find a old chevy k30 like a 82 to 87 or a f350 or a f250hd from 84 to 91

 

[wvlogger]

You may want to look into an old military truck, many were 1 ton single wheel 4 X 4's with NP 203 gear drive t-cases that already had the PTO built in. They tend to be pretty low miles, low geared. 4.55 usually, & have front & rear lockers. The drawback to your app. is that most were/are 6.2L diesel engines, & 24volt electronics. The 24 volt is any conv. to 12v the 6.2 is a direct swap/fit to a non injected small or big block chevy engine. Just a few thoughts. A C

there you go a cuccv damn tough trucks

 

[STLfirewood]

Your going to really limit your hauling amount staying single wheel. Heavy bed,dump,and tool boxes really take away your carring capacity. Just a thought. I know a dually can be a pain but it can haul a lot more.

Scott

 

[sunfish]

Personally, I'd really like to have an F250 4x4 from the mid to late 70s'

My current firewood truck is a 94 Toyota 4x4, 4 cyl, and I love it :biggrinbounce2:

 

[AIM]

Your going to really limit your hauling amount staying single wheel. Heavy bed,dump,and tool boxes really take away your carring capacity. Just a thought. I know a dually can be a pain but it can haul a lot more.

Scott

All my cutting is within 3 miles of my house. Smaller loads are fine with me.
Gives me more opportunities to grab a beer that way.

 

[Valkyrie Rider]

You may want to look into an old military truck, many were 1 ton single wheel 4 X 4's with NP 203 gear drive t-cases that already had the PTO built in. They tend to be pretty low miles, low geared. 4.55 usually, & have front & rear lockers. The drawback to your app. is that most were/are 6.2L diesel engines, & 24volt electronics. The 24 volt is any conv. to 12v the 6.2 is a direct swap/fit to a non injected small or big block chevy engine. Just a few thoughts. A C

Dodge M880 was about the last of the gas powered military pickups. Should make a decent hauler.

 

[Beefie]

There use to be a sponser here that made a utility bed/dump. I think it was called Truck craft?. The product was a T-200. Way over priced for what you got but the idea was good. Large compartment on each side for putting your gear away. Dump in the center reated at 7,000lb lift all aluminum construction to keep weight down. I liked the idea but thought there box's could have been bigger, and for 11K I wasn't getting one.

I would look at Dodge trucks 85 thru 93 models . Solid front axles and good pulling motors.

Beefie

 

[olyman]

A friend of mine told me for example that ford lightened up the frames from 198? to 198?. This will be a truck to avoid.
.[/QUOTE]

no,chevy did--and, if a farmer around here,put a spring loaded bumper hitch on--the warranty on it was void. farmer had owned a 85 ford diesel--went and bought a chevy gas??? {why} and when he went to put the hitch on--eichmeier told him no,and showed him the literature on it. he was sooo mad--he came down and traded for another ford diesel. and i seen more than one of them bend upwards behind the cab---not cool----

 

[Suz]

You may want to look into an old military truck, many were 1 ton single wheel 4 X 4's with NP 203 gear drive t-cases that already had the PTO built in. They tend to be pretty low miles, low geared. 4.55 usually, & have front & rear lockers. The drawback to your app. is that most were/are 6.2L diesel engines, & 24volt electronics. The 24 volt is any conv. to 12v the 6.2 is a direct swap/fit to a non injected small or big block chevy engine. Just a few thoughts. A C

This is what my son has. Only it is a 1.25 ton and you can haul quite a load of wood but you are not going to get there very fast!

However, it is a diesel. But, what is wrong with that? This truck sat for about 5 years before he got it. We put two batteries in it and after turning it over for about 30 seconds the engine came to life once again.
You can stack about 1 1/3 full cord of wood on it and not even make it squat. What was really nice is that he got it for FREE!!!!

His is the camo one!! Mine is the shiny one.

 

[sunfish]

A friend of mine told me for example that ford lightened up the frames from 198? to 198?. This will be a truck to avoid.


no,chevy did--and, if a farmer around here,put a spring loaded bumper hitch on--the warranty on it was void. farmer had owned a 85 ford diesel--went and bought a chevy gas??? {why} and when he went to put the hitch on--eichmeier told him no,and showed him the literature on it. he was sooo mad--he came down and traded for another ford diesel. and i seen more than one of them bend upwards behind the cab---not cool----

Yeah, I always though the Ford 1980-85 were real light, but hauled a bunch of firewood in a 1980 and 81 F150 without any problems. Have seen a few Chevys bent behind the cab, early 80s' I believe.

 

[AIM]

Yes those military trucks were pretty tough trucks. That is basically what I wanna build/customize.
Finding my BASE truck is gonna be the challenge. Old enough to be cheap, and new enough to have a pretty rust free frame.

 

[AIM]

Another reason I wanna do this is just BECAUSE. I've never had a desire to fix up a hotrod car or anything like that, but I've always wanted to build a truck. Not a shiny paint and chrome truck, but a mean ass mud slingin bulldozer of a beast.

 

[HD-tech-NH]

Your going to really limit your hauling amount staying single wheel. Heavy bed,dump,and tool boxes really take away your carring capacity. Just a thought. I know a dually can be a pain but it can haul a lot more.

Scott

my single wheel one ton will haul just as much as a dually, whatever you can fit in the bed.

 

[wvlogger]

Another reason I wanna do this is just BECAUSE. I've never had a desire to fix up a hotrod car or anything like that, but I've always wanted to build a truck. Not a shiny paint and chrome truck, but a mean ass mud slingin bulldozer of a beast.

you know i am the same way a car is good for show. why do you want or need something that all you can do is look at. if you have a truck you can do countless jobs lets see someone haul wood with a 69 chevelle

 

[STLfirewood]

my single wheel one ton will haul just as much as a dually, whatever you can fit in the bed.

Put a real bed(flatbed 12ft) and see what it can safely do. The biggest problem with a truck is carrying capacity. No reason to carry a ton of tools and fuel if you can fill the truck up with one tank of saw gas. I see a lot of guys carry a full cord with a single wheel. I like to carry over a cord on the truck and 2 cord on the trailer. That is a lot of weight for single. But every ones needs are different. Mine might not be yours.

Scott

 

[HD-tech-NH]

Put a real bed(flatbed 12ft) and see what it can safely do. The biggest problem with a truck is carrying capacity. No reason to carry a ton of tools and fuel if you can fill the truck up with one tank of saw gas. I see a lot of guys carry a full cord with a single wheel. I like to carry over a cord on the truck and 2 cord on the trailer. That is a lot of weight for single. But every ones needs are different. Mine might not be yours.

Scott

Not different needs just different opinions. I've never seen a single wheel truck with a 12 foot bed. My single wheel 8 foot bed will haul just as much a a dually with a 8 foot bed.

 

[chopperfreak2k1]

a couple things-

an NP 203 transfer case is NOT gear drive, only the gear reduction box is gear drive, the splitter end of it is chain drive. ALL 203's are this way. the NP 205 is a true all gear drive t-case and was used by chevy, ford and dodge.

the ex-military trucks, at least the chevy's, are called 1 1/4 ton but are still only one tons. they have dana 60's in the front and corporate 14 bolts in the rear.

the ex-military trucks, at least the chevy's, do NOT have lockers front and rear. they only have what is called a gov-lock in the rear and it is not a desireable piece to have. they are not very strong and are commonly called gov-bombs.

the difference between a single rear wheel (srw) and a dual rear wheel (drw) is not how much weight the rear end can pull, they are the same 14 bolt rear end with different distance wheel mounting sufaces. the difference is only that four tires can safely carry more weight than two, and they will also handle better on the road.

the reason the cucv truck doesn't squat much is because of the number of leaf springs in the rear, nothing else.

hope this helps the OP make his decisions.