Super truck build.

[STLfirewood]

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.

Your right on the 8ft bed. I have seen 8ft and 9ft flatbeds on single wheel trucks. I wouldn;t want to stack these full on a daily basis with a single wheel truck. They would do it sometimes but everyday is asking a lot. I do think it's different needs. I need to haul a lot more home to make money then a single wheel truck does. You might not need to haul as much home at a time. So that's different needs.

Scott

 

[chopperfreak2k1]

Your right on the 8ft bed. I have seen 8ft and 9ft flatbeds on single wheel trucks. I wouldn;t want to stack these full on a daily basis with a single wheel truck. They would do it sometimes but everyday is asking a lot. I do think it's different needs. I need to haul a lot more home to make money then a single wheel truck does. You might not need to haul as much home at a time. So that's different needs.

Scott

just put 10 or 12 ply tires on the single wheel and it will haul what a dually will haul. might have a bit of sway but this can be countered with 50 or 60 pounds of air in each tire.

 

[STLfirewood]

I'm sure your needs are different than mine. You keep changing the point. My point is simply that a damn dually with a 8 foot bed wont haul more than a SRW with an 8 foot bed! thats all I'm saying!

Wasn't changing my point. If you read what I posted it said YOUR RIGHT on a 8ft bed. I'm not arguing that.

Scott

 

[AIM]

Duallies are great, and if this truck was for my job I'd go that route. My son in law has one and he just has one hell of a time getting around the woods we cut in. The lanes are twisty and tight.

 

[WetBehindtheEar]

I'm confused...

You said that Duallies are great and that you would go that route -

But then you said your son-in-law has a really hard time getting around the trails...

So it's hard to use in tight spots (like the OP said he had)... but that's an ok thing?:monkey:

just askin'

 

[STLfirewood]

I don't know your skills on building this truck but here is a suggestion. Put a self loader on it like an over sized log lift. That would be really cool. I don't have the skills to do something like this but you might.

Scott

 

[AIM]

You said that Duallies are great and that you would go that route -

But then you said your son-in-law has a really hard time getting around the trails...

So it's hard to use in tight spots (like the OP said he had)... but that's an ok thing?:monkey:

just askin'

Sorry. I didn't mean to confuse you... What I meant was that duallies are great for hauling heavy loads, pulling heavy trailers etc. If this truck was strictly for my construction business I would go that route. Although I would just go buy one and not mess with the rebuild.

This truck on the other hand is mainly for cutting wood and for other fun stuff like that. Duallies suck in the woods. The extra width can be a terrible pain in the rear for getting around without smashing fenders etc.

 

[Steve NW WI]

Late 70's - early 80's GM will fit the bill. If I remember right, a big block is a direct bolt up to the diesel trans.

The other option that appeals to me would be a first generation 90-93 Dodge/Cummins.

I don't know about PTO availability on an auto trans, but it can definitely be done with a granny low 4 speed. If ya go auto, a MileMarker hydraulic winch might be a better option.

Ford did have a "swiss cheese" lightened frame for a few years, had an '80 F250 like that.

On the military trucks, rust should be minimal, but if you're gonna paint it, it's gonna need a TON of prep work. That military paint is thick with one coat, and there may be lots of layers on there. Dodge M880 I think had 360 gas, and the Chev CUCV was a pretty anemic 6.2, but we ran em alongside our M915 semi trucks, and they'd go down the freeway at 70+, just took a long ways to get up to speed.

One other thing to note in the srw vs drw debate is that duallys really suck in mud and deep snow, the space between the wheels fills up and you've got a huge slick back there. I'd go SRW myself if only for that reason. Duallies are highway trucks, period.

 

[chopperfreak2k1]

Late 70's - early 80's GM will fit the bill.
I don't know about PTO availability on an auto trans, but it can definitely be done with a granny low 4 speed.

yup, thats the sm 465 4 speed (thats what i run) and it has 2 pto's

 

[4seasons]

Both the np 205 and 203 transfer case have pto ports and were both put behind t350 autos in chevy trucks in the 70's. Most of the autos that I have seen had np203 which is a chain drive full time transfer case. They are heavier and not as strong as the np205 but plenty strong enough for most applications if properly maintained. The biggest drawback of the np203 is the full time 4wd that acts as an open differential between the front and rear. In other words they cant be put in 2wd to save wear and fuel and unless in 4 Lock they send power to the wheel with the least traction. For the best strength the NP205 came behind the SM465 4 speed and would bolt up behind a 454 and hold up to all but the most extremely built gas engine. A SM465 also has a pto ports on both sides. To my knowledge there is no automatic with a pto port but I despise autos and don't know what autos came in Fords and Dodges, I've only messed with Chevy autos. Advance Adapters sells kits to put lots of engines and transmissions together and some transmissions to transfer case adapters as well as an Atlas transfer case line that can be used behind most 4wd transmissions out there. But if it wasn't a factory option it can get costly to mate up some oddball stuff.

As far as single wheels with the right wheel/tire/axle combo you can make a single tire haul more than factory dual wheel set up. There are places that sell wheels that will bolt up to a standard 1 ton axle that will let you mount up the same 22 and 24 inch tires that tractor trailers run. If it just the width that has you worried you could have a rear end narrowed and tuck you tires up under instead of hanging outside the bed like normal. Your going to be building a custom bed anyway, could go a step farther and narrow the frame and move springs in to tuck everything in tighter. Yes you will lose some stability doing this but it seamed like every dually in Hawaii was set up this way when I was there about 12 years ago.

 

[AIM]

For the pto winch I was planning on using the power steering pump for a hyd unit. For the bed I was thinking about a electric over hydraulic unit.
Maybe using a pump mounted to the transfer case would be a better idea to drive both??? Hmmmm???

 

[Beefie]

I found some pics that might help you decide on bed design.

This is what I whould like to get or build. I like the sides just wish the front box went all the way down to the cab corner with some shelves built in.Chainsaws in back compartments. Gas, Bar oil chaps and other stuff in front compartments. I would also like to see a small compartment behind the rear wheel for extra storage.

Now put this on a one ton srw with some 33" or 35" tires, that whould be cool.

Beefie

P.S. Install a small crane on one side or the other for lifting those big round sin to the bed.

Just my 2 cents worth take it for what you will.

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

Here's a pic of my wood hauler. 85 Dodge 1 ton 360 4 speed

Does anyone know if the trannie has PTO capability?

Here's a truck that might work for you:

A little more about it's abilities...

 

[Beefie]

What tranny do you have in the old Dodge?

Beefie

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

What tranny do you have in the old Dodge?

Beefie

Are you asking the brand or if it's a 4 speed? I don't know the brand.

 

[m37]

I would love to have a unimog but till then I like My M37.
http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=151733&stc=1&d=1285127890

 

[Steve NW WI]

For the pto winch I was planning on using the power steering pump for a hyd unit. For the bed I was thinking about a electric over hydraulic unit.
Maybe using a pump mounted to the transfer case would be a better idea to drive both??? Hmmmm???

I think an auxilary hyd pump is the best option, not the cheapest, but the best. You could even plumb in a line for a log lift or crane on the back if ya wanted. PS pumps do not have a very big reservoir, and if you were winching heavily, I'd worry about overheating the pump and driving home on ArmStrong steering.

Here's a pic of my wood hauler. 85 Dodge 1 ton 360 4 speed

Does anyone know if the trannie has PTO capability?

I'd about bet on it. Look for a cover plate on the back side of the trans about big enough to bolt a log splitter sized pump to. I don't have a tranny around here to get a pic of, but it should be easy to spot.

 

[AIM]

Beefie. Those pics of the truck with the dump bed are essentially what I wanna build. The only difference will be steel versus alum. (although aluminum would be cool) And I want to give it a slimmer style. By slimmer I mean a little more tucked in behind the cab. Storage wise I was planning on individual boxes mounted to the skeleton frame. Either build the boxes myself or buy the aluminum treadplate boxes that are sold everywhere.

A big concern that I have though is that my bed will weigh a ton. I'd hate to get it built just to find out that I've maxed out the truck. That is where aluminum would be great, but COST and lack of tools to fabricate with aluminum are a hinderance.

 

[needwood]

Thanks for starting this thread

I have been thinking about doing the same thing. The truck doesn't have to look like much to me but it haves to be a hause""" Im thinking about a 70-74 Ford 3/4 ton. I know others will chime in and send us in the write direction"

 

[4seasons]

Here's a pic of my wood hauler. 85 Dodge 1 ton 360 4 speed

Does anyone know if the trannie has PTO capability?

Here's a truck that might work for you:

A little more about it's abilities...

That truck should have a NP435 4spd with a unsynchronized granny gear 1st with a passenger side PTO port. 85 was the year that Dodge introduced the "Ram Trac" Transfer case with a synchronized high range chain drive np208 transfer case. I'm not sure if they used the 208 in 1 tons though, you may have a NP205 which is the strongest transfer case ever used in a light duty truck and also has a pto port. It should be easy to tell which you have, if you can shift to 4wd on the fly it is the 208. Or you can look under the truck, the 205 is a cast iron unit, the 208 is aluminum.