Beater's Third Life

[RobertC]

Resurrected for trailer pulling duty to get to the IH Sierra Fall Rallye

 

[Michael Mayben]

lookin good there michael! Any updates?

The 'rango took a dump on the way down to the rallye, we had to git a tow home for both the pos and the trailer and then put the beater back together so we could use it to head down the next day.

The head gaskets on the pos 4.7l dog motor are history (common issue at 95k). So my focus now is to handle that little job (I hate modern throwaway vehicles!!!). So the beater is currently our only dd. Once that is done and momma gits her ride back, then I can move forward on the beater.

The donor axle is in the jig now, I have all the mounting hardware needed from ihon to make the setup. Just a matter of time to get the powerlok built/installed and the rebuilt dually axle ready to set in place for setting up the spring perches and fabbed shock mounts.

Once the rear spring hangers are flipped and the dually axle is dummied in place, then I can set the ride height and do the frame mods for the staggered rear shocks.

Then it will be mobile again and Todd and I can proceed with the actual fab of the exhaust system since position of components is now gonna be dictated by the re-worked suspension/axle.

I'm hounding the recycled metal yards for aluminum materials for fabbing the bed frame, the big one locally has ceased selling scrap materials to the public. I've gotta finish the frame/axle/suspension work before starting on the bed frame...I need the tire position set so I can decide whether to do a drop bed rv/tow-style) or a true flat...flatbed.

And during all this fab work (except when the axle is ready to actually hang), the rig needs to remain mobile for parts chasing and dd duty.

 

[Michael Mayben]

The beater has been in stand-by since returning from the rallye.

But I'm now ready to start the preliminary d70 dually axle re-config.

Here's an assortment of ihon-sourced CPT axle/suspension components I brought home to chose from. The final configuration of the actual shock mounts won't be settled on until the axle spring perches are welded on.

All this stuff is superduty design including the 5/8" u-bolts made for a nominal 4" d70 axle tube set.

The spring perches are stamped for the 3" axle tube diameter found on the d60...so these will have to be modded a bit to match the radius of the 4" d70 tube.

In addition to the oem axle riser blocks used on an 1110, I now have two other sets...one about 2" thinner (with a six degree taper) and one set of new trailmaster (leftover from the real old days no doubt!) 4" blocks, also with a six degree taper. Actual selection of which of the three sets of blocks I'll use (if any) is dependent upon how the overall ride height turns out after the rear spring hanger/shackle flip is performed.

The long, black shock mounts are the Ford-type mounts that ihon keeps on the shelf for use in custom suspension fab work, those are easily cut-to-fit for many uses, both front and rear.

Right now, after discussing the rig with Darren and Jeff, we've settled on a "staggered" rear shock setup with one shock angled forward and the other angled to the rear. That aids in controlling axle wrap, though it's possible that an anti-sway bar set up May be used in the end.

Once the axle is hung and the air bags are installed, we'll determine what length Bilstein shocks will be needed.

The axle is now up on the worktable and grinding of the oem spring perches has commenced.

 

[Michael Mayben]

Since I have no project plan for this deal, I just do whatever comes along that fits in with all the other stuff I got goin' on.

Since bill and sonja delivered the f350 flatbed rig up here yesterday, I though I'd take advantage of a break in the weather and strip the bed off and let it live in the shop for a few months if needed.

This is a shot of the Ford backed into the shop in preparation for removing the bed. I figgrd it weighs about 900lbs. So I decided to see if removal could be done using the engine hoist.

The gas axe made quick work of the holdowns since those won't be reused.

Then a chain and ratchet straps were rigged in prep for the lift.

 

[Michael Mayben]

After playing with chain and strap position I decided to give it a try.

There are angle iron "locaters" on each corner of the main bed rails which center the bed between the vehicle frame rails. These appeared to have been welded to the bed after it was set in position and aligned. So they are a very tight fit.

In order to get the bed to break loose, I had to rig a floor jack under the drop hitch and use the portapower to break loose a front corner. Once that was done, the bed came right up and I removed the steel spacer blocks.

 

[Michael Mayben]

When I saw that the rear dolly wheels of the hoist were now 4" off the ground, I added some ballast. Yawl whine about how heavy these IH parts are...but a 152/304 head and a 152 crankshaft were perfect items to use for ballast!

 

[Michael Mayben]

While the bed was hanging and partially supported in the front by the portapower, I just drove the rig out from under the bed. Real slick!

Then it was lowered onto jackstands under each corner that are mounted on roller dollys so I can move the bed around in the shop if need be.

Turns out that the bed was made to the standard frame rail width back in the day of 34". And the IH-produced light duty truck frame rail width is also 34". That's measured "outside" to "outside" of the rails. The Ford frame being a much later model, has "level" frame rails, the light duty IH stuff uses a drop frame. So appropriate risers will be fabbed for the front of the flat bed frame to mate it with the truck frame rails.

Preliminary measurement shows that I need to whack about 24" off the tail if I do the cutaway corners. That will put the gooseneck box ball hole about 12" behind the rear axle tubes. Not the ideal position by any means, but in order to center it, I'd have to cut near-equal amounts off the front and rear of the bed and that involves butchering the headache rack. So that is way more trouble than I'm willing to go to. Goose ball location has to do with trailer weight distribution onto the tow rig axles. Since the IH trucks are extremely "weight-forward" biased anyway and I've added a massive winch bumper, winch, and dual batteries, having the pin box behind the axle on this ride should actually improve overall weight distribution with either a fifth wheel or goose trailer connected. 90% of the time the rig will see only a bumper pull toad with an equalizer set, so the goose ball location is not a deal-breaker.

So the bed tail will be modded quite a bit from the way it appears now, with corners cut away and boxed in. The drop hitch will go away as it's totally useless for our purpose. I don't agree with using a receiver that is integral with a truck bed, so the skirt will be slimmed up a bit and we'll keep the existing receiver as it is.

Underslung boxes May be used in front of the rear wheels if there turns out to be enough room for fuel tank clearance.

I'll go ahead and calc/whack the tail of the bed off next so I can see how it's gonna sit on the rig. But it won't be mounted permanently until the replacement axle is hung and ride height is set...along with laying in the fresh exhaust system.

 

[Michael Dimock]

Looks like you and me have got the same idea! Except mine is from necessity, as my truck bed could fall off any minute it seems.... starting with a slightly lower quality version of yours, but nothing a trip to cherry city metals and some welding can't fix! You have definitely got a good starting point that is for sure!

My flatbed donor.....

 

[MarkO]

Mm, in regards to the hitch receiver, why don't you want it connected to the bed?

If the bed is bolted to the frame how would it differ from bolting the receiver to the frame?

 

[Michael Mayben]

mm, in regards to the hitch receiver, why don't you want it connected to the bed?

If the bed is bolted to the frame how would it differ from bolting the receiver to the frame?

Here's my position on this subject Mark...and some background:

in one of my former lives, I had a business involving wholesale/retail distribution and installation of all forms of towing products that were common in the mid-80's. Handled distribution for reese, draw-tite, sure pull (local operation out of blue mound, tx), and several other lesser-known brands.

I was very fortunate to be able to attend both reese and draw-tite distributor sales and technical training programs on several occasions, and also spend some time in one of the reese manufacturing facilities. This type training was imperative for myself and employees as we performed hitch installs for many oem truck dealerships in the dfw metroplex. If a new truck buyer wanted a tow package installed before delivery, we picked the rig up from the dealership, installed the options, and then returned the rig with all warranty paperwork in the glovebox.

Up to that point, I was just a consumer/user of receiver-type hitch products as I also had a sideline operation going involving load-out/transport of sailboats on a telescoping trailer with articulated bunks.

After participating in the various training programs and learning that bolt-on class II and iii receivers (those were the highest load capacity units available at that time, since then class iv and class v have been added) were actually a "torque-tube" in order to flex to more effectively absorb/distribute shock loads from the toad to the tow rig. And...all the ratings for these products were developed for "bolt-on" applications with no welding to the tow vehicle frame whatsoever!

Once a design is developed for a particular application, it's engineering then must be tested in accordance with:

vesc regulations

In order to be able to carry the common "v5" rating you see permanently stamped on various tow products.

Here's another interesting link regarding this subject which should really hit home for ya:

chapter 204-70 wac: standards for vehicle connecting devices and towing methods

A receiver system integrated into a truck bed or tow body no doubt can far exceed the minimum specifications called for the vesc regs. But those are not "torque-tube" designs either...and...unless the entire package was submitted for testing, will not carry the v5 designations.

And...because of the usually "high" fixed height of the bed-mounted receiver box, that means a seriously-long "drop" ball mount or "stinger" must be used to accommodate the wide range of trailer coupler heights. And long-drop stingers greatly reduce trailer load capacity in relation to the tow rig...seriously reduce the weight ratings!!

Long drop stingers cannot be used with an equalizer system by nature of design (and I personally think are very unsafe to use), and the fact that weight ratings must be decreased so significantly, they would not be usable in a safe manner with any modern "bumper-pull" trailer. Today...most equalizer heads are of the adjustable version which means they can be adapted for use on many tow rigs of varying receiver box height. In the old days, the ball height had to be set after much trial and error...then the equalizer head had to be set at an "angle" and welded to the drawbar by a certified welder. That meant that the typical consumer who had the ability to set this stuff up themselves, still had to have outside assistance to make the final setup. And when the tow rig was traded out or a different rig was used, the equalizer head would not effectively transfer.

Regarding the truck bed I'm using in this project, I'd have no problem using the receiver box for a pintle hitch setup though, as long as the toad with the lunette is properly loaded out. A typical pintle system does not use an equalizer.

That enuff bs and smokeblow for ya??

 

[Michael Mayben]

After stealin' the bed off sonja's f350, I had another brain fart.

The Ford has a sway bar system and had at some time in the recent past had some new springs, spring plates, and bump stops installed.

Since the frame rail width between the Ford and the beater 1110 is exactly the same. And the eye-to-eye of the leaf springs is exactly the same (the Ford springs are 2-1/4" wide, the IH springs are 2-1/2"). And the sway bar and lower shock mounts are an integrated assembly retained by a u bolt on each side to the axle housing. And the Ford axle is a d70 with 4" tubes same as my dodge axle. Then that interprets as...I got everything I would ever want/need sittin' right under this Ford!

So after another 30 minutes with the gas axe today, the takeoff stuff is in the shop (except for axle and springs)! Even the top shock mounts for the Ford are riveted to the frame so that was an easy grab. This all means that the sway bar and shock mounts will all bolt right to the IH frame in exactly the same relationship as on the Ford. Just have to bolt the shock mounts to the frame instead of rivet. Even the super-hd shocks appear to be nearly new!

Now my wheels are really spinning...this Ford axle will go right under my ride with virtually no mods other than moving the spring hangers from the Ford over along with the springs. Even the spring mount on the Ford axle tubes are in the correct location to match up with the Ford springs when hung from the IH frame. And the Ford tires currently are users (16" wheels), where the dodge tires are not (16.5") and the Ford drive shaft can be easily cut down and a new slip yoke added to mate with the NP205 output.

So...(I need to sleep on this deal) it would be much less work to simply near bolt-in all the Ford stuff. The diff cover has been off recently (rtv evidence), so no telling what is inside the pumpkin. I need to pull the cover and see..but if it's a 4.56 (best), or a 4.10 (ok), then this May be a no-brainer!

 

[Michael Mayben]

Yesterday, ups dropped of my annual personal re-fueling package from ihon norma! Bakalava is on the bench! This stuff really makes me wanna do stuff, the sugar high is incredible, most especially for a diabetic! Thank you norma!!!!

So, what better time than to take 2ft. Off the flatbed??

I been going 'round and 'round about where ta cut the thing since I really don't want to move the rear axle back. So I split the difference...if I move the axle this will work, if I don't then the proportion should look ok also.

Since this bed is a factory-built item, it's perfectly square and has no damage at all. So it was simple to determine the cut line and then Mark with a chalkstring.

I had a short piece of squarely-sheared 16gauge to use for a saw guide. The framing saw issa cuttin' sumbitch for concrete block and steel with the right blade! This cut took one and a half blades and about 15 minutes of applying just the right amount of speed and feed.

I finished the whack job off with the gas axe and the chunk supported by the cherrypicker.

 

[Michael Mayben]

I'll re-cycle the rear crossmember from the cut-off piece and use it to finish out the rear of the bed frame where the cut was made. The diamond plate will be recycled also into cutaway corners and an apron.

The integrated receiver in the original bed issa massive fabrication, so I'm gonna mod it and mount towards the top of the cutaway on one side, that will serve as a mount point for a vise onna 2" stinger that is removable.

That's about all of the work on this bed for now, I need to actually hang it on the beater frame temporarily and do all the calcs for the cutaway corners, axle position, etc. So now I gotta figgr a way to git it out of the shop bay and out on the parking lot, I'll have to use Todd's camper jacks for that operation!

 

[Scoutboy74]

Nice whack off job! Ain't nobuddy kin whack it better'n you dude! That inlcudes jerry, tho' hez a dam close second.

 

[Michael Mayben]

Why did I thunk that usin' the term "whack" wuud wake jerry out of hiz latest coma???

 

[Michael Mayben]

Emerging from another schizophrenic episode involving uncle ed's motor, the dawghauler's on-going weber carb clusterfook, a carter/weber/motorcraft yfa carburetor douche, and parting out the f350, I'm back on the beater rear axle swap.

Rolled the unit into the shop tonite for a differential flush and fill. Ya know me, I pull maintenance the hard way, remove the axle from the frame just to change the lube.

So yore lookin' atta d70 hd geared 4.10 with an open diff. The other axle I have is geared 4.56 which is what I really want, but I'm not gonna go to the trouble of swappin' gears until I can do a Powr-Lok or equivalent later on.

The spring sets are newer stanley replacements in a 4800lb. Rate each. The overloads add 2300lb. Each side.

I'm planning to remove the overloads now, then I'll add a set of two inch/6* riser blocks between the spring and perch on each side to point the pinion angle a bit more favorably since this is a short wheelbase ride. The oem risers on the takeoff d44 are also two inch flats. Overall, if my calcs are close, this will give an effective lift of about three inches over stock, which is right what I had planned for in the beginning, except now the pinion angle will be optimized also!

I'm also going to incorporate the Ford parking brake cable balance set since on the Ford the cable runs down the driver side instead of right in the middle of the frame. That allows much more clearance for tucking up the exhaust pipes on the passenger side.

 

[Michael Mayben]

This is a set of timbren "airless" overloads. These perform the same function as the overload leaf springs but are far less aggressive. Same concept as air bags only these units are hollow.

These are rated at 6,000lbs. The pair, and the action is progressive with compression.

These units were mounted to the donor rig in addition to the conventional overload leaf set. So for now, I'm gonna remove the leaf overloads and go with the timbrens only and see how that works out. If they don't, then the next step would be the true airbag install.

The rear section of the Ford two-piece driveline is about a foot too long so it's a perfect candidate for a cut-to-fit by the local driveline shop where I'll have a new slip yoke stuck on the front to match up with the oem NP205 rear output.

I've now decided to move this axle back from the original hanger positions by 6>8". So the wheelbase is gonna be a kinda bastard, but who cares?? The 1110 frame already has two sets of punchouts for two different spring sets, one for a 2x4 setup, the other for the 4x4 spring position. Moving the axle rearward will put the gooseneck box right where it needs to be over the axle for use with either a neck-over trailer or a fifth wheel, and will allow a full 90* jacknife of a typical fifth wheel rv with no cab corner interference, negating the need for a slider hitch.

Even the rear brake flex hose mount is in exactly the same position as the original IH bracket for the d44.

 

[MarkO]

The only downside of this project I can see is the rear brakes Ford used. Not one of their better ideas imho.

When they work they work okay but when it comes time to reline, reinstalling the brakes springs is not a fun task.

All I can say is what a dumb way to mount brake springs.

 

[Michael Mayben]

Here's the completed d70 axle package ready to install.

The overloads have been removed as they are not needed now. In their place went a set of trailmaster 2" cast iron lift blocks with a 6* wedge to help out the pinion angle.

The axle in this config has a gross rating of 8600lbs.

The blitz to get this package installed began Friday afternoon. This rig must be on the road (though not fully completed) on Monday morning. It's gonna go down the road on the front axle only, once the ride height is finalized, the replacement rear drive shaft will be made up.

 

[Michael Mayben]

These oldskool camper jacks of toddjo's are dam useful around here!

Lifting the rig here completely clears out the area to the rear so that the axles can be rolled around and positioned as needed.

And, the winches allow minute up and down positioning for axle alignment, assisted by line-up drifts, pry bars and a big hamdammer!

While it was still outside the shop I torched all the spring hanger rivets except one on each hanger. Same for other superfluous hardware.