What have you done WITH your wrecker this week?

[zebedee]

Wrecker play time - or as my wife says "Your still trying to justify getting it aren't you?"

You know the saying "I don't know what we did before we had ...... " (Insert as necessary - vacuum's, cell phones, microwaves, remote control TV's etc., etc. Now I can add 'wrecker'! )

Had a little hick-up whilst mowing 2nd cutting hay...

Got off the tractor to pull burdocks (real nasty weed with nuclear reactive velcro exploding buds), then turned around to see the tractor and haybine trundelling across the field! Parking brake must have popped off! I gave it that "should I or sha'nt I?" go for it and try stop/steer the tractor away from the ditch and road........ But age, wisdom or a preminition made me just stand and watch, helplessly as it picked up speed, turned left (gradient dictating) and dived through the bushes, over the edge of the bank and came to an abrupt stop on the opposite side of the ditch.

Well fortunately for the mower - still running when I got of the tractor, the PTO shaft seperated in half when the tractor nose dived - no damage to the mower, but the abrupt stop blew a hole in the end of the internal power steering cylinder sleeve (not an external ram type cyl).

OK..... So, 816 to the rescue. With no working parking brake or Micro brake, I had "Soldier B" chock every time I stopped. 'bout time to test the rear winch... Spades set, pay out, hitch, pull..... pulled mower and tractor 8', then stopped pulling! Winch PTO still turning...?

... couldn't pay out either.... Hmmmm. So I braced the boom - for sus tow/transport, and used the crane to finish the pull. Scuffed the lower sheave seperating sleve a little but no biggie.

Sus-tow (lift tow) back to the shop/yard. New steering sleeve would be $980 but found a similar tractor in the local tractor breakers, got the steering unit complete for $550. So - finish hay with little tractor, fix big tractor then diagnose winch problems - not least being level wind pulley wheels siezed. Probably have to force unwind cable with tree or tractor.


Moved post from ".... done TO your 5 ton .... " as thread was getting too busy/vague.

 

[zebedee]

Yard repairs - need a lift.

... so, tractor dragged into yard by the shop, but with no steering, had to pick up the back and move onto level conc pad for stability whilst stripping down. Needed to use stabiliser legs as I wasn't comfortable lifting whilst the truck listed to starboard with first attempt.


It is so handy having a sky hook when stripping parts that are so flaming heavy.



Whilst crane was not busy - I was able to replace the damaged sheave sleeve due to the recovery operation. Nothing special - just a piece of pipe.

 

[Csm Davis]

I broke another one! I think it blew a head gasket, while it was sitting over the weekend the air system decided to not work anymore and while checking on that problem it started spewing all of the coolant back out of the tank cap hopeful that it is just bad cap, testing it later.

 

[Derrickl112]

This week? Nothing, but here are a few pictures of things that I have done with it...

1- Lifting the hardtop onto the m923.
2- Also used it to put its own hardtop on.
3- Unloading 6.2 cans form my trailer...
4- ...and loading them onto the owner's trailer.
5- Removing a CBC from a junk m105
6- Loading the CBC into the new owner's m105.
7- Unloading my crane.
8- Pulling out a pine tree.
9- Loading our utility trailer onto the flatbed trailer.

 

[Derrickl112]

1- Removing the bench seat from the m931.
2- Axle chunk swap.
3- Taking the hardtop off the m936, and putting it on the m931.
4- Installing the ballistic glass winshield.
5,6- lifting the door armor plates
7- After installation

 

[crasheej]

I se that you don't beiive in puting the travle locks on the boom when useing the boom. You will hook one and bend it ask me how I know. They are hard to find.And not cheap.

 

[Csm Davis]

Okay got my air compressor back up and going it was a head gasket on the compressor

 

[Speedzilla]

I se that you don't beiive in puting the travle locks on the boom when useing the boom. You will hook one and bend it ask me how I know. They are hard to find.And not cheap.

Can you elaborate?

 

[crasheej]

Used mine to remove the cab from a John Deer tractor. No pictures, sorry.

 

[1 Patriot-of-many]

1- Removing the bench seat from the m931.
2- Axle chunk swap.
3- Taking the hardtop off the m936, and putting it on the m931.
4- Installing the ballistic glass winshield.
5,6- lifting the door armor plates
7- After installation

Someone pinch me, I'm dreaming! That is one sweet wrecker. Someday soon I'll have one I hope.

 

[zebedee]

Originally Posted by crasheejI se that you don't beiive in puting the travle locks on the boom when useing the boom. You will hook one and bend it ask me how I know. They are hard to find.And not cheap.
Can you elaborate?

Oh that's a real easy one to explain - ask me how I know!!!! However, I was lucky enough to notice it just scuff the paint on the side of the cupola as I stopped slewing to the right side. However, my drivers side shipper brace (travel lock) will not fit on the peg on the boom as the cast ring seems to be a little bent. Fits the pin on the rear of the bed - travel position, but not the boom. Will have to warm and "ease" a little..... I now lay it backwards out in fresh air.

When you bent yours, why not just cut off the ends and weld to some new tube???

 

[vtdeucedriver]

1953 Diamond T M-62...............Started the R6602 for the first time this year and let it run for a bit.

 

[crasheej]

Oh that's a real easy one to explain - ask me how I know!!!! However, I was lucky enough to notice it just scuff the paint on the side of the cupola as I stopped slewing to the right side. However, my drivers side shipper brace (travel lock) will not fit on the peg on the boom as the cast ring seems to be a little bent. Fits the pin on the rear of the bed - travel position, but not the boom. Will have to warm and "ease" a little..... I now lay it backwards out in fresh air.

When you bent yours, why not just cut off the ends and weld to some new tube???

I din't have the eye left to do any thing with. I found a (new one to me ) for a price. Now they go on the boom like the 10 TM tells you to.

 

[MCTNKR]

Removed half track hood.

 

[MCTNKR]

Towed a 1945 Seagrave Fire Engine.

Towed a 1945 Seagrave Fire Engine.

 

[kawkev]

I already wanted one. Now I "Really" want one!!!

 

[poppop]

Lifting the low-boy on its side makes welding those hard to get to places easy. The backhoes were safety chocks.

 

[poppop]

When you have grain on a truck with no dump bed and don't like to shovel what do you do????

 

[Andy1234]

Towed my MK48 when it broke.

Andy

 

[M543A2]

Hardly a week goes by that mine is not used for something, maybe simple like lifting the front of the mower to sharpen the blades to a job that would be impossible or unsafe without it. We have moved heavy machinery, winched out farm equipment, put the root rake on the dozer, changed engines, too many things it has been useful for to remember. Much safer and easier to use than using the backhoe or loader to lift and move things. We have hooked high on 18 to 20 inch cherry trees in sandy soil and uprooted them with the drag winch double line. We have to anchor the truck with another truck or with a tractor and chisel plow at full depth to hold in these and other heavy pulling cases even with the spades.
Warning! ALWAYS think safety. These can hurt you or a co-worker if something goes wrong. Contrary to what Mythbusters said, a broken winch cable can whip around and severely hurt or kill someone.
Regards Marti