5Ton Dump Question

[grunex125]

Not at all. Even at idle it sends her up with no hesitation. I usually have the loader fill the bed with gravel at the front (to avoid spillage out the back when going down the highway)......and with 10 tons....never been a problem. These trucks are built solid!

I'm in agreement with you on the durability of the trucks, don't know why guys are always running them down, yeah sure they aint built for operator comfort, but it sure seems like nothing will stop em with the loads they are carrying. (small dump body considered here)

 

[Postman515]

No, the golf course job wasn't me but I have seen that video. I don't have to worry about bridge length here. It pulls the Excavator okay but would be better if they didn't have that 3rd to 4th gear 1000rpm drop. All my work is in a farming community so I don't go far and this setup works great for that but I still have the truck DOT inspected. I'm hoping my 929 will work even better with the Allison auto and full air brakes. The beds are 7' wide and 10' long. Nearly impossible to get more then 12.5 tons on that short bed even with side boards. Wouldn't want it much bigger or I would get stuck all the time. Here's a pic of myself getting stuck in a seep with 8 tons on! Just needed a 100hp tractor and a snatch rope to get out of that one.

 

[cumminsbandit]

Thank for all the info guys! It sounds like these trucks are perfect for what I want to use em for! I just need a way to move some of the spoils and top dirt from the top of my sand pit to down on the bottom for reclamation. Now just to find 3 trucks! Thanks again for all the info!!!

 

[ichudov]

... I still have the truck DOT inspected.

Hi, what did you need to do to your truck to pass DOT inspection? Extra lights? Did you have a problem inspecting wedge brakes?

I will need to pass DOT inspection too with my M927 and M931A2.

i

 

[ecostruction]

We put a 929A1 to good work recently hauling large boulders (over 1000 tons) way back in the woods through muddy trails for work. Best purchase I ever made. Never skipped a beat. Don't know about pulling at highway speeds, but that truck never knew what was in the bed. As someone said, bed is 7 x 10. I need 6x6 so it worked great for us.

 

[ichudov]

I own a civilian dump truck (GMC TopKick), it has a 14 foot long bed. It is a great truck and we mostly use it to haul scrap metal. I would seriously consider adding a M929, if not for its short 10 foot bed, it is a bit too short for my needs.

 

[tobyS]

ichudov, that is my thoughts also and the reason I have a 925. I like a 14' bed. Still looking for reasonable telescoping cylinder. I bought one but it would work better on a semi dump (has 23' stroke and 5 sections). I don't have the heart to cut it down to 3 section...yet.

 

[Postman515]

I had to add the 5 lights on the top front and the 3 rear lights between tail lights for the inspection guy to pass it on my m817. I'm adding the lights to my 929 right now.

 

[Neophyte]

Hi, what did you need to do to your truck to pass DOT inspection? Extra lights? Did you have a problem inspecting wedge brakes?

I will need to pass DOT inspection too with my M927 and M931A2.

i

Same here. Added a set of LED stop/tail/turn lights, reverse light and alarm, side marker lights, front top lights (amber, 5), and turned the front turn signal lights into running lights (added an electronic connector in the cab). Passed IL DOT inspection (they did look for all of these).

With the work MaDuce has done in IL, not sure all of this is required for FMV, though not a bad idea to "upgrade" your lights if using for work applications.

 

[grunex125]

Same here. Added a set of LED stop/tail/turn lights, reverse light and alarm, side marker lights, front top lights (amber, 5), and turned the front turn signal lights into running lights (added an electronic connector in the cab). Passed IL DOT inspection (they did look for all of these).

With the work MaDuce has done in IL, not sure all of this is required for FMV, though not a bad idea to "upgrade" your lights if using for work applications.



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Looks like you had to drop the bumper height as well too to get it to pass inspection. Not a bad way to go, sure makes it easier to climb up on top to access the hood and engine compartment. purists may hate the idea, but if it means we don't go skipping up over the top of some little compact car killing the persons inside it well worth it. In Mn bumper height is also strictly regulated for commercial use. Funny they didn't make you put clearance lights on the lower bumper as well.....
I wasn't required to put the lights across the top of the cab protector yet, but given a different inspector, I may soon have to. I've got some cheap Nappa bar lights on mine in the middle rear, but wasn't asked to put five across the back yet, maybe because I'm using the original signal lights in the middle underneath. my license plate is mounted on the cross member between the signal lights and it is illuminated with a cheap light set behind and facing up on the plate. I may well do what you have done on yours though, I like the way you set it up, it sure adds class. one question for you though.....no plate on yours in back or is it not shown in pic?

 

[Neophyte]

Looks like you had to drop the bumper height as well too to get it to pass inspection. Not a bad way to go, sure makes it easier to climb up on top to access the hood and engine compartment. purists may hate the idea, but if it means we don't go skipping up over the top of some little compact car killing the persons inside it well worth it. In Mn bumper height is also strictly regulated for commercial use. Funny they didn't make you put clearance lights on the lower bumper as well.....
I wasn't required to put the lights across the top of the cab protector yet, but given a different inspector, I may soon have to. I've got some cheap Nappa bar lights on mine in the middle rear, but wasn't asked to put five across the back yet, maybe because I'm using the original signal lights in the middle underneath. my license plate is mounted on the cross member between the signal lights and it is illuminated with a cheap light set behind and facing up on the plate. I may well do what you have done on yours though, I like the way you set it up, it sure adds class. one question for you though.....no plate on yours in back or is it not shown in pic?

Oops.....I didn't get that done until about a month after mounting the lights. Here's a pic I took in May of 2012. The bumper was a project in itself. I wasn't sure if it was required on a FMV, but the thought of some idiot pulling out in front of me with no room to stop......and having 52" tires......the truck would roll right over it. I think I've got a photo cache in the gallery of the "bumper build".

Thanks for the kind comments. I do love this hobby and paying tribute to those who served.

 

[ichudov]

I am in IL too. Did the inspector look at the wedge brakes during inspection? Any problems there?

 

[grunex125]

I know what you mean by paying tribute!

 

[Neophyte]

I know what you mean by paying tribute!

They did, no issue (as long as they work and the drums aren't smoking when you pull in). I had to explain that the truck has no emergency brake system other than a parking bake.

 

[grunex125]

I think there is a certain amt of "grandfathered in" that goes along with these trucks.

 

[m16ty]

I regularly haul 18 tons in my M939 lime truck. It is a converted M936 though so it has the heavier frame and suspension. It does great off-road with that weight but on-road hills can be painfully slow.

The tires tend to wear pretty bad also on-road with that kind of weight (due to the locked tandems). That's another thing to consider when using one of these trucks "for profit". Pavement travel loaded is hard on duals but singles are even worse. Those tires aren't cheap when you go to replace them.

 

[ichudov]

I regularly haul 18 tons in my M939 lime truck. It is a converted M936 though so it has the heavier frame and suspension. It does great off-road with that weight but on-road hills can be painfully slow.

The tires tend to wear pretty bad also on-road with that kind of weight (due to the locked tandems). That's another thing to consider when using one of these trucks "for profit". Pavement travel loaded is hard on duals but singles are even worse. Those tires aren't cheap when you go to replace them.

But, I thought, I could replace them with easy to find tires like 11R22.5? That's what we have on most of my trucks and trailers.

i

 

[grunex125]

Thinking any way ya look at it these tires on these trucks are $300+ no matter what size one finds. Thats kind of one of the deciding factors when I bought my truck. $3000 in tires alone maybe more.

 

[ichudov]

I buy and sell stuff, and I come across 11R22.5's all the time. I have 12 such tires, like brand new, from two Chicago CTA salter trucks that I bought and scrapped. They cost me nothing.

 

[m16ty]

But, I thought, I could replace them with easy to find tires like 11R22.5? That's what we have on most of my trucks and trailers.

i

Yes, that would be a good upgrade but 22.5 tires still aren't cheap.

The by far best option would be lockout hubs on the front tandem but as far as I know nobody makes them for the 5-tons (you can get them for a deuce).

Loaded you can feel the tandems trying to push the truck straight when you're trying to make a sharp turn on pavement. There's lots of tire scrubbing and you can usually see faint black marks on the road.

I can tell you from experience that the maintenance cost can be very high trying to use these trucks commercially. Unless you truly need a 6X6 truck in your line of work, I'd look elsewhere.