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IMO, a 5 speed offers about half as many gears as you should have on a big diesel.

I mounted a set of 16's to a set of stock deuce rims on a first pass on building my crawler. I felt so insecure about the lock rings that I then welded them on... what a hassle. It's technically possible, but I would not advise this for any vehicle that runs on the street. Oh, I also had to...

Travis, Thanks for the note. Smart that you're reusing the stock accel pedal - that's certainly what I'd do if I had the room and the linkage didn't hit the motor mounts for the 8.3. :( That said, I'm thinking about keeping the solid linkage. Lord knows that the cab doesn't move on these...

Hi Travis, What was your throttle linkage? Need to put an accelerator pedal in my project to mate up to the P pump and running into clearance issues with the linkage on the stock pedal, so I need to find an entirely new system. Any tips? Best, Bob

All excellent suggestions. Thanks guys!

I've successfully moved my transfer case back a few feet to accomodate a new drivetrain, and I am in the hunt for an accurate speed reading. The end of the speedo cable is perhaps 2 feet away from the mating connection on the transfer case. Any thoughts on how I can make this connection...

GEOINT + MV's - two great things that go great together. In my life, the first of those pays for the second. Thanks for the link!

FlatBlack, If you had a very modest budget to modify a CTA, what would you do to it to turn up the power? I'm already planning on putting a new restrictor plate on it - what else would be on your menu for more power, while maintaining near-stock reliability? Thanks in advance, Bob

Nice. That's what is killing me on my 5 ton build - clearing that massive M800 series 5 ton pinion means that I needed to create some very large vertical separation between the axle and engine. Thanks, Bob

Does the front axle use a double reduction diff (like the 800 series), or is it a "normal" style dropout and pinion location?

I set the tire underneath the truck, and position a high lift jack so that jacking up the truck helps force the bead down. It may also need a few hammer whacks, but it seems to work!

Excellent writeup and great pics - thanks a ton for the inspiration!

If you are going to stick any sort of ancillary gearbox into an otherwise stock powertrain, here's what you want to do - bob the truck, and put a brownie box in between the aft end of the transfer and your single rear axle. Seriously, if you want a steeper OD, tom's new 5th gear cluster isn't...

Speaking of how 5 ton parts are much heavier than deuce parts - I worked all day yesterday to make parts and mount the 5 ton front axle under my (soon to be) rolling chassis. Yes, I had hoists and jacks and stands and all I needed to do was to get the axle in place, without the weight of the...

Ranch hopper's setup reminds me of the Ross Hydrapower box I used for my own 3208 steering - well, the LAST setup I used on that truck (I had tried a manual box and another power box before finding the HFB52). Even though we cut up that truck (because I can't leave well enough alone), my...

Thanks much, Ridge and Boat. Reassuring to know that it at least it won't be outrageously high. Also, Boat, that law in Colorado is essentially obsolete - it's not enforced and is not really considered to be valid legislation. Come see the jeeps here and you'll understand. :) Regarding pics -...

Hi everyone, I am getting closer to a rolling chassis on my big project, and my frame height is at a somewhat disturbingly high 51". With big lifty springs, 48" rubber, and a body lift to fit the airshift tranny, I knew it would be high going into the project, but this is REALLY high, and...

A buddy has a VT903 here in Colorado - it would probably be overkill to scrap it for injectors, but let me know if you are interested in additional parts (or the whole thing).

By the way, I have a full, commercial air over hydraulic system off a Hino COE, which consists of 2 cylinders and reservoirs, along with an air treadle/pedal. This would allow a relatively easy conversion to a pure air/hydraulic system. This is akin to what Tom "Fastest M35" did on an old truck...

Before you start the witchhunt, loose driveshaft retaining bolts are a common issue on these trucks. That's why I replace all fasteners on the shafts (as I come to them) with new, grade 8 bolts and Stover nuts. For some reason, the stock "lock" nuts are anything but in this application.