IT WORKS!!! M977 Crane with PICTURES!!!

[mangus580]

Tom, I think Kenny is on to something.... since you are gonna hack up that dropside anyway.... you might as well try to fab it round the crane I think it would look sharp!

 

[spicergear]

I put 10 more gallons of hyd oil in it tonight and it ran REAL good then. It actually moves very well, I've got no speed complaints whatsoever. I extended the boom the whole way out tonight, then hooked to the pintle of my big Rockwelled M715 and picked up the back end without it even grunting. Truck stayed rock solid with a near full sidways lift. That M715 is 8,000# so I had to have at least a ton on it and it didn't care.

The crane takes up more room on the frame because I couldn't stuff the outriggers under the truck like they were on the HEMMT for multiple reasons. The outriggers telescope straight out, then the rams push down. Because it's on top of the frame they go just about to the ground so I've been using about 2' long 6x6 blocks under the outriggers. The outrigger rams are at LEAST 4" in diameter so I don't think lifting the truck would require too much effort. It unloads the truck with ease.

The M105 beds have the single wheel opening in them and that doesn't do much for me. A dropside with one stake pocket length shortened would still be 9' have about the proper overhang and (aside from make mangus cry) still prolly look good cut down.

I haven't extended it over the front yet...just have had too much fun watching it move around the rear. Extended it out, ran the spool down and was running off the tandems and swinging in circles tonight. ...then I crash landed once and about bounced a lung outta me so I quit that for a while-

Bjorn- Just run ONLY the front tires onto a scale and check the weight? Is that what you mean? I can do that pretty easily Saturday.

You guys really think it's that big?

 

[cranetruck]

This is what you get at a typical truck stop.

 

[40grit]

Holy spicerbilt....that is cool...nice job Gump....

 

[Desert Rat]

I see Bjorn uses that new stealth technology for his trailers (0 pounds ). Too bad we can't do that with all our stuff going over scales .

 

[Elwenil]

Haul lots and lots of helium, lol...

 

[cranetruck]

Ha, and you thought I told you everything about the cranetruck,
wait until Dan Brown (Da Vinci Code) gets wind of it....

 

[M1075]

If anyone else is brave enough to tackle a cranetruck project, let me know. I can get more cranes like the one I got for Tom.

 

[m3a1_ht]

That is great... I love it!

 

[Katch1]

a short custom bed, and a 2 1/2 ton pole trailer and your in spicer old boy

 

[hot rod deuce]

dang Your going to have a lot of weight on that front axle if CT is at 7350. I realy wana see his scale ticket. so would it be fair to say the crane added around 7000 to Bjorn's truck? If a stock truck weights around 14K and he's at 21k? I kinda want one of these but the weight is a big thing. Before the crew cab i would chain up my front tandem to eliminate drag, that put 7800 on my front and i got kinda worried about it.

Does any one know what the axle is rated at? I have read from 9000 on up to 11000. Im not sure anyone knows for sure.

Remember that pic that was on here of a 5 ton front broke off?

 

[red devils dude]

front axle 12,000lbs tandem 24,000lbs

 

[cranetruck]

HRD, the receipt you see in the post is with a cargo of about 2,500-3,000 lb, which in itself doesn't add much to the front axle, so it's not empty.
Since putting the pipeline truck bed on, I haven't weighed the deuce empty, but it should be about 17,500 just by itself.
The HIAB crane weighs just under 4,000 lb.
By comparison, the M756A2 pipeline truck weighs almost 17,000 lb empty.
By moving the crane boom over the bed, I can reduce the front axle load by about 750 lb. Don't know if the Grove crane offers that option.

My truck came with a winch, but because of the front axle loading, it was removed. The larger 1100 tires also help handle the extra load.

 

[spicergear]

Feed mill was closed last weekend. Yes, the Grove M977 does have the capability of being swung around and somewhat nested longways in the truck. It doesn't have any realy positive stops in that position like it has sideways and fully dropped though...doubt that would be a problem anyway. I'm anxious to get front axle weight and all truck weight just to see where it's at for now. Bed...of whatever I decide to do will add to that but I'm thinking I'll be in the mid 15,000Lb area as it is now.

 

[cranetruck]

Here is a picture to go with the scale receipt:

 

[rdixiemiller]

I remember that load!
Did you ever get your WVO system worked out?

 

[cranetruck]

Yeah, the picture was taken by BFR in his Cul De Sac (sp). the morning after you (Robert) and Ron's visit.
I passed one of the SS tanks plus stirrer on to Sharon Wetzel for use in her biodiesel project. She wrote the insert for my MVM article on biodiesel and lives only a few miles from us, so we compare notes all the times.
I'm slowly getting fittings and other parts together for a more or less permanent set-up. I have only done a couple of small batches using my old "tub" method recently, but should be able put a dent in my storage of WVO when it all comes together.
Mike's (Magus580) starage tote is sitting here under a tarp for future delivery to him.
Really appreciate your generosity, Robert, thanks!

 

[Recovry4x4]

Speaking of generosity, has anyone noticed that there is a lot of that going around in this hobby and epecially between Steel Soldiers Members? Another reason I love this hobby!

 

[Katch1]

that is very true of most of the members, and heres to them