Looking to buy an m725

[JAG]

I have a K20 3/4 ton Chevy rolling chassis with a new 350 motor and 350 turbo transmission and 37" Humvee tires. The rear end is change to a 4.11 gear for highway speeds but still strong enough to do some light off-roading..

I have been looking at options of cab to put on the chassis, have always loved the old military vehicles, and came across some m725 ambulances.

Is it possible to pull the body off and put it on the chassis?


this last picture is what is for sale..

What do you guys think?

I want to be able to drive this thing. and not be limited by speed or sluggishness, but also be able to do some off-roading if need be..

 

[Recovry4x4]

Sure it's possible. Do you have the equipment to lift the body and fab up all the mounts? If I were doing it for myself, I would move all the checy components to the factory jeep frame.

 

[JAG]

Sure it's possible. Do you have the equipment to lift the body and fab up all the mounts? If I were doing it for myself, I would move all the checy components to the factory jeep frame.

I was just going to rig up a pulley system and hoist it up.. I don't know how I will do it until I can rub noses with it..

Do you think it will help to have all of those components on the Jeep- Driveability highway speeds etc?

Thanks

 

[67Beast]

Just remember that at highway speeds you will be driving the most un-aerodynamic vehicle out there. It's like driving a flying shoe box. Also they are fairly hot in the summer due to lack of ventilation. But they are fun to drive and I love cruising my around in the summer. Mine is all stock, but the middle one in your pictures is a buddy of mines who still has it for sale right now. http://www.m715zone.com/vb/showthread.php?t=26432&highlight=willybad To do either a frame swap or axle swap is going to take some fairly heavy fab work so just be prepared. Good luck on a project.

 

[bcowanwheels]

FIRST THING to measure is wheel base of the chevy. the m725 is 131 inche wheel base.

 

[Recovry4x4]

FIRST THING to measure is wheel base of the chevy. the m725 is 131 inche wheel base.

Very close. The Chevy should be 131.5"

 

[gimpyrobb]

If you join the M715zone, there is a member over there that put a 715 or 725(I can't remember which) on a chevy chassis. I'm pretty sure he grafted them together with the chevy firewall in place. If you join, put in that you were told about that truck and I'm sure someone can post a link to the thread.

Oh yeah, you will love the truck, I love mine.

 

[Madmedic]

Sure it's possible. Do you have the equipment to lift the body and fab up all the mounts? If I were doing it for myself, I would move all the checy components to the factory jeep frame.

I agree. The 1st MV I ever owned was a 725, converted by U.S.A.F. into a radio truck. The 1st thing we did, was take the Jeep Tornado Slant 6 engine out, and dropped in a Small Block Chevy 305. Then had trans and all other running gear upgraded. Also keep in mind the previous post about aerodynamics. These vehicles were somewhat top heavy to begin with. High winds or turbulence on a freeway, or from a storm can tip one over easily.

 

[gimpyrobb]

High winds or turbulence on a freeway, or from a storm can tip one over easily.

Please don't post blatantly wrong info on our site.

 

[porkysplace]

Please don't post blatantly wrong info on our site.

So do you have first hand tip angle on these as well the Deuce?

 

[gimpyrobb]

Well, yes and no. I might have put my m725 on its side, but a tree was there, so we just kinda skidded along. I did shatter the window that the P.O. had put in the box. What a mess.

 

[Madmedic]

Please don't post blatantly wrong info on our site.

Please understand, I am NOT trying to pick a fight. BUTTTTTT, when I was in the service, I was personally in a 725, once in Germany on the Autobahn and twice in the U.S., that were tipped over from high winds. Have also been in what are called the "HIGH TOP" van type civilian ambulances on U.S. Highway, that got tipped over. In all cases, the cause was high winds from storms.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Huh 3 of them rolled due to wind? Thats wild.

I have wheeled mine and not turned it over. Yes there have been close calls but...




I wonder what the math works out to be, to blow over a 6500lbs vehicle. Any mathematicians in the house?

 

[Madmedic]

I wasn't the driver in any of those instances. So I have no way of telling what speeds we were doing.

But, as way of explanation, out of a total of 8 Civilian/Military roll overs in ambulances, over a 30+ year career, as a medic, only 3 of those instances, was the vehicle on a curve. (all civilian). All it took was being sideways to a heavy wind or micro burst, and over they went. Keep in mind, that this is NOT an unusual occurrence for civilian European Style or American High Top ambulances. Or for the 725/70's Dodge/M1010 Series of military ambulances. They HAD to go out get patients in bad weather because the helicopters are grounded.

The Civilian types are made skinny, but very tall. Off center weight and balance. And they DON'T use actual EMT's as their test drivers, or the designs would be different. The Dodges & M1010's were much less prone to tipping, but it did happen. When you have a side surface that large, catching the wind gusts juuuuust right.

 

[Madmedic]

Not to beat a dead horse into the ground, but the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that they are going to have a free webinar on April 28th, concerning Ambulance Crashes. Their data shows that between 1992 and 2011, there were approximately 4,500 ambulance wrecks per year.

One of the things they plan to cover, is the number of roll overs of Ambulances with too high a center of gravity. Including European Style and American Style High Top Ambulances, and HUMVEE Military ambulances. Their intent on that subject is to move to ban Public and Private EMS services from using "High Center of Gravity" vehicles. (They've been trying for 10 years)

 

[defbob]

I would put the chevy running gear in the M725 frame instead of swapping the body. The work to put the springs under the frame is a lot less than swapping the body. You could either swap just the motor over with an adapter kit and keep the stock tranny/t-case, or swap everything over.

 

[rchalmers3]

I disagree. Fitting the body to the later model rolling chassis would be easier in that there are fewer mounting points to fabricate and weld onto the frame. If the host chassis has stabilizer bars, they can be replaced with heavier bars to counter the body roll.

Rick

 

[saddamsnightmare]

December 13th, 2015.


The gentleman up above was pointing out that in certain instances these vehicles can behave significantly different from a conventional bodied FWD truck in a cross wind. I have had similar issues with S10's with caps and Ford F250's with caps getting touchy on windy nights on high fills in the mountains, so yes, and M725 can and will liely flip in certain conditions, some of which may be unavoidable (fills, high cross winds, etc).

I have had a Unimog S404.114 with the bed cover get squirrelly around here on one of the Lake Springfield dams in a cross wind/storm situations, and trust me, I will not try to get caught on that causeway again under those conditions. I kept the truck up, barely..... Even being used to the vehicle(s) and their temperaments does not always guard one against random acts of nature, just saying it here for discussions sake.