m105 info needed please.

[Rylos]

Hi guys, been lurking here for a little while. Man you guys have some cool stuff!

Anyway, I have a question. I am thinking about buying a m105 and I need to know about the brake system.

They say they are air/ hydraulic and I need to know if they have to have air to release the brakes for towing?

I will be pulling it with a f350

Thanks for the info!

 

[swbradley1]

No

They pull fine with my 4x4 Dodge 1400 with the Hemi.

Stopping would be problematic if it were loaded and or on wet pavement........

steve

 

[crazyplowboy]

They do not need air to release the brakes. The brakes on an M105 are actuated by air pressure, as they are air over hydraulic, the only action of the air is to transfer your braking of the towing vehicle to the trailer. Therefore unlike a semi or full air brake set up the brakes are released if there is no air pressure to them.

Your F350 will have no problem pulling the trailer or slowing it down unloaded as it weighs around 2750#. However if you are going to pull it loaded with the F350 you should consider converting the trailer over to electric brakes so you can safely slow down the load.

 

[Digger09]

dont forget about the trailer plug, its a military plug hook up. I would use a set of magnetic trailer lights if needed. There may be someone on here that has done a plug conversion that can help with that.

 

[drgreg]

I would find someone, in your area that owns one, and check it out. Many threads, by new M105 owners, say "I didn't think the trailer would be so big". These trailers were meant to be pulled by an M35, not a smaller truck. They don't look too big in pictures, but they are.

 

[drgreg]

It's not me, but I always liked this picture.

 

[KsM715]

 

[dittle]

I swear it didn't look that big until I hooked up to it Actually I pull mine with my F350 on occasion as well. I will do fine but like other has said the trailer is a heck of a lot bigger than it looks, especially once you hook it behind a pickup truck. Can't find my pictures of my trailer behind my F350 otherwise I would post them for you. I did make an adapter for the electrical plug so all I have to do is switch my bulbs and plug my adapter in to get the lights to work. If you want a pin-out on what I did let me know and I'll get it for you.

 

[blybrook]

I also pull a M105 with my F250. I have it at the office with me today to assist with a co-workers move. I converted the turn signals to 1156 12V bulbs, left the rest as 24V bulbs and rewired the plug to a 7 pin. I have the pinout at home for that conversion as well.

It sure looks "odd" behind the truck, but I have enough gearing to get it going and so far have been able to stop it alright.

I've removed all of the original air brake system to lighten up the trailer (not by much) and the original front jack (can't use it). With these minor part removals, I can maneuver the tongue around by hand with an empty trailer.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

LUV those pics... they are each worht 1000 words

 

[saddamsnightmare]

March 30th, 2010

WOW!!! Imagine the steering axle weight reduction on that four door Jeep in drgregs post...... Put that bad boy on a rain or snow slicked road and the pucker factor would be at least to the tenth power....!!! Nature abhors a vacuum, so image where those seat covers are gonna go! Oh, on the "Highway" Data on my M105A2's old Data plate the Off road payload was 3000 lbs and the on highway was 4500, add to that the tare weight of 2750 lbs and you got a monster of a trailer for anything less then an M35A2!!


April 1st, 2010- No Joke!!!!

NB: The data plate was the original builders plate from July 1968, and very weathered, but it did have a extra column for "Highway"
weights and the on road payload was 2-1/4 tons. (the correction was to an error I made in the original entry.Oops!).

Cheers,

Kyle F. McGrogan

 

[Nonotagain]

Oh, on the "Highway" Data on my M105A2's old Data plate the Off road payload was 3000 lbs and the on highway was 5560, add to that the tare weight of 2750 lbs and you got a monster of a trailer for anything less then an M35A2!!

Cheers,

Kyle F. McGrogan

Kyle,

The data plate that I have for the M105a2 listed the on road load rating of 4500 lbs. Add that weight to the 2750 lbs for bare trailer and you have exceeded the weight that most states will allow you to tow a trailer without brakes.

Most states require service brakes on trailers once 3000 lbs is exceeded.

 

[Rylos]

Wow lots of good info guys! Thanks!!! I know those suckers are big! I just wanted one to have around the property. Just thought they were COOL!

I was just worried about the brake system and worried that it worked like a semi.... no air and the brakes stayed locked up!

i hae never converted a trailer to electric brakes. How bad of a job is it?

 

[blybrook]

To convert, it's fairly simple, just change out the axle to a electric brake axle. I am not aware of a hub assembly that will bolt to the military axle and give you electric brakes.

With fairly normal hand tools and an extra pair of hands (or two), you can swap out the axle in a couple hours.

Here's my personal shopping list:

1 - 6k electric braking axle assembly w/ 4" drop, hubs, 8 lug drums, etc... (~$450)
15' of 12 gauge wire
4 new u-bolts (custom bent / threaded) (guessing ~$60)
1 nice Saturday (above 40* preferred).
2 8 lug rims w/ rubber (pre '99 Ford 250 / 350) (varies on location)

I've seen a few write ups already about axle swaps on this forum, I'll be adding mine once I get finished (if I don't keep it fairly stock and change it to a surge brake...)

 

[Rylos]

Huuummmmmm.... sounds like a beer and bbq job for my buds!!!!

Thanks again for all the help guys!

 

[saddamsnightmare]

Trailer Weights/Brakes

April 1st, 2010.

Please note that the corrected highway weight above for the M105A2's payload was 4500 LBS, the error was mine. I am looking for a blank orginal M105A2 data plate with the "Highway" column, as my replacement plate is Revision 7 and doesn't have that columns weights on it.
I might suggest to Rylos that he consider fitting his F250/F350 with a 12vdc auxilliary air compressor and rig a separate control valve in the cab piped back to a gladhand connection by the hitch. That way he could have independent control over the trailer's air over hydraulic brakes, enabling him to operate with the original brake system and heavy duty axle. A lot of M35A2 apparently could be retrofitted with a separate trailer barke control valve by the steering, as many civillian tractors are yet today so equipped.

Cheers,

Kyle F. McGrogan

 

[Rthomas]

I found magnetic lights for $10 @ Harbor freight

http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/tabviewer/startBrowseBook.do?bookid=272&preview=&type=RET&simple=

 

[swbradley1]

I found magnetic lights for $10 @ Harbor freight

http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/tabviewer/startBrowseBook.do?bookid=272&preview=&type=RET&simple=

And if you have a standard tow package on your truck you need a 4-wire to camping trailer adapter.

I have two sets of the magnetic lights that I use for trailer recoveries.

steve

 

[Nonotagain]

I found magnetic lights for $10 @ Harbor freight

http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/tabviewer/startBrowseBook.do?bookid=272&preview=&type=RET&simple=

I've made this statement before, and I promise this will be the last time.

The magnetic tow lights sold by Harbor Freight are not wired correctly.

You will need to take the bottom off the lights and fix the wiring for the correct light sequence.

I have purchased two sets and both sets reversed the brake/turn signal function with the running lights.

Also the magnets are somewhat weak in holding power. Plan on using some speed tape to hold the lights on the trailer.

 

[swbradley1]

You must be unlucky or I'm lucky, because mine are fine.

Granted, he magnets aren't the best but when towing a 101 or 105 I just put them on the tailgate and run the wires inside the bed or in the tie-downs along the sides.

I've never had a problem.

Yet........


steve