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M916A1 Tire Trials
- Thread starter ReoRider
- Start date
I sure do wish there was a M915 Series of trucks dedicated forum.
ReoRider's posts would fit well in said and I bet ya the Artisan's M916
thread would look good right next to it, along w/ others that are
lost in the 5Ton area.
The big boys get lost in the 5Ton threads, and are a completely different animal then
the little 5 Tons. . . ...and I am not talking smack, I own a 5Ton
myself, the issue is, the DOD named the M915 SERIES of trucks
as 20 TON trucks, it is in the TM's... and use M915 series guys are plentiful...
There is no comparison between a 5Ton and a 20 Ton other than they
both uses diesel.
ReoRider's posts would fit well in said and I bet ya the Artisan's M916
thread would look good right next to it, along w/ others that are
lost in the 5Ton area.
The big boys get lost in the 5Ton threads, and are a completely different animal then
the little 5 Tons. . . ...and I am not talking smack, I own a 5Ton
myself, the issue is, the DOD named the M915 SERIES of trucks
as 20 TON trucks, it is in the TM's... and use M915 series guys are plentiful...
There is no comparison between a 5Ton and a 20 Ton other than they
both uses diesel.
- 1,630
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- 113
- Location
- Central NY
Ta darrrrr :
though legs would be tricky - just use the winch as for the 870 trailer or PLS type demountable..
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Howard- now that really looks sharp- actually like an M19. So the idea is to load the ballast box with the rear winch, up and over the rear roller as with the M870 trailer- brilliant! It could latch into the 5th wheel, then still need some means of locking the north-south 5th wheel motion, or extend supports down to frame to keep the box solid and level.
- 1,630
- 728
- 113
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- Central NY
Yes John - winch on, gravity off!
Adequate clearance over the fifth wheel and past the ballast with a new high level fairlead in the box end will allow the winch to be used unless you tunnel the cable under the box/through the box superstructure but over the fifthwheel attachment point, then back to the stock roller.
I guess I could rough out some ideas...
You have two options as I see it. Either use the "Lift" shackle points to the front of the fifth wheel and some kind of clamp/binder or you can use the rear "Tie down" points and binders pulling against the bottom of the box which mates up to the ramps.
Adequate clearance over the fifth wheel and past the ballast with a new high level fairlead in the box end will allow the winch to be used unless you tunnel the cable under the box/through the box superstructure but over the fifthwheel attachment point, then back to the stock roller.
I guess I could rough out some ideas...
The box should be easily removable as will still need to have trailer access to the 5th wheel when needed. That said, it perhaps does not have to allow winch cable use over or under it, but just to pull it up and onto king pin lock, pull a little more to then tighten down binders(?), and to also control the unloading back to ground or to a dedicated small dock. Thinking of a starting weight of around 5000 lbs. or so to evaluate performance. The M19 with its 3.5 cu yd. capacity, carried 10,000 lbs. if filled with sand and then more, as needed, with large cement blocks that were lowered into the box.
Would need a sturdy box, modest sized to keep the load compact, and out of the way of any "road hazards". Bottom likely of plate with sides not as tough?
Google the M19 Tank Transporter and check out the range of pictures for more of the variations in configurations and use-neat stuff.
Keep this up and might actually have to try it out....
Would need a sturdy box, modest sized to keep the load compact, and out of the way of any "road hazards". Bottom likely of plate with sides not as tough?
Google the M19 Tank Transporter and check out the range of pictures for more of the variations in configurations and use-neat stuff.
Keep this up and might actually have to try it out....
- 1,630
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- 113
- Location
- Central NY
Don't worry John, I am reasonably familiar with a "T", a couple of my old cronies back home have them. That was where I got the star and wheel cut outs from.
However, I think that will be the end of the similarity. A demountable box will have to be quite different in construction to that of the "T's" frame mounted box to enable it to withstand the loading/unloading abuse.
One question will be, solid blocks of ballast, a-la Jersey Barriers/Mafia Blocks or whatever you call them, or a loose fill like sand.
Normally, because the fifthwheel is wider than the frame rails, there isn't much room for structural members to run down past the fifthwheel, however with your single tyres, there shouldn't be a problem, which allow sufficient room for ballast without being too high.
stay tuned...............
However, I think that will be the end of the similarity. A demountable box will have to be quite different in construction to that of the "T's" frame mounted box to enable it to withstand the loading/unloading abuse.
One question will be, solid blocks of ballast, a-la Jersey Barriers/Mafia Blocks or whatever you call them, or a loose fill like sand.
Normally, because the fifthwheel is wider than the frame rails, there isn't much room for structural members to run down past the fifthwheel, however with your single tyres, there shouldn't be a problem, which allow sufficient room for ballast without being too high.
stay tuned...............
- 1,630
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- Location
- Central NY
I think that if your fifth wheel is slid all the way forward and there are side rails to the ramp pads - like train wheels, then you'll need minimal tieing down with binders.
EDIT: Quick rethink John. This won't work unless the King Pin plate is the lowest part of the box, forward of the Kingpin - otherwise there will be interference of the mud flaps, tyres, frame ends etc., when the front half of the box is pulled up over the roller. BTDB (Back to the Drawing Board).....
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- Arizona
You may be able to keep the kingpin off the roller by having it work like the M870 trailer kingpin works - it is free to be removed from above, but cannot pass through the hole towards the bottom.
CB was thinking of that as well- same system as on the M172A1 trailer. So when the plate is past the roller, then position the king pin before it engages with the 5th wheel. Or do as Zebedee suggests using spacers to lift up the ballast box as it goes over the roller.
Getting very interested in this plan as anyone with a bob-tailed tractor that wants to get off-road knows, the traction at the empty rear is what hurts. Also wondering what existing containers might be adapted to the ballast role- dumpsters, cut down roll-off bodies. Need some ideas!
Artisan, with your flat bed conversion, oops "cat walk", do you plan to go back to full 5th wheel often , or is the deck version to be the normal configuration?
Getting very interested in this plan as anyone with a bob-tailed tractor that wants to get off-road knows, the traction at the empty rear is what hurts. Also wondering what existing containers might be adapted to the ballast role- dumpsters, cut down roll-off bodies. Need some ideas!
Artisan, with your flat bed conversion, oops "cat walk", do you plan to go back to full 5th wheel often , or is the deck version to be the normal configuration?
- 12,195
- 325
- 0
- Location
- gainesville, ga.
In the oil field, the trailers pulled by pole trucks have a king pin that will go up to the bottom of the king pin plate (but not though it) as it goes over the rolling tail board, then drop to latch into the fifth wheel, sometimes it takes the driver to make a love tap on the pin to get it to drop, this floating kinpin seems to work pretty well.