• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

M923A2 Recovery from Great Falls, Montana. My first MV

wbread99

New member
23
0
1
Location
Montana
So I've been scanning the forum a lot lately and have read extensively the what-to-watch-for and recovery threads. I'm amazed with the stories from the guys who bought vehicles 1000 miles away and bought them (won, I guess) from GL virtually sight unseen.

This is not one of them.

I recovered my 923A2 exactly 1.5 miles from my office, from the DRMO yard at the end of the flightline on Malmstrom AFB. I am fortunate enough to frequent DRMO often, turning in scrap metal and timed out aircraft components monthly, and I have a rapport with the folks there, so I had an idea of what was coming going, and what was good and what wasn't. They let me look over and play with the gear going up on GL.

It took 3 tries, but I finally got a 5-tonner. One that I knew, inspected, and drove. And I paid way too **** much money for it, but I wasn't letting it get away. I'm told Iron Planet out of SLC got the contract for the region this time, so everything from now on will be sold from Salt Lake.

Got the SF97 in about a month as advertised and it was wicked simple here in Montana to register it. took 10 minutes once I got to the window. No concern for size, weight, GVWR, CDL...just enjoy your new really big pick up truck.

Drove it around the back side of the base for 2 hours trying to get it to overheat, piss itself, stall, stick brakes....anything, at least while it was on base and not in traffic. Nothing.

This morning it was zero-ish and snowing, and the truck lights up like someone stuck a fork in it (my gas cars dont start that fast). Get going down the road to report to work on the base, and after about 5 minutes, I get blinking CTIS. OK, Ive read up on this 100 times, and downloaded the troubleshooting manual, but here we go. Here is the kicker: when I turn the truck off in with CTIS blinking, the tires start going flat. And brake systems are down to 70 psi, something I never saw in my 10-tonners.

Not asking for help yet, until I scour what seems like a million CTIS problem posts, unless you have something in your back pocket. Chalking it up to cold WX. For now. Did run it today and it did operate correctly and blow up my tires, but who knows where the air is going. Will check the front axle connections. I did hear it hissing earlier.

Picking my kid up from day care in a 5 ton? Classic.... Major dad points.

Sure things will break and I enjoy having access to people who know how to fix it.
 

mcmullag

Member
919
13
18
Location
Colorado Springs, CO region
How many lights do you have blinking? four?

Mine is acting different in the winter cold too, sometimes 4 lites flashing and two tires that like to get a little lower than the others if the vehicle sits for a couple weeks.
I guess it is the same idea that took down the space shuttle on launch in cold weather in 1986, a seal, a giant o-ring, did not seal in cold weather on
one of the booster rockets, they shrink-up. I plan on replacing some wheel seals/o-rings and some of the hub valve O-rings.
 

Eaglhawk

New member
51
17
0
Location
Grantsville, Utah
Nice that you bought one... I bought a couple here from Hill AFB (New and dirt cheap) and one wrecker version that had a broken injector pump which cost $685 to rebuild. Unfortunately I don't know much about them since I am only familiar with the older trucks. 2 out of my 4 trucks have the CTIS and I have heard some people have been removing the CTIS due to various reasons... I will be watching this thread since I have seen this problem before from others but not a solution other than disabling... Valvecap's until repaired, because flat tires in cold weather will destroy them...
 

Andrmorr

Member
274
7
18
Location
Burlington, NC
Quick and easy way is to put a valve stem core in each wheel which will isolate your tires- let you determine if you have a leak in the wheel itself- let you use the truck while you track down air leaks/problems in the truck...hook truck up to shop air and bring air lines up to pressure then listen for leaks and use soapy water to check connections...get some air line sealant and a wrench and re-accomplish all air connections front/back or back/front to make sure you get them all. You will stop a lot of little leaks and prevent a lot of future ones. Kudos on the daycare pick-up...those are the memories that last a lifetime for both you and the little guys!
 
Last edited:
Top