No one's m35a3

[BigWill1276]

Hey Exitnoone, I know what you mean about the fireworks, but you should have drove to the Indian Reservation just outside of Vegas, they have the NICE Illegal one's. (Big Boom). As for Pawn Stars, I went down there a couple of months ago just to check it out. There's always a line around the block and the wait is just dumb. Be prepared to stand outside in Vegas for a couple of hours. Give a holler when your out this way. Oh by the way, you'll have your truck before I get mine. I've only been waiting for three weeks for my EUC to clear, I've read that they are taking about 100 days now.

 

[EXITNOONE]

BIGWILL- i think i know exactly which location you're talking about outside vegas. near the valley of fire ? as far as pawn stars, maybe a midnight trip to the place will have less of a line. on the euc- you shouldn't have any problems other than the wait and anticipation. i bought 2 water tanker trucks from gl in barstow to recycle and everything went fine. i had them in about 5 weeks, and that's with euc's on both trucks..

JUST GOT THE TITLE & LOG BOOK in the mail for the A3. according to the records, the transmission was completely replaced by the army in virginia in feb 09. the parts cost was around $17,000. that's completely amazing to have a brand new transmission in the truck. i'm having dave at eastern flush the trans with transynd to be extra sure it stays under warranty and just as good as new.
the differential, speedo and tach were also replaced or r&r'd. according to dave's initial inspection, the truck looks like a total winner. making me more excited by the minute. eastern is also doing full pm service. meaning new radiator hoses, all new belts, all new filters, lube, etc. the A3 should be in top shape for a cross country drive, or just sitting still & looking killer.

more soon.

 

[jeffhuey1n]

Here's an idea for A/C...yes I'm inviting a good thrashing but what the heck...step one, portable generator in the back, towards the back with exhaust pointing back. You'll want to strap it down, dont want it moving. Step two, buy portable A/C unit, the kind that cools one room, sits on the floor, has wheels and has ducting to exhaust out the window and into the room (they have them here at the Ranch store, should have them where you are at / going. Check voltages, etc. so the genset is up to the task. Open back window to cab. Insert COOLING hose into cab, close window to hold hose in place. Strap A/C and hose firmly in place. Don't worry about exhaust...won't even contribute much to global warming. Start generator, start A/C, set for proper level of cooling, proceed with trip.

Might want to carry extra gas for generator.

Yup, pulled this one out of my hat. But when the trip is over, you can sell / trade off the A/C and the generator.

Oh, by the way, this hasn't been tested yet......at least as far as I know.....

 

[EXITNOONE]

JEFF- i've considered the underbed generator idea... however, my issue with that is fording. what happens when you cross a river? the generator gets swamped. same would go for the portable ac. i think having a generator on board is a great idea for camping/ expeditioning, and could be safely stowed in the bed, but underneath, unless you're driving on roads all the time, and not in salty ice slush, severely limits the equipment and use of the truck in bad situations.

 

[BigWill1276]

Hey Exitnoone,
Yeup that's the fireworks stand that I'm talking about. Sounds like a nice score on the deuce. I'm hoping that the one I got is not too bad. I noticed that I needed a new seat and the lights switch on mine. Here it is, 2320 - Trucks & Truck Tractors, Wheeled at Government Liquidation, I want to keep it a 6x6, I already have a lifted 4x4 truck. I've been checking out AC units as well. I don't think the residential AC's could handle the bouncing around in a truck or the mobile generator. I'm leaning towards the Red Dot ones. I'm going to make sure I have AC once it's in Vegas. You know about it. I don't care if it is a dry heat.

 

[EXITNOONE]

BIGWILL- i'm with you on the heat issue... dry or humid, it's all the same and just as bad !! i'm definitely going to check out the indian fireworks shop more this winter. if their's are better than area 51's, then i'm all over it !! cool thing is they have the launch range next to the shop, so you can buy some samples and see what you're getting if you have the extra $$ to experiment.

great job on winning your A3 !!! and with a winch too !! that will be a serious machine. put a pool in the bed and cruise up & down the strip in style... i was watching that same auction, and the other recent ones in sparta, wi. the A3 i bought was on ebay at the same exact time, so i figured i'd pay a little more and get a truck that's already been gone through, rather than one that's been sitting on a gl lot with who knows what issues. also it's already cleared civilian titling, so that is a big time saver as you know with the euc process. plus having a brand new transmission was key on the one i got. you paid $1750 less than me and i'll bet your A3 will be a winner too. the one thing that is irritating about gl is that even if you have an auction on your watch list, there's no way to view what the winning bid was unless you bid on the item.

i am wondering also how well a residential ac unit will stand up to abuse. i have an extra one from a place i was renting last year, and was thinking i could mess with that one to find out. no sense in buying a perfectly good new ac... unless it breaks and the warranty replaces it... probably wouldn't be wise to tell the manufacturer it broke in my A3 though but home depot usually takes anything back with minimal explanation. 3 ac's in 2 months and they might start to wonder what's going on ?!?! maybe i could tell them it's an audi a3.

about red dot... i mentioned it earlier in the thread, i think they are expensive, and for the money, they should be a complete kit. the red dot systems are just the roof top unit. you still have to add your own condensor, compressor, hoses, etc, and figure out how to rig them. plus the compressor draws horse power from the engine. we only have up to 200 hp with the cat 3116 engines if we're lucky, and the allison automatic transmissions in the a3 are only rated for 235 hp max. so there's not a lot of room to improve power, and any reduction in engine power will make a difference. because of all those concerns, i'm going to add an electric radiator fan also to free up the engine even more. keeps the truck cooler, quieter, more efficient, and stronger all at the same time.

 

[EXITNOONE]

LOOKING FOR OPINIONS:

alright guys, check out this mock-up. the question is... keep the 1st rear axle in it's stock location and shorten the bed to roughly 7'... or move the remaining rear axle back about 8" and proportionally section the bed which is about 9' ?? i'm not going the m105 route, because i need the flat cargo space which the m105 wheel wells cut into.

if you make a 3 section bed from the stock A3 bed, and use the stock remaining wheel placement, you end up with too much frame and bed overhang past the wheel in my opinion. if you shorten the bed to 7' which helps retain the original tail approach angle, you obviously lose 2' of very useful cargo space. on los angeles streets, 2' makes a huge difference in traffic and narrow alleys.

this one is a tough call !!! right now i'm leaning toward the 9' bed, moving the rear axle back about 8", dealing with the added issue & cost of lengthening the drive shaft, having just a slightly longer truck. longer truck would be more stable. shorter truck would give better off road performance.

decisions decisions....

 

[EXITNOONE]

FINAL DECISION TIME:

3 OPTIONS:

1. 3 section bed, 46" tires, 1st rear axle in stock position
2. 3 section bed, 46" tires, 1st rear axle moved back 8"
3. 2.75 section bed is 8'4", 46" tires, 1st rear axle in stock position

the reason for moving the 1st rear axle back would be for maintaining the rear approach angles and tail proportion. longer wheelbase should also make the truck more stable.

with the 8'9" bed the rear axle doesn't have to move in order to keep the stock tail proportions.
but cargo wise, the difference between 9' and 8'4" is huge when loading things like plywood sheets.

 

[BigWill1276]

Hey Exitnoone, I must say that I'm swaying more towards option #2 myself. I think with the axle pushed back the 8" makes a world of difference. I found these two Red Dot systems. I talk to the guy in the first one and he was pretty cool. He explained to me how it would mount on the M35 and with us having the M35A3 we would need the serpentine belt one, which he has. He stated that it's the complete system ready to be bolted up and go, with all the hoses and stuff needed. Anyways, let me know when the drive is going to happen.

MILITARY RED DOT A/C FOR SOFT-TOP HMMWV M998 m35a2 cucv: eBay Motors (item 150459229350 end time Jul-22-10 13:09:04 PDT)
and
Red Dot 24 Volt Complete A/C Unit for Military HMMWV: eBay Motors (item 250573074628 end time Jul-30-10 21:10:13 PDT)

 

[EXITNOONE]

BIGWILL- thanks for those ebay links. i just emailed both of the sellers to get some dimensions and check the applications.

can you tell me why you're liking the moved axle better ? my issue with moving the axle is that the stock bed at 3 sections becomes off center to the axle. also, it's an extra $400 for the longer drive shaft... however, moving the axle back allows the stock rear approach and tail proportions to be kept correct. i'm wondering if the truck would handle sloppy in the back with the shorter wheelbase. i doubt the additional 8" or so of bed and frame past the stock axle position are enough weight to make the rear of the truck sloppy. it would take about 2,000 pounds past the rear axle before you could really feel anything (experience from driving a stake bed for work)

here is one more comparison. all i did was move the mudflap closer to the wheel in the top rendering... much different look.

as far as driving the A3 back to california- the work should be done by the end of this week. so i'm guessing around july 20th. i had 10 gallons of transynd shipped to eastern surplus, for flushing the transmission & refill. the best price i've found on that stuff is on ebay also.
pm me for the item #... (don't want the site administrators to get on my case for sales links) price is $120 for 5 gallons. and that's the best price i've seen in my searches.

 

[EXITNOONE]

Making more progress...

 

[BigWill1276]

Whats up man, how the transformer doin? Still waiting for my EUC to clear. I don't even have my truck yet and this is addicting. Let me know when your coming through.
Big Will

 

[Recovry4x4]

Few things. I think the 9' bed look more proportionate. Each section of bed is 3' so natually it looks well balanced when done at 9'. Cargo capacity. You would have a better balanced truck for hauling cargo if the rear axle centerline is behind the centerline of the bed. Even stock deuce have the trunion axle behind the center of the bed. If your bed was completely full of stuff that was of uniform densiity, the more you load it the more weight (incrementally) you would put on the front axle. If the axle was forward of the bed centerline, the more weight you added would actually decrease weight on the front axle negatively affecting control. Bed length should determine axle placement.

Staying cooler (relative term) on the highway is easily accomplished by closing all windows except the drivers windshield. Open this to the first click and the incoming rush of air will pressurize the cab and keep hot air from coming in every little (and big) hole in the cab. With the windshield opened to only the first detent, almost all bugs will blow over the glass, not under it. You can run with both windshields this way if you like. The project looks interesting and I'd think a cross country trip at 55 would give you a better look at the countryside. If it weren't for work, kids, spouse and other obligations, I'd jump at a cross country deuce journey.

 

[EXITNOONE]

BIGWILL- the guys at eastern surplus are still finishing the bob. i sent them 10 gallons of transynd to flush the transmission while they do the full pm service. might as well give myself every advantage for the drive in the heat, and make sure the driveline is as solid as possible. i'm expecting all the work to be done in about 2 weeks. after that it will just be a matter of getting it home. i'm having them weld padlock hasps to the doors for some sort of security. i can easily modify or improve them once i get home. and they're also going to install a 24 to 12 volt converter for cell phone and even gps if i decide to get a navigation unit. one of the best things about gps units is they calculate your actual speed in real time. of course, the military installed speedometers for that, but with bigger tires, the bob, and other factors, it will be cool to have a modern digital read out to use for reference over the long haul.

waiting for the euc can be a nail biter. just when you think gl has forgotten about you, after checking the update status in your account 70,000 times, it finally shows up. hang in there.

RECOVRY- thank you for the tips and hints. i was still going back and forth between the full 3 section bed, and the 2.5 section bed. the difference is approximately 1 foot. all your assessments are what i was coming up with as well. load stability, utility, etc. first of all i have to say i don't want to cut it down at all, because it is practically a perfect A3. but in los angeles, it's just not going to work on city streets. and with that in mind, i ended up going with the stock wheel position and the 2.5 section bed. i instructed the guys at eastern surplus to cut the bed down to 3 sections, and then cut the center section right in the middle. this way when it is welded back together, the bed will still look perfectly symmetrical, retain it's 2 tie down hooks per section, and be centered over the rear axle. the biggest advantage is turning radius and handling. weight and shorter over all length are obvious advantages also. being able to register it with a lower gvwr and one less axle will make a huge cost difference in this pansie ruled state too.

something else i was highly considering with the longer wheelbase- when moving the rear axle back, was the greater potential to high center the truck while offroading. when the rears are moved back, usually by about 10", the 46" tires should offset the longer wheelbase and make the proportions almost like stock. it's about 1:1... but moving the rear axle back under the stock bed would just put more load on the font as you mentioned, and uncenter the axle to the bed, leaving more underbelly exposed.

i've read a bunch of threads saying the same thing about the front windows... the only problem with that is in areas where the ambient temperature is above 90º. otherwise, it's an excellent suggestion. yesterday's temperature in death valley... 122º. removing the entire cab still wouldn't cool a guy down at those temps

 

[kc5mzd]

I live in Texas and as long as you are moving opening the front windshield one click works fine. It can be 100 out side and still be ok even with high humidity. I haven't reached the point where I felt I would be better off with the windows closed and AC on - if I had it. Also if you are taking it to where temps will be over 80 - 90 for long periods I would sugest puting in a cooler thermostat and using 40w or 50w oil.

 

[EXITNOONE]

KC5MZD- thank you. from my time in san antonio, all i can say is i guess you learn to get used to it, but i have no idea how i could ever accept it as normal !! at a steady clip on the highways, i figure the heat won't be too bad, but sitting in baking traffic is another story.

 

[CycleJay]

Hello,
With all due respect, No offense intended.
Do NOT bob the truck, respect the original design for its usefulness, and leave it
the orginial length.

I do not have one of those trucks yet.
But when I do, I am going to keep it stock and original.

I do not understand why some people are so obsessed with "bobbing" those trucks.

If you want something with that short of a bed, why not save your money,
and buy a pickup truck.
Or if you still want military, go with an M880, or M1008, etc.

Just my $0.02 cents.

Have a good night,

CJ

 

[OPCOM]

The A3 is hard to get and pretty rare. I would not bob it, but would have rebuilt and bobbed an A2. However, your truck and $$ to spend. Keep the pics coming, make it special, really special, if you do bob it, so it is not just another bobbed deuce, considering it is the A3. For an doing that with A3, it ought to be done so it's something that makes CXT owners cry.

About the a/c, the cab has a lot of air leaks and heat soak, even after you seal it up. I don't know the LA climate but if it were for me in TX, I'd put a 30,000-36,000 BTU unit on board, driven by the engine. Or a modified 2-ton window unit in the bed driven by an aux diesel genset. I see you want to use the 300A alternator, well OK, but that means that you will need to run the engine to make electricity, then convert the electricity, then run an a/c, which is basically a motor turning a compressor.. Lots of places to lose power/efficiency. Also the starting surge on a respectable a/c can be quite a lot.

The next thing is that an inverter, unless it is a sinewave inverter, makes a waveform that motors do not like, and you may have further inefficiencies or motor heating issues (I2R and reactive losses) with the compressor and fan motors unless you can clean up that modified square wave a lot.

If you mount a window type unit, be aware that the constant vibration from driving can cause the copper refrigerant lines to vibrate and crack or wear hols in them if against something. Also, the blower motor for the condenser and evaporator - -its mounts are likely rubber and may sage or move enough as the truck moves and bounces, to make the blower wheel or fan baldes hit the volute and that makes a bad noise as well as can knock the fan/blower wheel out of true causing shaft vibration hastening the eventual doom of the a/c unit. Those problems are exacerbated in the larger units>1 ton. I had these things happen and the solution was to rigidly bolt everything in place and wrap all lines in armorflex and fasten them in place.

OK, well keep the pics coming.

 

[EXITNOONE]

OPCOM- great input and thanks. i had been considering ways to minimize road shock to the ac. already have a concept in mind, but will have to wait until the truck is home to fabricate it. as far as running the ac, it will only be during times when the truck is running. no need for complicated battery banks such as in rv's which run ac's on battery power. alternator to inverter to ac. should be straightforward. sinewave fuzz does pose a possible big problem... before installing the whole set up, i'm planning on garage testing it with the alternator turning to be sure the system doesn't fry. we will see. garage test also allows me to return parts that won't get mangled from install. of course, by time i have it all rigged up, it will probably be winter, and thereby make it unnecessary at all. ironic. if there is a particular fail point i'm most concerned about, it is the inverter being able to handle the initial ac surge at start up. about bobbing the A3, see reply to cycle below.

CYCLE- no offense taken. in my thread, i've outlined some of the various reasons for why i need to bob the A3... however, in order to make everyone happy, including myself, and because i'd also like to have an unadulterated A3, i think i'll just buy another A3. you may be jealous-er now.

i already have an 18' gmc 6500 stake bed, but it's not an off road truck by any means. driving that thing through scrap yards on 4" uneven pavement with 10,000 pounds on the bed doesn't allow you to drive any faster than 5mph without tearing the truck apart. as strong as a 6500 is, once weight is on it, you have to drive like you're carrying a load of glass and eggs. the A3 is going to have a specific purpose in my business. 880's and 1008's in the COTS plan were discontinued why ?

because they didn't have the sack to match deuces. by removing one of the deuce axles, i don't consider it castrating a perfectly good truck. in the capacity that i'll be using it, it's more like circumcision. now it's holy and clean. with no negative effect. i conceed payload is reduced, but i'll be ****ed if i'm gonna let a fat chick ride my bob anyway !!! so payload isn't my main concern. shear offroad toughness in a compact space that can haul some weight and be practically stuck free is what i need. just a straight up, kick your teeth in machine that grabs attention.

does air conditioning mean straight up machine ? maybe not. even though my A3 isn't going to be a daily driver, on the days i do use it for work, i'll be happier if i have ac in it. i don't think road rage describes my temper accurately when dealing with a large truck in traffic, so anything to cool my temper will help not only me, but the survival rate of those driving idiotically near me.

from about the age of 13, i would work with my father on our old stake bed during the summers. that thing had no air conditioning, and was manual and we didn't get the 6500 with ac & automatic until 2000. i remember watching him be totally wiped out by the end of the day. shifting gears and sweatting your rear off in city traffic is zero fun. i have enough experience sweatting my a$$ off while working in a rolling oven, and it isn't a joy ride that i'm in a hurry to re-experience.

all my respect goes to our boys who are still sticking it out all over the world in lumbering deuces without ac.






​

 

[EXITNOONE]

The latest photos of the bob. Sitting @ eastern surplus. Should have it home in 3 weeks. Will add the new 46" tires once home. Still can't make up my mind, michelin xl, xml, or xzl ?!?!?