Purchasing my first Deuce

[Cataclysmx]

Hello everyone I am new here! Sunday is the day I may be buying myself a 1970 Kaiser m35a2 and I am quite nervous and excited for this adventure. To give a little background I have dreamed about owning one of these machines and finally have an opportunity to acquire one. I am not super knowledgeable when it comes to these vehicles however basic car and truck maintenance comes pretty easy to me. I love learning new things and think this would be a great opportunity to learn more about these trucks. So today I had a few questions for everyone in here. 1. What should I expect with this purchase? There are 29k miles reported on the odometer and it starts right up no problem. It’s approximately 4 hours away from me and I’m stressing about the drive home.
2. What are some things I should inspect/test when I arrive to see the truck?
3.what advice do you all have for a younger guy purchasing one of these vehicles?
I really appreciate any help or advice I can get, thank you! Attached below are some photos of the vehicle.

 

[ODAddict]

Good morning, congratulations, and welcome to the forum. There are people here with a great deal of knowledge and experience. Don't be shy about asking any questions.

I owned on of these models for several years until I decided to downsize a bit.

If you already have a CDL and are proficient in a truck pre-trip inspection, you're already a step ahead. If you don't have CDL training, there are truck inspection forms available on line that you can use to guide you. If you have an operator manual specific to the M35A2, use the checklist contained therein.

First and foremost, make sure the brakes and tires are fully functional and safe. The brake system is air over hydraulic. You'll have to crawl under the truck to inspect the physical brake system components as well as inside of the tires.

The air pressure should build to approximately 120 psi before cutting out (you can hear the spitter when the air builds to pressure and cuts out the compressor). After that, you should perform a full brake system check--again, the procedure is available on line.

Check all of the fluid levels including all of the running gear.

Use your truck inspection list, whether generic or military-specific. The truck weighs about 13000 pounds empty, and while it's a lot of fun to drive, it can be a handful in some situations, and you are assuming greater liability than you do in a smaller vehicle.

Use hearing protection. The cab is quite loud. Also, as in any large vehicle, visibility around the truck is restricted. Take it easy.

Again, please make sure the truck is safe. You may not get a second chance.

If you have any specific questions, please post them.

Hope that helps.

 

[G744]

Don't know why one needs a CDL for a deuce, maybe in some states. Active MV's don't stop for DOT scales anyway, if you do go thru, it adds unwanted attention.

A temp plate for moving it is easy to get.

Get some cushions for the seats, sitting on bare metal/wood is very uncomfortable for any amount of time.

Lube, air, & fuel, basic safety checks, and hit the road.

 

[GopherHill]

I echo the above posts. Make very sure the brakes are good. Also check the parking brake function. Allow plenty of stopping distance when driving. They are good trucks, just have some age on them, like lots of us.

 

[biscuitwhistler37]

First, check your road time again, if it's four hours by normal car, it's closer to six hours by deuce. Second, as mentioned, brakes and tires are most crucial, followed by leaks. Make frequent stops and check hub/wheel temps either by hand or with an infrared thermometer. Keep an eye on your air and oil pressure, 2200-2400 rpm is your best friend. As a younger guy who was in the same boat, you will not be disappointed, I acquired mine in December, drove it 106 miles home, took just under four hours and was one of the most fun drives I've ever made, and that's saying something. Also, if any of your driving is going to be at night, be vigilant of the reflections on the glass inside the cab, it tends to give illusions traffic is or going to be where it actually isn't. Oh and 48-54mph is your cruising range, other than that, remember first and reverse are unsynchronized and it's absolutey MANDATORY to blow the horn at anyone who looks at it and anytime you see children. I would say try not to fall in love, but the first time you grab third and it does what it does, you won't have a choice. Congrats on the find and welcome to the only disease you'll be ecstatic you contracted.

 

[Cataclysmx]

Good morning, congratulations, and welcome to the forum. There are people here with a great deal of knowledge and experience. Don't be shy about asking any questions.

I owned on of these models for several years until I decided to downsize a bit.

If you already have a CDL and are proficient in a truck pre-trip inspection, you're already a step ahead. If you don't have CDL training, there are truck inspection forms available on line that you can use to guide you. If you have an operator manual specific to the M35A2, use the checklist contained therein.

First and foremost, make sure the brakes and tires are fully functional and safe. The brake system is air over hydraulic. You'll have to crawl under the truck to inspect the physical brake system components as well as inside of the tires.

The air pressure should build to approximately 120 psi before cutting out (you can hear the spitter when the air builds to pressure and cuts out the compressor). After that, you should perform a full brake system check--again, the procedure is available on line.

Check all of the fluid levels including all of the running gear.

Use your truck inspection list, whether generic or military-specific. The truck weighs about 13000 pounds empty, and while it's a lot of fun to drive, it can be a handful in some situations, and you are assuming greater liability than you do in a smaller vehicle.

Use hearing protection. The cab is quite loud. Also, as in any large vehicle, visibility around the truck is restricted. Take it easy.

Again, please make sure the truck is safe. You may not get a second chance.

If you have any specific questions, please post them.

Hope that helps.

thank you so much for your advice I will be sure to check everything prior to leaving. I believe the owner has all physical manuals for the vehicle so I was planning on reading through some stuff prior to driving. Also in California atleast I don’t have to have a cdl to drive this vehicle. The most experience I have driving something of this size are fire trucks, I’m a firefighter at a small county fire station and I’m often allowed to drive the engines small distances and I do enjoy it. And as far as checking the brakes I’m assuming it would be very similar to checking a fire engine but I will be checking the procedure online. Thank you so much again for your help and I will make sure to check everything and ask questions as needed!

 

[Cataclysmx]

First, check your road time again, if it's four hours by normal car, it's closer to six hours by deuce. Second, as mentioned, brakes and tires are most crucial, followed by leaks. Make frequent stops and check hub/wheel temps either by hand or with an infrared thermometer. Keep an eye on your air and oil pressure, 2200-2400 rpm is your best friend. As a younger guy who was in the same boat, you will not be disappointed, I acquired mine in December, drove it 106 miles home, took just under four hours and was one of the most fun drives I've ever made, and that's saying something. Also, if any of your driving is going to be at night, be vigilant of the reflections on the glass inside the cab, it tends to give illusions traffic is or going to be where it actually isn't. Oh and 48-54mph is your cruising range, other than that, remember first and reverse are unsynchronized and it's absolutey MANDATORY to blow the horn at anyone who looks at it and anytime you see children. I would say try not to fall in love, but the first time you grab third and it does what it does, you won't have a choice. Congrats on the find and welcome to the only disease you'll be ecstatic you contracted.

The owner stated that he did not see any major leaks with the vehicle but I live about 200 miles away so I won’t be able to see them until Sunday. And with the hub and wheel temps what exactly am I looking for? If it’s too hot is it better to pull over and let them cool down? What do you mean by first and reverse being unsynchronized? My experience driving manual is with sports car so I’m not sure what to expect with this truck. Thank you so much for your response and for your help!

 

[Cataclysmx]

I echo the above posts. Make very sure the brakes are good. Also check the parking brake function. Allow plenty of stopping distance when driving. They are good trucks, just have some age on them, like lots of us.

Thank you for your help!

 

[Cataclysmx]

Don't know why one needs a CDL for a deuce, maybe in some states. Active MV's don't stop for DOT scales anyway, if you do go thru, it adds unwanted attention.

A temp plate for moving it is easy to get.

Get some cushions for the seats, sitting on bare metal/wood is very uncomfortable for any amount of time.

Lube, air, & fuel, basic safety checks, and hit the road.

I don’t believe I need a cdl for where I’m at which is great! It’s got historic plates and is registered as a jeep so I’m hoping all that works out. As far as cushions and seats, I’ve been seeing new seating for sale on eBay. Am I better if just getting cushions or buying new seating? Thank you!

 

[18operator]

First and reverse gears being unsynchronized means you should come to a complete stop before shifting into those gears.
So if you are downshifting from second to first, in second gear, come to a complete stop then shift into first. If you don't stop, you will grind gears trying to get it into first. Reverse is easy, you have to stop going forward before shifting into reverse.

 

[Hummer Guy]

Hello everyone I am new here! Sunday is the day I may be buying myself a 1970 Kaiser m35a2 and I am quite nervous and excited for this adventure. To give a little background I have dreamed about owning one of these machines and finally have an opportunity to acquire one. I am not super knowledgeable when it comes to these vehicles however basic car and truck maintenance comes pretty easy to me. I love learning new things and think this would be a great opportunity to learn more about these trucks. So today I had a few questions for everyone in here. 1. What should I expect with this purchase? There are 29k miles reported on the odometer and it starts right up no problem. It’s approximately 4 hours away from me and I’m stressing about the drive home.
2. What are some things I should inspect/test when I arrive to see the truck?
3.what advice do you all have for a younger guy purchasing one of these vehicles?
I really appreciate any help or advice I can get, thank you! Attached below are some photos of the vehicle.

If you're driving it back home then be aware that these trucks don't stop like a normal truck its size, keep your following distance a bit far from vehicles till you get use to it. (Had someone in a 2500 brake check me recently, guess he was mad because I was driving the speed limit)

Don't forget, these have no power steering, keep your thumbs outside of the steering wheel so you don't break your fingers if the steering wheel jerks against you.

The NDT tires sucks on wet surfaces, be aware.

Sometimes 2nd gear can be a little strange to get in, I just double clutch to get in it if its hard.

Personally, I recommend 2,200-2,250 RPMs to be your max cruising RPM for reliability, the engine can cruise at 2,500 RPMs all day but I'm not trying to throw a rod.

If it has an EGT gauge installed, keep an eye on it, you don't want to run your EGTs sky high if the fuel has been turned up by the previous owner.

 

[Hummer Guy]

First, check your road time again, if it's four hours by normal car, it's closer to six hours by deuce. Second, as mentioned, brakes and tires are most crucial, followed by leaks. Make frequent stops and check hub/wheel temps either by hand or with an infrared thermometer. Keep an eye on your air and oil pressure, 2200-2400 rpm is your best friend. As a younger guy who was in the same boat, you will not be disappointed, I acquired mine in December, drove it 106 miles home, took just under four hours and was one of the most fun drives I've ever made, and that's saying something. Also, if any of your driving is going to be at night, be vigilant of the reflections on the glass inside the cab, it tends to give illusions traffic is or going to be where it actually isn't. Oh and 48-54mph is your cruising range, other than that, remember first and reverse are unsynchronized and it's absolutey MANDATORY to blow the horn at anyone who looks at it and anytime you see children. I would say try not to fall in love, but the first time you grab third and it does what it does, you won't have a choice. Congrats on the find and welcome to the only disease you'll be ecstatic you contracted.

I thought it was just me that get illusions from the reflections in the glass on MVs

 

[HDN]

Welcome to the forum! Everyone here has shared good advice. Here's some of mine:

Keep in mind that the brakes are most likely single-circuit, so if you lose one wheel cylinder, you lose all of them, so be sure to leave yourself an out in case of brake failure. Check the insides of the rims for evidence of leaking brake fluid. I recommend doing this check at the end of every drive while you're under the truck draining the air tanks. If you need to top it off, the truck is supposed to use DOT-5.

Check for obvious leaks around the motor, transmission, and transfer case, like around the pans and shaft seals. These old trucks always leak somewhere, sometimes a little sometimes a lot, which is why you see oil pans under them when the local soldiers have their service vehicles on display. A little leak is okay IMO, but a dripping leak definitely isn't (these leaks are characterized appropriately in the operator's manual PMCS tables). Be prepared to change all fluids and pack wheel bearings when you get it home, as well as replace rear axle seals and all axle vents. At that mileage, the truck should have the rear spring seat bearings serviced to prevent a mode of rear suspension failure, but that's something to do if you bring it home.

I'd ask the current owner to go with them on a test drive, that's what I did before I bought my truck. Watch how they drive the vehicle, and you get familiar with it when it's your turn. Feel for wobble or problems with stopping, like the truck listing in either direction with brakes applied. The rear axles making a CLUNK sound after a 90-degree turn is normal, and they should straighten out when the truck is driven straight for a short distance. If you can't drive it, I'd make them an offer considering such.

If you still really want the truck and are feeling uncomfortable driving it home after looking at it, I suggest shipping it. Some towing companies have beefy two-axle rollbacks that can handle the truck safely.

Is that radiator aftermarket? I'm wondering if other stuff was added to the truck. Some owners have added electric winches and air dryers, even an Air-O-Matic air-assisted steering system. I noticed there's a hitch receiver on the back too.

Lastly, if you consider going through the trouble to bob the thing, I suggest looking at an LMTV instead. Sure, it's a newer cabover and an automatic, but it's already a 4x4, has full air brakes and does the same thing the older deuces do, with some more comfort so I've been told.

 

[Cataclysmx]

Welcome to the forum! Everyone here has shared good advice. Here's some of mine:

Keep in mind that the brakes are most likely single-circuit, so if you lose one wheel cylinder, you lose all of them, so be sure to leave yourself an out in case of brake failure. Check the insides of the rims for evidence of leaking brake fluid. I recommend doing this check at the end of every drive while you're under the truck draining the air tanks. If you need to top it off, the truck is supposed to use DOT-5.

Check for obvious leaks around the motor, transmission, and transfer case, like around the pans and shaft seals. These old trucks always leak somewhere, sometimes a little sometimes a lot, which is why you see oil pans under them when the local soldiers have their service vehicles on display. A little leak is okay IMO, but a dripping leak definitely isn't (these leaks are characterized appropriately in the operator's manual PMCS tables). Be prepared to change all fluids and pack wheel bearings when you get it home, as well as replace rear axle seals and all axle vents. At that mileage, the truck should have the rear spring seat bearings serviced to prevent a mode of rear suspension failure, but that's something to do if you bring it home.

I'd ask the current owner to go with them on a test drive, that's what I did before I bought my truck. Watch how they drive the vehicle, and you get familiar with it when it's your turn. Feel for wobble or problems with stopping, like the truck listing in either direction with brakes applied. The rear axles making a CLUNK sound after a 90-degree turn is normal, and they should straighten out when the truck is driven straight for a short distance. If you can't drive it, I'd make them an offer considering such.

If you still really want the truck and are feeling uncomfortable driving it home after looking at it, I suggest shipping it. Some towing companies have beefy two-axle rollbacks that can handle the truck safely.

Is that radiator aftermarket? I'm wondering if other stuff was added to the truck. Some owners have added electric winches and air dryers, even an Air-O-Matic air-assisted steering system. I noticed there's a hitch receiver on the back too.

Lastly, if you consider going through the trouble to bob the thing, I suggest looking at an LMTV instead. Sure, it's a newer cabover and an automatic, but it's already a 4x4, has full air brakes and does the same thing the older deuces do, with some more comfort so I've been told.

That’s a lot to take in! So for starters yes the radiator is aftermarket the current owner installed a new one. What do you recommend I do first? I wanted to take it up to a buddy’s house after I get home to show him and do some work, should I hold on that and work on all those maintenance things? What do you mean by packing the wheel bearings? Are there any videos you recommend with this info? I think I’m going to step into the truck and drive it and absolutely love it. I love driving manuals especially bigger vehicles. If it checks out mechanically I will for sure bring it home. And I’m trading 2006 crf450x dirtbike and a grand on top for this so this is a good deal in my eyes. As far as the brakes if I were to lose one wheel cylinder what do you mean by giving myself an out? What can I do to prevent that? Thank you for your advice! I’m getting real nervous now lol

 

[HDN]

That’s a lot to take in! So for starters yes the radiator is aftermarket the current owner installed a new one. What do you recommend I do first? I wanted to take it up to a buddy’s house after I get home to show him and do some work, should I hold on that and work on all those maintenance things? What do you mean by packing the wheel bearings? Are there any videos you recommend with this info? I think I’m going to step into the truck and drive it and absolutely love it. I love driving manuals especially bigger vehicles. If it checks out mechanically I will for sure bring it home. And I’m trading 2006 crf450x dirtbike and a grand on top for this so this is a good deal in my eyes. As far as the brakes if I were to lose one wheel cylinder what do you mean by giving myself an out? What can I do to prevent that? Thank you for your advice! I’m getting real nervous now lol

Gosh I don't mean to scare ya! These trucks are definitely a learning experience if you're not used to them. Before I got my truck, I was somewhat used to it because I grew up with a dad who restored old military vehicles, so I was around when he did maintenance tasks with the trucks. Since I've bought my truck, I feel like it's made me a better shade tree mechanic in the sense that I feel that if I can work on this big thing, I can work on the smaller daily drivers, and usually have an easier time doing so. It's a confidence booster

I'm going to break down my responses within yours, my comments in green:

That’s a lot to take in! So for starters yes the radiator is aftermarket the current owner installed a new one. What do you recommend I do first? I wanted to take it up to a buddy’s house after I get home to show him and do some work, should I hold on that and work on all those maintenance things? If you have friends who are willing to help, great! I'd include the maintenance with whatever work you have planned. What kind of work do you plan on doing?

What do you mean by packing the wheel bearings? Are there any videos you recommend with this info? These trucks and anything heavier use open wheel bearings, which, in the case of this truck, are packed with wheel bearing grease. These bearings need to be removed from the axle and hub to clean and re-pack with grease as the grease will either eventually get old and dry out, or, in the case of the rear axles, the axle seals may give out, usually from clogged axle vents, and leak gear oil into the hub, which washes the grease from the outer bearings at a minimum. I guarantee you that the fire trucks you've driven have this type of wheel bearing configuration. Well-maintained bearings will last a long time. The truck's lube order document (LO for short) has the service intervals for these bearings with both a mileage and time spec. Tactical Repair on YouTube has good videos showing this process specifically for the M35 trucks. There are other videos that go through the wheel bearing packing process.

In contrast, modern daily driver cars and pick-ups use disposable sealed bearings built right into the wheel hubs. They are maintenance free with the caveat that once the bearing goes, you have to replace the whole hub assembly, which, fortunately, isn't a terrible job and can save you a few hundred bucks if you do it yourself.

I think I’m going to step into the truck and drive it and absolutely love it. I love driving manuals especially bigger vehicles. I'm sure you will! When people ask me about the MPG, I tell them that and that it's the smiles-per-mile that count the most

If it checks out mechanically I will for sure bring it home. And I’m trading 2006 crf450x dirtbike and a grand on top for this so this is a good deal in my eyes. I'd get rid of a dirt bike for a deuce! But I'm not a motorcycle person to begin with

As far as the brakes if I were to lose one wheel cylinder what do you mean by giving myself an out? What can I do to prevent that? This is something I concern myself with when I drive anything. When I say "leave yourself an out", that means having a plan to safely stop or put the vehicle somewhere you can't hurt yourself or others. When driving every day, that could mean avoiding a wreck that happens immediately in front of you, or, if you blow a tire on the steering axle, maneuvering the vehicle in such a way as to keep you from going into oncoming traffic. Part of that is leaving sufficient stopping distance between yourself and the vehicle in front of you.

If I were driving an M35 and the brakes stopped working, I'd downshift to third and work the emergency brake handle with the goal of trying to get the truck stopped on the side of the road safely. I hope I never have to do that with any vehicle. I'm thankful that my M35A3 came from the factory with dual-circuit brakes, where I can still stop if I blow a wheel cylinder or line.

Thank you for your advice! I’m getting real nervous now lol If you go through with this, I'm sure you'll have several moments where you'll be asking yourself "What did I get myself into?!"

 

[US6x4]

It's easy to overlook (especially in the daylight) but you won't have brake lights or turn signals unless you turn the light switch to STOP LIGHT or SERVICE DRIVE

 

[98G]

Plan every red light ahead of time. Slow while downshifting, hit every gear on the way down. You should already be in 2nd before you even need to hit the brakes.

Some people when driving a manual, simply go to neutral and get on the brakes to stop - don't do this.

Plan every stop as if you might not have brakes. An 'out' means you've picked some way to dodge or something noncritical to hit in the case of lost brakes.

I lost brakes on an M818 once. While towing a semitrailer. I got it stopped, in a motel parking lot in Logan NM where I simply stayed until the next day when I could work on it. An M818 is very nearly identical to a deuce, just bigger and heavier.

If the current owner has been driving it, you should have no worries.

Here's how I'd do it - check fluids, walk around and look at tires and tire pressure, crawl under it and look for leaks, verify dot 3 or dot 5 fluid in the brake system.

Drive. Stop at the first opportunity for fuel. Feel all the hubs. Temps should be the same. One substantially warmer than the others is a problem. Repeat the walk around and fluid check.

Drive. Stop at the halfway point. Repeat all of the above.

Drive. Top off at the closest fuel stop to your destination.

Any issues with brakes is a wave off. Store it and go back and fix it, tow it, or transport it.

 

[HDN]

It's easy to overlook (especially in the daylight) but you won't have brake lights or turn signals unless you turn the light switch to STOP LIGHT or SERVICE DRIVE

View attachment 918707

So true! I make it a habit to turn the stop light on before I drive!

Here's another thing to plan on: Tools to work on the truck. Jack stands, torque wrenches, sockets, etc. The nice thing is that the deuce, being the baby of the 6x6 cargo trucks, is that many of the tools needed for this truck will also be useful for both bigger AND smaller vehicles!

 

[biscuitwhistler37]

That’s a lot to take in! So for starters yes the radiator is aftermarket the current owner installed a new one. What do you recommend I do first? I wanted to take it up to a buddy’s house after I get home to show him and do some work, should I hold on that and work on all those maintenance things? What do you mean by packing the wheel bearings? Are there any videos you recommend with this info? I think I’m going to step into the truck and drive it and absolutely love it. I love driving manuals especially bigger vehicles. If it checks out mechanically I will for sure bring it home. And I’m trading 2006 crf450x dirtbike and a grand on top for this so this is a good deal in my eyes. As far as the brakes if I were to lose one wheel cylinder what do you mean by giving myself an out? What can I do to prevent that? Thank you for your advice! I’m getting real nervous now lol

We did it again, answered the questions without asking the important ones, the most important of which are how much maintenance has the truck received in those ~30k miles and how long has it been sitting? Also as stated, definitely have the guy who has it take you for a ride in it. If he's unwilling, something big is up, no sane kaiser owner on the up and up will say, "No, it drives fine, take my word for it." The hub/wheel temp worry is usually reserved for trucks that aren't being driven much, but as previously stated, after you have the current owner take you for a toodle, touch the wheels (not tires, WHEELS) and feel for anything hot. Warm wheels after a run is fine, a wheel that makes you pull your hand away and think "ouch!" Is not fine! Oh and the shift pattern, idk what kind of manuals you're used to driving, but I guarantee the Kaiser pattern will throw you at first. Doesn't take too long to get used to. As far as giving yourself an out in the event of brake failure, what that means is if you're going down the road, everythings cool, all is happy, a signal light changes, you hit the brake and the pedal goes to the floor with no brake pressure being applied to the wheels. You are now in a 7 ton chunk of steel moving towards slowing traffic with little to no way of stopping. An "out" would be an uninhabited sidewalk, or a ditch, anywhere you could put the truck where you won't be a danger to others or yourself and get "out" of the bad situation. It is rare, but does happen. Complacency is always your enemy, but with these trucks, it is especially important to remain vigilant, you are on 42" tires, even with no winch and "stripped" as that one is, it's still almost 7 tons, a full size sedan would fit under the front bumper and not stop the truck. All that being said, hope it works out for you and everything goes smoothly.

 

[Cataclysmx]

We did it again, answered the questions without asking the important ones, the most important of which are how much maintenance has the truck received in those ~30k miles and how long has it been sitting? Also as stated, definitely have the guy who has it take you for a ride in it. If he's unwilling, something big is up, no sane kaiser owner on the up and up will say, "No, it drives fine, take my word for it." The hub/wheel temp worry is usually reserved for trucks that aren't being driven much, but as previously stated, after you have the current owner take you for a toodle, touch the wheels (not tires, WHEELS) and feel for anything hot. Warm wheels after a run is fine, a wheel that makes you pull your hand away and think "ouch!" Is not fine! Oh and the shift pattern, idk what kind of manuals you're used to driving, but I guarantee the Kaiser pattern will throw you at first. Doesn't take too long to get used to. As far as giving yourself an out in the event of brake failure, what that means is if you're going down the road, everythings cool, all is happy, a signal light changes, you hit the brake and the pedal goes to the floor with no brake pressure being applied to the wheels. You are now in a 7 ton chunk of steel moving towards slowing traffic with little to no way of stopping. An "out" would be an uninhabited sidewalk, or a ditch, anywhere you could put the truck where you won't be a danger to others or yourself and get "out" of the bad situation. It is rare, but does happen. Complacency is always your enemy, but with these trucks, it is especially important to remain vigilant, you are on 42" tires, even with no winch and "stripped" as that one is, it's still almost 7 tons, a full size sedan would fit under the front bumper and not stop the truck. All that being said, hope it works out for you and everything goes smoothly.

Just a little update I went and saw the vehicle absolutely loved it everything checked out no major leaks hubs were fine nothing heated up like crazy. The only issue with the truck that I had was the radiator. It is aftermarket and the previous owner had water in there, unfortunately there was a lot of rust causing the radiator to overheat and leak every 30 miles. As we speak I have a flush designed to removed rust in there sitting and will be draining and flushing for the rest of the night. I got the hang of driving it quite fast and loved the 9 hour drive home. Now it’s not perfect I’m going to need new door handles only one door opens, the soft top ripped while driving. (If you have links to either of those I’d appreciate it. Other than that there was nothing else of significance. I’d like to repaint it down the line but I definitely need a soft top asap!