Someone hit my truck!!

[drivebymashing]

What part of SC are you in? I live near Asheville NC I could help you fix it if you dont live too far away. That upsets me about your truck. Shows how tough a deuce is that piece of crap kia is absoultely destroyed. Its like they hit a brick wall.

 

[infidel got me]

Your a good man Drivebymashing- I to would offer a hand if I still lived in Grey Court.

 

[rhurey]

Do you have insurance? Does the person responsible? Hopefully yes.... if so, I'd let said insurances pay to tow and have the truck repaired. They can do the leg work and acquire the parts at the heavily priced places like Boyce Equipment, Eastern Surplus, or Memphis Equipment (or etc, etc, etc).

I'm always wondering how this plays out.

You buy a truck for say 5K. Put 5K (and ocean of labor) into it. Now it's a nice truck.
Then some person hits it. Their insurance looks at it and says "We owe you a 1972 M35A2, here's a dozen for 4K from Craigslist. Fixing yours will run 5K. Have a nice day, we'll take the truck, here's your check."

Having had another motorist total my car and their insurance make the total / no total decision how does this end for one of these trucks? Any tips on how to present the best case?

 

[mkcoen]

You buy a truck for say 5K. Put 5K (and ocean of labor) into it. Now it's a nice truck.
Then some person hits it. Their insurance looks at it and says "We owe you a 1972 M35A2, here's a dozen for 4K from Craigslist. Fixing yours will run 5K. Have a nice day, we'll take the truck, here's your check."

Typically even if they total it you'll have the option of keeping the salvage less the "salvage value." The negotiable part is making sure they don't contact the state and have your title branded as salvage. When it's just an economic total loss and not something structural (crumpled frame for example) there shouldn't be an issue. Make them prove where they got the salvage value quote. In an instance like this it shouldn't be more than scrap as they wouldn't be selling it to a yard for parts.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Having had another motorist total my car and their insurance make the total / no total decision how does this end for one of these trucks? Any tips on how to present the best case?

I have mine insured for XXXXX dollars. If another company wants to total mine out, I now have proof what its true value is. No way they can short change me. I will let my insurance fix the truck and let them sue the other insurance co for the money spent.

 

[mkcoen]

I have mine insured for XXXXX dollars. If another company wants to total mine out, I now have proof what its true value is. No way they can short change me. I will let my insurance fix the truck and let them sue the other insurance co for the money spent.

And that's the correct way to do it.

 

[Seth_O]

I feel for you and your deuce. As awful as this is, the reality is youre probably lucky (as is the driver) that she didnt hit the family minivan, or an commuter car, or anything modern which likely would also have then been a total loss. Or even worse a bystander.

Thanks for sharing the pics, its a little sobering considering thats a residential street. Buckle up and be safe folks!

 

[goldneagle]

How did you determine that the driver of the car did not have insurance? I know in NJ and Louisiana you have to show proof of insurance coverage in order to get tags. (register the vehicle)

 

[CUCVLOVER]

If that person hit that truck hard enough to do that much damage they had to be rolling. I don't see how the driver walked from that and is hiding out. Crazy world we live it I guess

 

[m1010plowboy]

Deuce Accident

That would ruin my day! Best of luck with the solutions and do you like Whiskey? Good day to share a drink!

Not sure about your deuce but this chart comes out of the Early Deuce TM. 9-1819AC. Should give a guy a guide on how things are supposed to square up.

 

[army70deuce]

The vehicle had temporary tags and the registration had not been changed over yet, so more than likely they didn't have to provide insurance to the dmv yet. I hope they ran because they didn't want a DUI not because they were uninsured. Contacted my insurance company and am waiting for a call back. I'm going to drink my coffee and then go jack up the wheel that doesn't track straight and see what it looks like spinning. I have a theory that a non-rotating part is bent because after driving around the block the wheel is angled in the same direction. And before anyone recommends it, as I told my friend "I'm not bobbing my deuce".

 

[drivebymashing]

In NC you have to have insurance if you get a temp tag and that would be if you didnt get it inspected first. Unless its from a dealer then you could get away with it for a short period of time. The bank will freeze your account if you dont have insurance or change companies without them knowing. A fly by night buy here pay here place probably doesnt care one way or the other. Im going outside to dig a hole in my yard just incase someone hits my deuce.

 

[army70deuce]

Looks like the axle tube is bent, tried to use a straight edge but was difficult with all the other stuff in the way. Also the torque rod assembly (dog bone) is bent at the break point. Waiting to see what insurance says before I start shopping for an axle. Had planned on redoing the frame for the soft top but that will have to wait until the adjuster can look at it. Quick question how are the axles configured? I jacked up the side that is bent and I could only rotate it an inch or two in each direction and saw rotation in the drive shafts both forward and rear before it stopped.

 

[dilligaf13]

They're open differentials so that's normal. I'm gonna guess she smacked the axle solidly and it was hard to see because she made contact with the tire. I'll reach out to troll1216 and have him contact you. He dealt with this same thing last year.

 

[Troll1216]

I got rear ended in my deuce, it was parked at the time. I bent one axle and broke a dog bone, and bent two more. The inter axle was ok. Insurance was ok with it. I fixed the truck at a heavy truck shop as the other guys insurance paid for it. I would request that both rear axles get fully checked. I betcha the rear is visibly bent and the inter is probably bent too.

 

[SCSG-G4]

I know someone who has a deuce rear axle in Columbia, SC. If you beat Clinto to the compound, you'll have first pick! (John has two).

 

[m109a2]

Hey the cops have not caught that female dog yet?

 

[daytonatrbo]

There's also a guy in middle TN with a complete rear spring/dogbone assembly for sale on the classifieds here. I'm sure he has more than one part you'll need, aside from the axles.


http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?150449-**M35a2-and-XM-parts-**-Lower-prices&highlight=

 

[M543A2]

I also would bet on a bent axle tube. A friend of mine had a truck with that problem. He did not know it until I pointed out the wheel set was running out of line on one side and the tires were doing the characteristic tread feathering from the misalignment. Luckily no other components were damaged.
It might be possible to shift the springs in the saddles and U-bolts. You might look for that also. I have never heard of it, but the trunion shaft the spring carrier pivots mount to could conceivably have bent also. Check to see that the distance from the ends of each spring to a reference point on the truck frame are the same all around with the truck sitting on level ground.
Regards Martin

 

[Wolfgang the Gray]

So, on the way home from work for lunch I get the call..."Everything is fine but someone hit the deuce then ran away." I just laughed. Get home to the wife, cop and a bunch of college kids. I'm still laughing, as far as I can tell she was going really fast down a residential street missed the new dodge ram in front of the deuce and clipped the bumper of my truck. Yes I've included pictures. Besides my fender and bumper everything looked ok, and it is still driveable.

I had it parked next to the curb and when she hit the front it pushed it toward the curb so front wheel hits curb and stops, rear axle hits curb and stops, middle axle jumps the curb, possibly ramped the chock block. Now my middle axle does not line up with the rear. I've noticed that there is play where the axles connect to the spring (see picture).

Here is my question: So if I drive it around will they move back in line or is there something that I need to do to get it back in position?

If more pictures are required let me know and I will provide them. Thanks,

So some idiot (probably texting) peeled their car on your Deuce & then ran away & abandoned their vehicle??? That puts them totally at fault (even if your truck was possessed & decided to stick its nose out & trip the car).

Make sure you make out a detailed list of all that is damaged on the truck (from the impact) & also (you probably already did this) get the license number of the car so you can go after the owner (probably parent of the idiot that ran away) & get reimbursed for all the damage. Poor truck will probably also need a whole new paint job after that Ford silver has been smeared on the bumper & fender like bug guts on a windshield.