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Steel Soldiers MV of the month 2019 - August VOTE HERE!

Please vote for MV of the month


  • Total voters
    56
  • Poll closed .

Robo McDuff

In memorial Ron - 73M819
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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1,502
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Location
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Finally, I was back in the Netherlands with some time to start do vital repairs.


M51A2-2011-may_20cr.jpg

Sitting in my "headquarters" behind the truck trying to figure out how to do things.

M51A2-2011-may_19_resize.jpgM51A2-2011-may_25_resize.jpg M51A2-2011-may_06_resize.jpg

New brake lines and hoses. It occasionally can be hot in the Netherlands, and rain 5 minutes later, so some tarp to keep sun and rain away helps, so do friends.
 

Robo McDuff

In memorial Ron - 73M819
Steel Soldiers Supporter
2,887
1,502
113
Location
Czech Republic
Working on the fifth wheel conversion.


IMG_8559_resize.jpg IMG_8560_resize.jpg

Bringing an EU-certified JOST fifth wheel from the Czech Republic to the Netherlands.



M51A2-2011-april_14_resize.jpg M51A2-2011-april_09_resize.JPG M51A2-2011-april_15_resize.JPG M51A2-2011-april_10_resize.JPG

Measuring how the ribbed ground plate of the JOST can be fitted around the rivets on the frame of the M51. Normally, it is not permitted to drill through the top or bottom flanges of the frame. In this case, the DoT gave permission since the holes would be through the strengthening cross-beam/plate as well; not weakening the structure as such.

M51A2-2011-may_28_resize.JPG M51A2-2011-may_29_resize.JPG

Drilling the holes through the frame using a powerful magnetic drill. The ground plate is fixed in place to make sure the holes end up in the right place.

M51A2-2011-may_32_resize.JPG M51A2-2011-may_35_resize.JPG
Do you know the feeling: we will get her done TODAY. Working deep into the night to get the 5th wheel fitted.
 

Robo McDuff

In memorial Ron - 73M819
Steel Soldiers Supporter
2,887
1,502
113
Location
Czech Republic
Procedure for mounting the fifth wheel.

2011 07 July 05 .jpg .. 07072011302.jpg . 07072011294.jpg
The fifth wheel is laying on a pallet on the truck, just in front of the hourglass-formed cross beam.
Fifth wheel and ground plate separated.



07072011296.jpg .. 07072011305.jpg .. 07072011303.jpg .. 07072011300.jpg .. 07072011301.jpg

Ground plate is positioned above the cross beam. One thing I forget: how to get the !@#@#$Z bolts and nuts under the ground plate in the cross beam. auaauaaua


2011 07 July 15 .jpg .. 06072011291.jpg

After fixing the ground plate on the frame, the fifth wheel assembly is put back onto the ground plate.

Once I had the procedure including all tricks under control, I can now mount the assembly on the truck well within 30 minutes.

With a loader available, switching from a fully operational dump truck M51 to a functional tractor M52 can be done easily within an hour!
 

Robo McDuff

In memorial Ron - 73M819
Steel Soldiers Supporter
2,887
1,502
113
Location
Czech Republic
Trying to put some new live in the thread after the weekend barrage of new posts.
By a second pre-check for the DoT approval, the biggest problem of the tractor configuration was that the rear wheel are unprotected and without cover.

2011 07 July 11 .jpg

So in consultation with the DoT, I made a wooden frame with a cheap plastic tarp around it. Problem solved.
06072011290.jpg 2011 07 July 17 .jpg 2011 07 July 16 .jpg

Another problem was that the main lights were too much to the center of the truck; in the Netherlands the center of the lights have to be less that 20" from the outside width of the truck.

07072011307_resize.jpg 2011 07 July 06 _resize.jpg
At the back, I fixed two steel rectangle tubes tot he side of the trailer coupling, with original dutch army truck rear lights. The left side has the electrical plug for the trailer, the right one has brackets for the licenses plate. The plate is fixed below the light armature. The armature has a white light shining downwards, so it provides the obligatory plate light.


S5031871cc2.jpg 2011 July APK  018.jpg 2011 July APK  020.jpg
At the front, I removed the lollipops above the blinker and replaced them with the head lights of a Deucevaux (Citroen
2 CV, better known as Ugly Duck).

There were some other problems with steering and brakes, but I got that fixed as well just enough to their satisfaction.
 

Rmtaunton

Well-known member
1,510
31
48
Location
Smyrna, ga
Mine has a crane ,, how do you people live without one lol

Seriously though every thing we have is heavy


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Robo McDuff

In memorial Ron - 73M819
Steel Soldiers Supporter
2,887
1,502
113
Location
Czech Republic
Finally back at the main computer with all the pics, so I can finish the Dutch part of the M51 A2 w/w story.


The moment of truth: on the way to the Dutch DoT transport for the final checking of the truck.

2011 July APK  001_resize.jpg


2011 July APK  004_resize.jpg 2011 July APK  008_resize.jpg 2011 July APK  012_resize.jpg

IN front of the checking station and inside.




2011 July APK  013_resize.jpg 2011 July APK  014_resize.jpg

Equipment for measuring individual brake power per wheel and some other measurements. With a permanent 6x6, that machine is good for nothing (and very good for me).

We were out on the road the previous time where they noted some uneven braking and a problem in the steering. Luckily for me, the roads around the station were broken up for repairs, so they trusted me on my blue eyes that I had repaired everything ... and the assurance that the truck would be moved to the Czech Republic on a loader and will not ever be on the Dutch road unless thoroughly checked beforehand.



2011 July APK  021_resize.jpg 2011 July APK  023_resize.jpg

With that assurance, the officer rebranded the serial number in the frame and made the truck completely street legal with an EU approval certificate! :jumpin: :mrgreen: :-D :driver:


The M51 A2 Dump Truck is now officially ALSO an M52 A2 Tractor.

The max allowable weight for the vehicle itself (as dump truck) is 43,000 Lbs
The max allowable pulling weight for semi is 69,000 Lbs
The max allowable pulling weight for trailer is 69,000 Lbs

The max allowable Total Train Weight is a staggering 90 500 lbs. Not bad for a "5-ton" truck.

And now get the heck of the road and out of the Netherlands.
 

Robo McDuff

In memorial Ron - 73M819
Steel Soldiers Supporter
2,887
1,502
113
Location
Czech Republic
I don't have video on you tube but we do have a few pages on the truck and its history on our Czech Emigration Museum website. Halfway through that page, just above the pics is a link to a pdf file on the dump truck - tractor conversion.

On the next page are two video's of the truck, on the way to the DoT with some nice shots of the Dutch landscape and one of trying out the engine and brakes without wheels.

That's it for today, the travel to the Czech Republic and the new Cold War exhibition will come next month, its time to sign off now, its close to midnight.

Don't forget to vote


 

Rmtaunton

Well-known member
1,510
31
48
Location
Smyrna, ga
Cleaning bottom of wild thing before putting on lift for turbo motor swapIMG_2043.jpg

And normally it takes a while to remove all 4 tires to work on hmmwv

Wait I have a crane and 10 minutes later

IMG_2040.jpgIMG_2041.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Robo McDuff

In memorial Ron - 73M819
Steel Soldiers Supporter
2,887
1,502
113
Location
Czech Republic
Congrats Migginbros.

Probably a first that a non-US vehicle owned by a non-US member wins the MV of the Month. [thumbzup]
 
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