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I've been watching an ad on Craigslist for a Deuce in the 29 Palms area that had either a bad rear axle or a transfer case problem, and was for sale for a STEAL. So, I finally got enough saved up to go and buy her. Thankfully, she had a clear California title and a Non-Operational certificate.
Overall, this truck is SOLID and in good shape; I brought batteries and diesel fuel, and after draining filters/sumps/air tanks, she fired right up after about 10 seconds of cranking. Air pressure built up right away, and after a minute the exhaust was blowing nice and clean. The seller said that he couldn't get the truck to move, and when I tried to back her up, the rear tires just spun in the soft sand (no weight in the bed). I engaged the front axle and she backed right up with no effort.
Everything looks great on this truck: no leaks, just a little normal seepage. The brake pedal went right to the floor, I hope it's just an empty/leaking master cylinder. The throttle pedal return spring was broken, so I placed a pair of leather work gloves under the pedal to keep it from running WOT. I slowly backed her up, and lined her up to my trailer. I didn't see any external damage to either rear axle nor the transfer case, and she seemed to drive just fine (had to go slow due to no brakes).
So, I hooked up my tree-saver strap to my snatch block, and slowly winched the Deuce on board my trailer. It was then that the winch would almost bog down (I double-checked that the truck wasn't in gear & emergency brake was disengaged) as the Deuce slowly inched up my loading ramps, until I could hear a "clang" sound and then the Deuce rolled freely again. A closer inspection revealed that the rear output shaft on the forward rear axle was out of position, and the collar was catching on some loose bolts from the flange housing. So, I removed the bolts and the Deuce was winched aboard with no problems.
Once the truck was all chained down and secured, it was dark, so we drove slowly all 250+ miles home. We made it safely home with no drama just before midnight. Now I get to drive her off and place her safely in my side yard, so I can start applying the TLC she needs to get road-worthy again.
So far, she needs the following:
Hundy has rear axles, so I hope to pick one up in a couple of weeks when I head down there (and Hundy, I sincerely apologize for making Brian wait so long; it was dark & late when we finally finished loading, so I hope to make it up to him in 2 weeks), as well as a windshield and some other parts. I hope to have it road-worthy and registered in Nevada in a month or two.
My trailer is more than capable of hauling a load the size of the Deuce: I run 17.5-inch wheels/tires, 16-ply Load Range H, capable of hauling nearly 5K pounds EACH at 120psi. I have 8K-pound axles, spring-over conversion, and air bags on each corner (4 total: AirLift Load Lifter 5000). The air bags really helped, and the tires never even got warm during the loaded return trip. New brakes on truck & trailer worked flawlessly, and I never had a stopping issue. We stayed to the backroads so I could do 45mph or slower without bothering anyone. Drama-free and no issues!
Overall, this truck is SOLID and in good shape; I brought batteries and diesel fuel, and after draining filters/sumps/air tanks, she fired right up after about 10 seconds of cranking. Air pressure built up right away, and after a minute the exhaust was blowing nice and clean. The seller said that he couldn't get the truck to move, and when I tried to back her up, the rear tires just spun in the soft sand (no weight in the bed). I engaged the front axle and she backed right up with no effort.
Everything looks great on this truck: no leaks, just a little normal seepage. The brake pedal went right to the floor, I hope it's just an empty/leaking master cylinder. The throttle pedal return spring was broken, so I placed a pair of leather work gloves under the pedal to keep it from running WOT. I slowly backed her up, and lined her up to my trailer. I didn't see any external damage to either rear axle nor the transfer case, and she seemed to drive just fine (had to go slow due to no brakes).
So, I hooked up my tree-saver strap to my snatch block, and slowly winched the Deuce on board my trailer. It was then that the winch would almost bog down (I double-checked that the truck wasn't in gear & emergency brake was disengaged) as the Deuce slowly inched up my loading ramps, until I could hear a "clang" sound and then the Deuce rolled freely again. A closer inspection revealed that the rear output shaft on the forward rear axle was out of position, and the collar was catching on some loose bolts from the flange housing. So, I removed the bolts and the Deuce was winched aboard with no problems.
Once the truck was all chained down and secured, it was dark, so we drove slowly all 250+ miles home. We made it safely home with no drama just before midnight. Now I get to drive her off and place her safely in my side yard, so I can start applying the TLC she needs to get road-worthy again.
So far, she needs the following:
- New forward rear axle (Hundy to the rescue!)
- New windshield (both sides)
- New headlights
- Battery tray
- Brakes thoroughly checked and bled once master cylinder is refilled
- New throttle pedal return spring
- Adjust/replace the engine shut-off cable
- Repair/replace passenger-side door latch
- New passenger-side roll-up window
- Replace driver-side roll-up window
- Re-cover or replace driver's seat
- Misc flex lines replaced in engine compartment (starting to dry-rot)
- Full fluid & filter replacement/flushes
Hundy has rear axles, so I hope to pick one up in a couple of weeks when I head down there (and Hundy, I sincerely apologize for making Brian wait so long; it was dark & late when we finally finished loading, so I hope to make it up to him in 2 weeks), as well as a windshield and some other parts. I hope to have it road-worthy and registered in Nevada in a month or two.
My trailer is more than capable of hauling a load the size of the Deuce: I run 17.5-inch wheels/tires, 16-ply Load Range H, capable of hauling nearly 5K pounds EACH at 120psi. I have 8K-pound axles, spring-over conversion, and air bags on each corner (4 total: AirLift Load Lifter 5000). The air bags really helped, and the tires never even got warm during the loaded return trip. New brakes on truck & trailer worked flawlessly, and I never had a stopping issue. We stayed to the backroads so I could do 45mph or slower without bothering anyone. Drama-free and no issues!
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My wife can live with this bargain, not so much the cost of an A3.
