Updates on my LMTV

[dalej]

Since getting my LMTV (M107 the first part of August, I have been waiting on the paper work to get it licensed. After making a few phone calls to check on it, they said this Monday I should have my SF 97, whatever that is, just hope it is licensed by next week.

I have been doing a few things to the truck over the last month. First, I had to make a turret cover. I took some stainless and welded 2, 2'x5' pieces together and then cut a circle, drilled the holes and then painted it, it turned out great. Used some 3/8" rubber for the seal around the cap just outside the bolts holes.

The second thing was to add a trailer tow hitch, 20" off the ground, for pulling my other trailers.

I will add photos shortly and post some of the other improvements.

If anyone need any specs., let me know.

 

[tburk49760]

Nicely done sir! I see I owe you a call as well...

 

[dalej]

My wife noticed that the brush guard didn't balance in the front. I seen that they made an additional guard for the hydraulic cylinder for the cab lift. So I fabricated a guard for the drivers side. I photographed it before paint so you could see what I was talking about. It looks great with the paint.

Also added a couple of driving amber LEDs to the front, see photo of the front.

 

[dalej]

Here is a photo of the painted brush guard and the amber driving LEDs turned on.

 

[Overdrive]

Dalej,
Nice mods. Could you post up the hitch specs?... Still waiting to snag an LMTV from the auction. Lately the prices on GovPlanet have been north of the stupid range.... Wish some of the hobby buy low sell hi guys would let us "just want one" folks get a shot.

Front brush guard looks great as well!

 

[dalej]

The hitch is mounted on the outside of the main frame. I had to remove the huge shackle bracket (see photo) and wanted to do this because if I added a 5/16" plate to the frame, the shackles would not go back on. I added a 1/2" plate on the inside of the frame to add more pulling structure to the frame. The shackles are mounted on a 1/2" plate then the main truck frame and then the 5/16" hitch plate. A side note: the bolts that hold these trucks together...... really hard to remove. I used a torch on some. My 1" impact could not budge some of them.

 

[dalej]

Here is a photo of the Pigtail. I bought a 7 pin round HD (male) and a 12" piece of cable at Fleet Pride truck shop. I had the 7 pin RV (female) from the hitch I bought at a salvage yard for $20 for the truck.

 

[dalej]

I added a air chuck on the inlet side of the dryer so I can: 1. air the system up with my shop air compressor before starting the engine and waiting for it to air up before releasing the brakes. 2. keep the system loaded (or aired up) with my shop air compressor so I can check for any air leaks in the system, (wheels chocked) and 3. have an air supply using the engine driven compressor and using my 25" air hose that is kept in the trucks storage with a air chuck and blower.

 

[Lmtv772]

Looks cool but could you not do all that using the gladhands?

 

[Oxyacetylene]

I know what you mean about those frame bolts. I tried to remove some from an M1079. They are a special lock nut, tapered, and the bolts have rounded threads. I bought a 1" impact just to try removing these. It worked on a couple of them, but on some the bolt threads would start coming loose and would jam the nut.

 

[Lmtv772]

I know what you mean about those frame bolts. I tried to remove some from an M1079. They are a special lock nut, tapered, and the bolts have rounded threads. I bought a 1" impact just to try removing these. It worked on a couple of them, but on some the bolt threads would start coming loose and would jam the nut.

They are called Huckbolts, They are fun to remove and I used an angle grinder.

 

[dalej]

Lmtv772: Not really, the gladhands are only useful when the park break is released, there is no air there with the park brake set. I really like running any new air through the air dryer first.

Oxyacetylene: Yes, I got to say it would of been easier and faster to just torch them in the first place. With what I did on my trailer (8 of them) and the truck (16 or so, I spent the day at it.