• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

What did you do to your deuce this week?

Godspeed131

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
278
933
93
Location
Knoxville, TN
Thank you!! I really appreciate it I’ve put some time into it since last December to get it to where it’s at since it had sat for quite a few years before I got it. Good thing is that’s the fun of it all.
 

18operator

Well-known member
1,093
1,855
113
Location
Seville, Ohio
So I went out to the barn this morning to get a few things done, and found this in my tire. I tried pulling it out but started to hear a hissing, so I left it in.
Well I got the tire off and took it to my tire guy. I really need to get some tire dismounting tools.Screw in Deuce tire..jpg
 

M37M35

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
572
648
93
Location
East Central Oklahoma
Had to swap my radiator. Somewhere in the past, the seam started leaking and someone repaired it with JBWeld. I put another layer on a year or so ago when it started leaking again. Then a few days ago it started leaking at a steady stream, and I needed the truck the next day. I have a wrecked parts truck, and it's radiator was a little tweaked but I didn't see any obvious leaks. Before I took it off I poured some antifreeze in it and put some air pressure to it and didn't see any leaks.
I got it swapped out and all seems to be good so far.
I'll clean the JBWeld off the old radiator and resolder the seam, and have it as a spare.


Old radiator.
20201001_191401.jpg


Replacement radiator.
20201001_185725.jpg20201001_185720.jpg20201001_183129.jpg20201001_185816.jpg
 

Dipstick

Well-known member
1,101
1,267
113
Location
Effort PA
Good job m37m35. I have a tiny leak on my radiator too. I'll wait until this Spring to pull it. I always wondered if JB Weld was any good. Never used it myself.
 

M37M35

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
572
648
93
Location
East Central Oklahoma
Good job m37m35. I have a tiny leak on my radiator too. I'll wait until this Spring to pull it. I always wondered if JB Weld was any good. Never used it myself.
Thanks! I was a bit concerned about the radiator from the parts truck since it's a bit mangled, but so far so good...

The original formula 2-part JB Weld is amazing stuff and I've had great luck with it. (I've never used any of their other formulas) Although it's not the proper way to do it, the two JB Weld repairs on the radiator lasted for several years before the expansion and contraction caused it to break loose from the surface.
My dad and I have both repaired cracked engine blocks with it, when someone didn't drain the water and it froze and cracked the block externally.
My dad used it to repair some internal cracks in the engine block of a tractor caused by overheating. That was almost 40 years ago and it's still holding!
 

M37M35

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
572
648
93
Location
East Central Oklahoma
You could also simply solder the defect in the radiator. Get the coolant below the level of the hole, dry it, rough it with a bit of sand paper and solder with tin and an iron or a butane torch. Holds for years and a day.
A previous owner had already repaired it once with the JB Weld. Now that I've swapped it with the one from the parts truck, I'll solder it and have it as a spare.
 

92ramaro

Well-known member
101
262
63
Location
Riley, MI
Well after a huge bathroom renovation, I'm finally able to work on the Deuce again. Front axle has been reassembled with the Detroit Locker. Hoping to get it hanging under the truck by the end of today pending on some replacement brake lines. Firewood season is too close for comfort without her.20201010_105210.jpg

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 

cattlerepairman

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
3,249
3,335
113
Location
NORTH (Canada)
@92ramaro I am looking forward to your driving experience with an automatic locker in the steer axle. I always thought that a steer axle locker needs to be selectable (air or electric); the automatic Detroits, Yukons, Grizzlys etc. are fine in the rear, I guess one can learn to adapt the driving...not power through turns etc.
Looking forward to see how well this works for you! Lockers of any format are a valuable upgrade on the Deuce, for sure.
 

92ramaro

Well-known member
101
262
63
Location
Riley, MI
@92ramaro, how do you move the axel between your truck and it’s current location? Do you have a fork lift or another trick up your sleeve?
When I removed it and tore it down, I used a skid steer. I lifted the center section out and back in with a chainfall. Today I set the fully assembled axle on a 3 wheeled triangle dolly (using the old in-ground hoist) for reinstallation.


Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 

92ramaro

Well-known member
101
262
63
Location
Riley, MI
@92ramaro I am looking forward to your driving experience with an automatic locker in the steer axle. I always thought that a steer axle locker needs to be selectable (air or electric); the automatic Detroits, Yukons, Grizzlys etc. are fine in the rear, I guess one can learn to adapt the driving...not power through turns etc.
Looking forward to see how well this works for you! Lockers of any format are a valuable upgrade on the Deuce, for sure.
If I wasnt doing a multitude of home renovations at once, I would've loved paying for a locker on a switch. I'm apprehensive about how it'll drive honestly. There were enough folks that said it unlocked reliably when not under power so I wung it based on that. I'll certainly report on how horrible/awesome it'll be once she's on the ground again.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 

Dipstick

Well-known member
1,101
1,267
113
Location
Effort PA
When I removed it and tore it down, I used a skid steer. I lifted the center section out and back in with a chainfall. Today I set the fully assembled axle on a 3 wheeled triangle dolly (using the old in-ground hoist) for reinstallation.


Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
Wow! That is some shop you have there! I'm envious. I do all my work under the proverbial tree.
 

Dipstick

Well-known member
1,101
1,267
113
Location
Effort PA
Brake Tubing Clamp Raw.jpgBrake Tubing Clamp Painted (2).jpgBrake Tubing Unsecured.jpgBrake Tubing Clamp in Place.jpgBrake Tubing Clamp Painted.jpg
This is a very minor thing compared to what you guys are doing, but it's a safety issue that's been bugging me for years. I should have taken care of it long ago. When I bought Brutus, I soon discovered that the folks who bobbed it for me, had attached the rear axle brake copper tubing directly to the rear axle brake tee. No hose. Also, the tee wasn't mounted to anything. Everything was floating in space. The rear axle bouncing around would have eventually fatigued the copper brake line to the breaking point. We know that's not a good thing. Well, I welded a stud onto the axle in line with the driveshaft and bolted the tee to it. Then, I installed a brake hose. However, the end of the copper brake line was still unsupported. I told myself I'd get to it someday and proceeded to forget about it. So today, I took a bolt and a 3/4" split copper pipe hanger and fastened it like a standoff through the lower frame hole in picture 3. I clamped the brake fitting with the neoprene lined copper clamp and then painted it. Now the only thing hopping around (besides the axle) when I hit one of the Pocono's 6 Bazillion bumps is the brake hose. Just as it was meant to be.
 

Mullaney

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
Supporting Vendor
7,700
19,731
113
Location
Charlotte NC
View attachment 814709View attachment 814710View attachment 814711View attachment 814712View attachment 814713
This is a very minor thing compared to what you guys are doing, but it's a safety issue that's been bugging me for years. I should have taken care of it long ago. When I bought Brutus, I soon discovered that the folks who bobbed it for me, had attached the rear axle brake copper tubing directly to the rear axle brake tee. No hose. Also, the tee wasn't mounted to anything. Everything was floating in space. The rear axle bouncing around would have eventually fatigued the copper brake line to the breaking point. We know that's not a good thing. Well, I welded a stud onto the axle in line with the driveshaft and bolted the tee to it. Then, I installed a brake hose. However, the end of the copper brake line was still unsupported. I told myself I'd get to it someday and proceeded to forget about it. So today, I took a bolt and a 3/4" split copper pipe hanger and fastened it like a standoff through the lower frame hole in picture 3. I clamped the brake fitting with the neoprene lined copper clamp and then painted it. Now the only thing hopping around (besides the axle) when I hit one of the Pocono's 6 Bazillion bumps is the brake hose. Just as it was meant to be.
Very nice Owen! Yessir, I know for sure that your truck is a lot happier now! That definitely needed to happen. It's scary what we find sometimes. It seemed good enough at the time - but what you did is definitely a safety upgrade.
 

Mullaney

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
Supporting Vendor
7,700
19,731
113
Location
Charlotte NC
When I removed it and tore it down, I used a skid steer. I lifted the center section out and back in with a chainfall. Today I set the fully assembled axle on a 3 wheeled triangle dolly (using the old in-ground hoist) for reinstallation.


Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
Hi 92ramaro,

Is that Triangle Dolly something that you built? It definitely seems like a mighty fine way to roll an axle from under the truck with the wheels off. I kept looking at it - and finally came to the conclusion that the size of the triangle is the trick to keeping the assembly stable. Enough weight that it doesn't want to "walk" on the dolly. Perfect for a concrete floor.

Unfortunately, my version of doing that sort of work is in the yard on the grass - so wheels won't quite work out there. Plywood is wonderful but only to a point. :-(

You definitely have a really COOL tool for your garage!
 

92ramaro

Well-known member
101
262
63
Location
Riley, MI
Well Daisy is back on her feet again after a small delay. Not having brakes for now meant that I didnt do much more than a lap around the yard with the new locker. No difference in steering to report as of yet. Need to buy and run some new brake line for the front axle, do a fluid/bearing check on all of the drivetrain south of the engine/front axle, and repair some cosmetic damage from the Haspin Rally before we're good to go for this firewood season.Screenshot_20201011-132856_Snapchat.jpg

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
Top