wsucougarx's M923 acquisition

[Neophyte]

Stunning!!! And the "cars" bike helmet (my son has the same...came with the bike)....great secondary use....."zerk" mechanic.

 

[wsucougarx]

And God said, Let there be light. Route Clearance Lights

Well, not exactly what God meant.
Today I got another box of parts. I was going to add a pair of incandescent armor lights to the front to match the IR lights. However, I wanted something that would really light up the sky should the need arise. So I bought a set of brand new Trucklite LED Route Clearance Lights for the 923. Not exactly sure where I'm going to put them. I got them for two C notes.

 

[Danl]

Danl M915A

I never seen or had to use the black lights I would place these new lights in place of the black lights the wire and switch and fuse or breaker is all in place and you will use these L E D s alot

 

[bigmike]

Nice work on the truck...I love the mods...

Regarding the gun mounts, am I correct that you now have 5 mounts in the truck? Why have dash and door mounts? The reason I'm asking is that I have a NOS pair of gun mounts and am deciding where to mount them in the truck.

 

[wsucougarx]

Nice work on the truck...I love the mods...

Regarding the gun mounts, am I correct that you now have 5 mounts in the truck? Why have dash and door mounts? The reason I'm asking is that I have a NOS pair of gun mounts and am deciding where to mount them in the truck.

Thanks Mike, I have a total of 4 mounts in the cab. Two on the dash and two on the doors. I've got another set of seatbelts to add to the bench seat to seat a total of 3.

 

[wsucougarx]

I never seen or had to use the black lights I would place these new lights in place of the black lights the wire and switch and fuse or breaker is all in place and you will use these L E D s alot

Oh I do plan on using the IR lights. Never know when you may need them

 

[Trainman]

 

[wsucougarx]

Got some new rubber...function or fashion?

Although I really like the redundancy of duals for function, I equally like the looks of the super singles for fashion. So I made a tire run yesterday for some 395 Goodyear MV/T's with 95-99% tread (they're basically brand new without nubs on them).
Why did I go with 395's? Well after much thought and discussion this is what I came up with.

16.00's- Although they look cool, they are too big for my liking. Rear tires way too close. Really bogs the truck down on acceleration and hill climbing. Couldn't imagine doing a tire change in the field. They are HEAVY!!!! The real deciding factor was the fact I will be doing the FMTV wheel mounting myself and potential of doing a tire change in the field would be nearly impossible.

14.00's- Although designed for the truck, there may be an issue in the future to find replacements. Couldn't find them cheaper than $200 for an umounted tire. Also heavier than heck!

395's- Bigger than the stock 11..00's (those 1100's look like pizza cutters in the front). Much easier to find because they are in current use by the military. Allot cheaper per tire compared to the other two. Should I decide to run 11.00's on the 923 again, I can use these tires on my deuce. Although not light, this tire is much more manageable to do a tire change in the field.

So yesterday I went to see one of my friends and came home with 7 nearly new fresh dated Goodyear MV/T's (for an unbelievable outstanding price). Luckily I only had to work one OT day to pay for these tires. I checked each one to make sure I wasn't bringing home a complimentary nail or bolt. Out of all the tires out there, the tread on these tires are one of my favorites. Now I need to get some valvestems and o rings for this back breaking task at hand.

Projects Completed:
-None, just emptied my wallet some

Pics:
1,2- My son helping Dad out with some really "Cool" tires. "Thanks Dad, did you get these for me to climb on"
3- Size comparison...WOW!!

 

[F'N!WreckerRay]

Thanks for the text last night Mike, Im going there tonight and going to get restocked myself Your truck kinda looks like it did when you left my house! Cant wait to see your truck and all your mods. If you need help with your truck or finding O-rings let me know... I have a buddy that works at Les Schwab and he can get most anything.
Ray

 

[wsucougarx]

RCL install Part I

I made an attempt to install the Trucklite Route Clearance Lights over a course of a few days and failed. I still need to power them up.
Finding a good place to mount these lights took awhile. Originally I planned on mounting them on the hood, then on the hardtop, then on the fenders.... The best thing I came up with was on the side of the grill. Being Route Clearance Lights, I really didn't need another set of LED's pointing forward at 12:00. Rather, I wanted the RCL's to point at the 10:30 and 1:30 positions to complement the main headlights to really light up my approach. The way they are position, you can adjust them as necessary left/right. Also, I nylocked the mounting bolt so you can adjust up/down as well.
I bought a roll of 6"x24" 14 MIL THICK- 3M Scotchgard Paint Protection Film Bra off ebay for $16.99 to protect the surface of these lights. I am going to add a rock guard at some point soon.
I used 12 AWG Prestolite wire, as I have a 500 ft spool left over from another project. I used all military connectors for the job. For switching, I used the standard battery rotary switch. I have accumulated several over the years and finally had use for them.
The IR lights have both a Hi and Lo setting. To switch between Hi/Lo, I used a floor switch and mounted it just below the dash. It went from a foot switch to a knee switch. This was totally an after thought as I didn't take this into consideration when I was running my wires. So we'll see if it works
I am running three 12 AWG wires from the batteries to the cab. They each go to their dedicated 15 AMP military circuit breaker before entering the cab.
One power wire will power the RCL. Another will power the forward and rear IR Lights. The third one will power the back up lights and side lights.
For future electrical needs, I ran a pair of 12 AWG wires to the front of the truck for any future add-ons.

Next thing to do:
-Connect power to switches
-Mount LED Headlights (still sitting in the garage in their Trucklite boxes)
-3M the RCL's
-Connect RCL ground wire (white tag)
-Mount switch board and Hi/Lo to underdash

Projects Completed:
-Mounted the RCL.
-Made up wiring harnesses for all lights
-Wired the RCL's, back up lights, IR Lights, and aux front wires (future)
-Ran power wire from battery box to engine bay
-Fabricated the light switch board w/scrap metal pieces
-Painted all cab pieces
-Sprayed undercoating in driver side door
-

Pics:
1,2-RCL's mounted
3-Starboard wiring harness (RCL and IR Lights)
4,5-Port side wiring harness. Used Y-splitters for lights for quick disconnect should the hood need to be dismounted.
6-RCL wire
7-Wrapped all harness with electrical tape. What a tedious job!!! Good test of patience...LOL

 

[wsucougarx]

RCL Install Part II

Finally completed the RCL install and got everything wired and switched. Today I mounted three 15 AMP circuit breakers to the firewall. I wired them directly from the batteries. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure why I did three circuits. I had to drill a 3/4 inch hole into the fire wall to accomodate the three power wires into the cab.
I added a status light for the back up lights. I don't want to forget to turn those lights off when driving down the road or when I park her for the night.The bracket I used is the same one used on the M44 series trucks for the airshift enagagement lever/light

Projects Completed:
-Mounted three 15 AMP circuit breakers
-Mounted and power up rotary light switches


Pics:
1- Three 15 AMP circuit breakers to feed the light switches in the cab
2- All wired up and ready to go
3- Five rotary switches to handle all my lighting needs
From Left to Right *side lights* *IR Lights* *front aux lights (TBD)* *RCL* *Rear Lights*
4-

 

[markmontana]

Nice work.

 

[Amer-team]

Mike, are you available to come out and play on the fourth? Check out the Centralia thread under events. Peter

 

[wsucougarx]

Hi Peter, more than likely I'll be spending the 4th at St. Peter's Hospital. My wife is scheduled to be induced this Monday (July 2nd). Would like to make it to an event, I'm having withdrawals and I miss all you guys!!

 

[hwcurtice]

Hi Peter, more than likely I'll be spending the 4th at St. Peter's Hospital. My wife is scheduled to be induced this Monday (July 2nd). Would like to make it to an event, I'm having withdrawals and I miss all you guys!!

Oh come on Mike. Womens have been having babies for at least a couple years now. Some all by themselves. She won't miss you this one time....

Yeah, I'm kidding. You bail on her,and your life is over.

Say, if you do bail, wanna sell some of your stuff?

 

[islandguydon]

I just read this entire thread, I am impressed. Your M923 is going to be a premiere truck around here. Good Job.......

 

[wsucougarx]

FMTV/Michelin XML Tire Breakdown Part I

Project Improvise Adapt and Overcome!!

With the upcoming rally, I'm trying to get this project completed before then. I have purchased a total of 9 FMTV wheels most wiith 395 Michelin XML's mounted on them (thanks Ray!!!). I also bought 7 Goodyear MV/T's as mentioned earlier.
This is a two part project in that the FMTV wheels are being married to Goodyear MV/T's for the M923 project. The Michelin XML 395/85/20 tires are going on my 1968 M35A2 (AKA Behr Paint truck).
I've had most of these wheels for months now. Just haven't been motivated to do anything with them. My recent purchase of the MV/T's got me motivated.
I'm the type of guy who doesn't feel right having another guy do my work. Although there are a some who have no problems standing watch as other's do their work, I'm not that type of guy. My approach is to get in there and just do it. How else is a guy going to learn and pass along knowledge to those who need it. The old saying of why give them fish when you can teach them how to fish comes to mind.
I was a bit concerned by this project due to shear size of the tires and the weight. Without an engine hoist or forklift to assist, I had to come up with some good ole ingenuity to pull this one off.
First order of business was to figure out where to do this project. My driveway came to mind but found the flat nature of the concrete was a disadvantage. I then moved to my backyard and used a nice concave area in my yard to help. The idea was to use the slope to assist in lifting the tires up....it worked. I basically just used things that were lying around my garage or backyard to do the work. The only purchases thus far were the HFT 15/16" deep socket for the FMTV wheel nuts ($2.97 clearance), two Harbor Freight Tool pry bars ($9.99 each), and PB Blaster.

Now to the steps I used to break these wheels/tires down:

As you all know, the FMTV wheel is a two piece rim. In order to break it down you need to separate the two pieces. But first you need to break the beads (contact of rubber with wheel)
I just stepped on the tire (make sure air is out of tire) to create a gap for the first pry tool. Then just use both pry tools to step them in until you make contact with the inside of the wheel. Then just put all your weight on the pry tools to lift the outer ring up. After this then just walk the pry bars around the outer wheel. I only had to step the pry bars around about 1/3 of the way before the bead release. Just lift the ring and place it aside and then just simply flip the tire over and repeat.
Once you release the bead on the heavy side of the two piece rim then stand the tire up. From here just walk your pry bar around to back the wheel off. When you get close to the wheel to fall on the ground, the valvestem will get hung up on the wheel. From here just use the pry bar to lift the tire up over the stem and the wheel will fall to the deck.
Total time for one wheel was about 20 minutes. It gets faster once you get two out of the way

Projects Completed:
-Divorced Michelin XML's from FMTV wheels (6 wheels to go )

Pics:
1-My HFT 3/4" Impact wrench and PB Blaster to get the 15/16" nuts off the FMTV wheels.
2-FMTV wheel with the 15/16" nuts removed. Ready for pryin' time.
3-A dip in my yard used to do my dismounting
4-My tools for breaking the beads on the tire.
5-Positioned the 4x4 post up slope from the wheel so you can use the slope to your advantage when flipping the tire
6-Using two pry bars to "walk" it around the rim to break the bead. No heavy hammers needed here
7-Ready to flip the tire. I use the metal bar to lift the tire then use the post to further lift the post
8-Once you get the tire up to a manageable angle use your leg to hold the tire in place so you can get your hands on the tire to push it up.
9-Rotate the tire and drop it on the 4x4 post to break the bead on the opposing side
10-Stepping on the tire to create a gap to put the initial pry bar in

Next order of business is to locate a source for the correct FMTV O-rings. They are 3/8" (0.375") in circum. with an inside diamter of 19". From all indications, they are manuf by the Titan Wheel Company. I have an email in them to track them down. Will advise.
Part #: OR420A
NSN: 5331-01-389-6028
12420343
Update on the O-ring (05JUL12), couldn't track any down. Took the o-rings to Les Schwab to see if they had a match. The big tire guy looked at the o-rings and questioned why I was looking for new ones. He inspectected mine and said you can't get brand new one's to look better than what I brought in. He said so long as there aren't any cuts or major deformities, then just reuse them with some tire lube...no problem I said

 

[wsucougarx]

FMTV/Michelin XML Tire Breakdown Part II

Pics:
1-Walking the pry bars into the inside of the wheel
2-Walking the pry bars around the wheel.
3-Once bead is broken, stand tire up and pry the wheel off
4-Pyring the tire upward using the wheel as a fulcrum to allow valvestem to clear tire
5-Valvestem likes to hang up on the tire
6-Beadlock

 

[Amer-team]

Mike, if you need an engine hoist, I have one of those roll around models that you could certainly use. remember the back issue a few weeks back?

As for this baby thing, some people are just too serious. When my daughter was born 27 years ago, there were complications. Baby was fine but mom had issues. After about 24 hours at the hospital, mom was stabilized and the baby was doing great. It was time to go home and get some rest. Well, there was a flea market that I happened to pass, so thought it couldn't hurt to take a quick look. There was a great leather painted 718th Bomb Group patch for 5 dollars. Bought it and headed home. I always thought that besides be under the great navigator, my daughter had an assist, being under the wing of the 318th. Of course I did not have the same protection when my wife caught wind of this great deal.

Best wishes with the baby. Bon chance.

 

[wsucougarx]

Mike, if you need an engine hoist, I have one of those roll around models that you could certainly use. remember the back issue a few weeks back?


As for this baby thing, some people are just too serious. When my daughter was born 27 years ago, there were complications. Baby was fine but mom had issues. After about 24 hours at the hospital, mom was stabilized and the baby was doing great. It was time to go home and get some rest. Well, there was a flea market that I happened to pass, so thought it couldn't hurt to take a quick look. There was a great leather painted 718th Bomb Group patch for 5 dollars. Bought it and headed home. I always thought that besides be under the great navigator, my daughter had an assist, being under the wing of the 318th. Of course I did not have the same protection when my wife caught wind of this great deal.

Best wishes with the baby. Bon chance.

Thanks Peter for the offer, I do remember my back issue..LOL. I'm really taking it easy on this project. I'm finally making use of my physics classes from years past on this project. Fulcrum is a wonderful thing

Thanks for sharing this story. I know everything will be good to go. Our faith is keeping our heads up