Procedure for going from 6x6 to 4x4

What is the recommended procedure to remove the rear most axle? What have all of you who have made that modification done about springs...ie: hangers. of new springs?

Warren

Hello Warren,

Take a look at my last post in the "Duece Bobbing" thread for the quick and dirty version of removing the last axle. You will need to rob the springs, spring hangers, shocks, Ubolts, the bottom plate the ubolts go through, the upper shock mounts and DONT FORGET to get the little wedges that go between the spring and the axle, from the front end of a scrapper duece. Getting all that crap off is a full day project by itself. Bring a BIG gas bottle! The spring hangers (and everything holding the rear end on as well) are held on by hot rivets. V- painful! Gas axe everything off then heat up, press out, whack away, whatever works, to get the rivets out.

More or less the same procedure for the back end. Not rocket science but lots of hard graft. Oh, a reallllly big pry bar and a 12 pound Carolina trim saw (sledge) would not go amiss either.

Let us know how you get on. If you need more info, LMK.

Cheers from over here,

Cole

I had to remove a 1/2 dozen or so rivets from the frame to mount the M756 bed on my deuce. I ground a flat spot on the rivet head, center punched a mark for the drill bit and drilled them out. Turned out that the rivets were faily soft steel. Only took a few minutes for each one. It works best with a very large drill with extra handle, you know, Milwaukee size large.

You can also sacrifice an M105 trailer. They have the spring hangars that put the springs outboard for a more stable platform and they have a helper leaf. While you're at it you can use the bed too.

Hrm. Rivets are the easy part of the job. As stated, take the head off (I use the plasma torch), and then put a center punch in them (I again use the plasma torch!), and whang on em with the biggest GD hammer you have around, using a generic round "alpha tool" (The round prybar) as the driver.

I had to remove a whole heapload of rivets for the engine mounts - easy.

Bob

I wish I had a plasma torch! That would have made life a lot easier. The standard gas axe was very messy and hard. My original idea was/is to stretch the duece cab all the way to the back and fab up scalloped sides like a wwii dodge command car. It would be nice to have the kids (wife too!) in the cab with me. I did not know if the springs/hangers from the m105 would fit the axle. Are the M105 springs rated as high as the standard front springs??


cheers from over here,

cole

Be careful with heating the frame, it's heat treated steel. About the M105 springs, I think the NSN # is the same for both.

Easiest way to get the rivets out, as stated before grind the heads off, then blow them out with an air chisel. Makes super quick work and ya don't risk smacking your fingers.

Gang, if anybody needs an M105 to hack up for a bob job, I've got one. The bed has been replaced and is pretty nice. The frame has some rust and the lunette, lights and wiring has already been stripped. Has a pretty decent top, side racks and bows. Has a front rack but no rear. $250 here in S Fla. I might can get it up to the Atlanta area here in the next month or so if thats of any help.

Checking trailer manual (TM 9-2330-324-14&P) and deuce manual (TM 9-2320-209-20P), the front leaf spring on the deuce is the same as the main leaf spring on the M105A3 trailer. The NSN is 2510-00-736-8628 for both.

fyi if anyone wants to buy a 105 for just the bed and end up "getting rid of the frame" I will gladly take it off your hands.

Bob

or if any one wants the stuff out of the front i just bought a truck for the front axle so if any one needs the springs,hanger,brackets, and u bolts let me know. Going to get the truck this sunday. Hopefully if the weather ever straitens out and stuff quits breaking anyway.

Another thing i thought of was to use the 3 kink suspension out of an M135 front, looks lighter than using half of the M35 suspension, and going air ride. It would need a panhard bar if you ditch the springs. just my way of using junk no one wants....