towing with a wrecker

area52 · Mar 26, 2006

How did the military tow with a wrecker? I am talking about without the towbar. Was there some attachment to the boom the enabled the truck to pick up the front of another truck or did they just hook up to the front shackles and lift it that way?

If you read my previous posting about the M246 I found, I am trying to figure out how much it would cost to start a tow/recovery business and trying to see how the military did it, if that would be easier anyway.

thanks

Wade

eddiec · Mar 26, 2006

towing

the only thing that you could do is to either add a tow sling (very limited due to the plastic and very thin metal bumpers), or add an underlift to the rear of the wrecker( do not believe that you would have enough nose weight to pack a road tractor from the front with the wrecker). other than the towing issue, the recovery issue should be of little problem.

rizzo · Mar 26, 2006

I know one guy who made a plate to go on the tow bar when mounted on the back. it had angle iron on it not slings. angle goes under the back of truck frames and under MV bumpers. Get a size bigger alum. angle or rubber so it won't scratch. This doesn't help you at all to tow a civy vehicle from the front. They have square bumpers, but they are very weak. all show and then they bend

eddiec · Mar 26, 2006

it's not the scratching, it's the fact that civy trucks have "show" bumpers now, anything bigger than a bird, and they bend. if he wants to tow with it, towing from the rear is no problem w a sling or tow bar, but you just cann't tow em all from the rear, it's the front tows that are gonna tear up stuff. and the one thing you do not want to do is leave a customers trailer sitting on the road where they broke down, someone could either hit it or steal it, either way, you just lost a customer and a law suit.

area52 · Mar 26, 2006

I thought I saw a device the military used behind the wreckers that lifted the front of the towed vehicle, something like a "whiffle tree" bar maybe?

rizzo · Mar 26, 2006

I have a pic of the whiffletree. I'll find it.

rizzo · Mar 26, 2006

whiffletree is in the truck inventory

rizzo · Mar 26, 2006

HEY LOOK, I USED THE SEARCH!!!!
Ken seems to know a little about this subject.

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/module...B2&file=viewtopic&t=200&highlight=whiffletree

Recovry4x4 said:
There are 3 different sets of adapters. The first and most useful are bored for the 1" pin. The second one is nearly identical but is bored for the 3/4" pin. Saturn has the pins and I think the 3/4 adapters. The 3rd adapter is the combo. It has 1" hole and a 3/4" hole. Some are out there still but the gov't got rid of them because they are prone to breaking. I think the M37 and maybe the HMMWV use the 3/4" pins. I have a friend who made bushings and bought 3/4" pins and just uses that one set of adapters. Also not considered adpaters but there are towbar brackets that can be added to the M880. Another thing needed for lift towing is the axle clamps. These have a huge chain and clamp onto the front axle and the adapters hook to this. This is done then the whiffletree is attached to the lift plates on the bumpers. The axle clamps can also be used around some bumpers. Sounds like towbar 101.

Recovry4x4 · Mar 26, 2006

There exists a whiffle tree that attaches to the lift shackle brackets. It doesn't replace the military towbar which attaches to the front axle with the chain clamps. If the plans are to tow civilian vehicles, you will need a regular type towbar. As others have mentioned, these days a frame lift is best for the new stuff. Older big trucks can use a standard wrecker towbar. Attached is a pic of the one that was on my deuce when I got it. Its since been removed but I still have some of it.

AMGeneral · Mar 26, 2006

Towing with a wrecker

NOTE!!! When lift towing with any 5 ton (M62,M543,M816)use extreme caution when starting off uphill or making any turns!!!Any weight over 10,000 lbs causes the front end to become VERY light!(I found out the hard way)In my opinion military wreckers are better suited for vehicles 15,000 lbs and under.As for the wiffle tree it hooks directly into the hoist block on the crane and the lifting shackles of the towed vehicle.I'm not sure how easy it would be to adapt this to a civillian vehicle.

area52 · Mar 26, 2006

I had an off the wall idea of fabricating some sort of device for the fifth wheel plate that would go back and under the towed vehicle so the majority of the weight would be taken on the fifth wheel plate. Just throwing ideas out there for now.

Kenny - what parts do you have for that towbar?

eddiec · Mar 26, 2006

there is a company called NRC Industries, they make a removeable underlift like you mentioned. it is able to pick up 35 thousand lbs, it also comes w the attachments for lifting by either the axles or the frame.i believe ther are pics on (future wrecker sales of this settup.

0 of this settup.

rizzo · Mar 26, 2006

area52 said:
I had an off the wall idea of fabricating some sort of device for the fifth wheel plate that would go back and under the towed vehicle so the majority of the weight would be taken on the fifth wheel plate. Just throwing ideas out there for now.

Kenny - what parts do you have for that towbar?

they have one that hooks to the 5th wheel of another truck then uses a jack to lift up the back of the other truck. I have seen a dump box attached to a fith wheel plate too.

rizzo · Mar 26, 2006

eddiec said:
there is a company called NRC Industries, they make a removeable underlift like you mentioned. it is able to pick up 35 thousand lbs, it also comes w the attachments for lifting by either the axles or the frame.i believe ther are pics on (future wrecker sales of this settup. 0 of this settup.

that thing is cool

http://www.robertyoungtrucks.com/showroomlobby.html?showroom=002

area52 · Mar 26, 2006

Thats exactly what I was thinking about, wonder how much that is? Maybe I could get something like that only have it work with the crane instead. Hmmmmm......

G744 · Mar 27, 2006

I hardly ever tow with the crane. It is much better to use the truck's 34K pounds to boss whatever around in a flat tow with a good towbar.

The crane is tops for motor work, loading stuff, putting big rafters up.

dg

Recovry4x4 · Mar 27, 2006

I've still got all of that towbar. The legs are in the scrap bin but still here.
I was planning on using the main piece as a spreader and I have another idea for it in the future.
Is eveyone aware of the Fifth Wheel Towing Device (FWTD) the military uses? There are 2 versions, the Holmes FW35 is the original. It has 28V electric Hydraulic pump and pugs into the NATO slave. Here's a link to pics of one in action. http://www.morlock-motors.com/Holmes_35.htm
Here are 2 links to pics of the newer underlift version.
http://www.truhitch.com/military.htm
http://www.usasac.army.mil/SAOBulletin/V17SM2003/paobulletin.htm

Recovry4x4 · Mar 27, 2006

One more thought on lift towing with a military wrecker. Rear overhang is a killer on a tow truck. The M62, M543, M818, M936, M108 and M60 all have too much rear overhang to safely lift tow very much weight. The lighter deuces M108 and M60 are too light for most lift tows anyway. The M246 and M819 are better suited with less overhang and more wheelbase. The ultimate military lift tow machine is the HEMTT M984 and M984A1.

G744 · Mar 27, 2006

'Nuff said! Read & heed.

dg

Prerunner1982 · Mar 27, 2006

I never had to lift tow a vehicle with my wrecker.. however I saw a wrecker operated for another unit attach the towbar to the broke truck, then just use the crane to life it up. Rear overhang wasnt an issue. Perhaps it wasnt the right way to do it, but it worked.

towing with a wrecker

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