baby HEMTT update

Excellent! I always knew there was something "wrong" with those cabs when I saw them for sale, but I never could put my finger on it. I later realized it was because the plate was missing, lol. I typically miss the obvious. I must say that this whole project has a very nice look and an attention to detail not normally found on "home built" projects. Not that these other guys don't do good work, it's just that the crossmembers look like something that would come out of one of our local industrial fab shops. I just wish I could have the equipment needed to do such nice work, lol! Great job, keep it up!

Nope, they were depot rebuilds from Barstow Truck Parts; no idea where they got them from.

No keeping up with the Jones' now! Beautiful work Leonard.
I'd love to see how the steering is setup!

Stay tuned, Armada
I think I need to shop for a HEMTT steering box, IF the flow rate is compatible with the M900 assist ram as the HEMTT set-up has a second steering box for the #2 steer axle. I determined that, when you turn the HEMTT wheel to the right, the steering shaft turns to the left because the HEMTT boxes' input shaft comes in from the front. Alternative is to use the M900 series box and build a small v-drive using two reverse idler gears which will change the shaft direction. Steering shaft to the rear into the v-drive and then forward to the steering box. Oh goodie, something else to design and fabricate!?!

OUTSTANDING !!!!![/b]

Baby Hemmit

Excellent Job, cant wait to see this finished

Armada said:

No keeping up with the Jones' now!

Click to expand...

Oh that is perfect!!!

Armada said:

No keeping up with the Jones' now!

Click to expand...

no, now he IS the Jones' lol

GREAT job Jones!!!

I was beginning to the same thing last year using commercial (as opposed to military) 2 1/2 Rockwell running gear.



That was until I purchased the prototype LMTV (a US knockoff of a Kamaz), and will be building it into my next "expedition camper".

If any one would like my HEMTT cab for their own project (as in free)...Come and get it (I'm on the central coast of California).

The frame is now in Korea being turned into a Kia, the transfer-case has been traded, but the front axle is available.

PM me for directions / logistics

any updates or new pics?

Yep, Just got the mounting brackets made and the steering box bolted in place; the fuel tanks and air tanks are on and being plumbed in. Will have a new batch of pictures in a few days. Setting up to bend up the skid plate and will then fab up the framework for it to fit when the plate is done. And I thought I was down to the light weight stuff...

Jones...Did you finish this project yet? Got any updates?

I think I remember Leonard saying it would be done by Christmas. I just don't remember if that was '05 or '06. Time flies when you are having fun! It will be an awesome machine once he is finished with it.

Hey!! Quiet you... I'm still pecking away at it. WOW... Was that a glacier that just zoomed by?

OK all. Recently I've had my attention diverted by; retirement, taking on another job, a speed bump health-wise and the fact that I have no garage and am working on the baby HEMTT in my driveway.
M1075, thanks for being kind enough to add that I didn't specify a year, but yer right... I feel like I'm dragging my feet.
Tomorrow I'll take some pictures to post but in the meantime my progress has been slowed by getting to undo and redo some mechanical stuff. T-case turned out to be unsalvageable and the rear axle differential has too much slop to make me happy. T-case is now swapped out and the differential will be as soon as I figure out a way to safely lift the back of the truck high enough to get the differential changed.
Had to completely gut the cab since playing mix and match with the original wiring was turning me into an even less likeable person than I already was.
Now, all that's changed and I think I'm pointed in the right direction again.
So far I've; finished the chassis air line plumbing, gotten the engine to start and stop from the cab controls, laid out wiring sub-harnesses for chassis, marker lights, and engine controls, figured out how to make the steering work without a bunch of 'Rube Goldberg' linkage, gotten a bunch of small parts like NATO slave receptacles / marker light brackets / marker lights / the last of the bed tie-downs / etc. off of the kitchen floor and installed on the truck. Re-routed fuel lines to put the fuel filter on the suction side so the fuel pump would stop blowing out gaskets-- redesigned, made and installed a new and improved muffler bracket to support my new and improved muffler-- made all my battery power cables and ground leads-- re-positioned the battery box and installed my battery cut-off switch.
Thanks to all for the support and patience.

Now that is bringing sexy back<----- not sure what that means exactly but some kid said that to me Thursday on patrol...its new age so it must be good, I think. I love it, really cant say anything bad about something green w/ clean lines, rocks, and a whole lot of ground clearance...I expect to see you in the Dakar rally or Baja 1000 w/in the next year or two...maybe a little behind for Dakar but Baja you may have a fighting chance for. If you let me ride I’ll pay for registration fee...I think 1000. You would only have to pay for the stuff that breaks...it looks well built though I anticipate no issues during the 1000 miles.

Carguy455...peacemaker b-36 avatar, nice

Jones said:

. WOW... Was that a glacier that just zoomed by?

Click to expand...

lol

OK everybody, It's coming down here like pouring p1ss out of a boot but I took a few pictures so you don't think Ive been just sitting around, buffing my nails.
I got the last of the driveshafts shortened and I'm sure glad that's done. I still had to machine a little off of the shortest components I could find. It's sitting on a 20mm ammo can for a size reference. The other two were just a matter of cutting the tube to length, re-welding and balancing... and hefting the 100+ pound suckers around. Even the pieces are heavy!
Got rid of the smaller air cleaner I originally had in favor of this one. The 5.9 Cummins will never need this much air but at least it won't have any intake restrictions; and the assy. looks closer to scale with the rest of the truck.
I went with the NATO receptacles and put one on each side of the truck so I didn't have to do a bunch of circling around to get in position to provide a jump. The end plugged in to the socket will get new 2/0 cable and a pair of regular jumper cable alligator clips on the other end for the NATO to battery hook-up. I'll also have a NATO to NATO cable on board. By switching the dog-bones I can give either 12 vdc or 24 vdc to a vehicle in need.
Mounted the bridge plate just so I won't have to keep moving it in order to find whatever else it is I'm looking for at the moment.
Will post some before and after pictures of cab wiring when it's done as well as some shots of what it's like to swap out a five ton differential using "simple hand tools".
I MacGyvered the t-case in out and back in with a 12 vdc boat winch, 2X4s, a SawzAll and more dumb luck than any one person deserves to have. My brother was a huge help; chiefly because he wasn't fast enough to figure out somewhere else he had to be at the time. The "Bumblebee Factor" was definately in play that day.

That's AWESOME! I know it's been a year, but you've made a HUGE amount of progress since the last pictures you posted. I'd like to see a far-away shot... like the one at the beginning of this thread... so we can see how the whole truck looks now that the gap between the cab and body is filled with stuff and the front skid plate is on.

Are you going to Tower Park in April? (With or without the Baby HEMTT) I've got the whole week as paid vacation, so I'll be there with my deuce... would love to make a side-trip to...

Jon

ADA BOY Leonard!!!
I was concerned that you might have modified your interests towards... hotrods.

Nah, just kidding!

It GREAT to see you making progress again!