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What did you do to your deuce this week?

Valence

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Davis County, UT
Almost exactly 1 month ago I purchased a lightly used (with a little sun fading) HEMTT air-ride seat and had it shipped via Fastenal ($225) all the way from North Carolina to Utah (about 1900 miles).

2016-08-04 15.40.31.jpg 2016-08-04 15.40.11.jpg 2016-08-04 15.41.18.jpg 2016-08-04 20.44.22.jpg


For me, the main perk of the purchase was that it came with a seat base adapter so I wouldn't have to make one or drill holes in my truck. Counting the 1/4" thick base, the seat adapter base is just shy of 3-1/4" tall. Unfortunately it was designed for the M939 series 5 tons. However, with a little figuring, butt welding a 2" strip on one side and drilling new holes made it fit wonderfully. I also recently purchased a welder, but with so little experience yet I felt this was too important of a weld for me to do. So I traded some time helping my brother with his rock crawler project and he welded it for me.

2016-08-17 20.18.54.jpg 2016-08-26 13.43.41.jpg 2016-08-31 20.02.31.jpg 2016-08-31 20.02.40.jpg 2016-09-03 17.54.45.jpg


And finally, to make a little more clearance between the back of the seat the back of the cab, I disassembled the rear-sliding glass, drilled some new holes, moved the glass weather channels, and flipped the window positions. So the more recessed window handle would be behind the driver's seat. Here's the window handle sticking out before the side-swap. Looks like I forgot to take an "after" comparison picture. Yes, the rear windows are tinted. :)

2016-09-03 13.50.23.jpg


I removed the seat's stock double shoulder harness and put back on the original lap belt, but I'm wondering how well a HMMWV 3-point seat belt would fit instead.

2016-09-03 19.12.03.jpg


The second picture below shows the seat with air in it, and it's limited by the rear-straps. It's a little close but the 18" steering wheel helps. This should make driving far more comfortable!

2016-08-31 20.03.31.jpg 2016-09-03 18.39.13.jpg 2016-09-03 18.39.59.jpg 2016-09-03 19.22.35.jpg


I routed the air for the seat from the "T" on the firewall. The same place that feeds the air-assist steering. I added a new in-line valve for the seat (the black handle) so it could be shut off independently from the steering. It's kind of a giant assembly now, and a bit in the way of my drive train vent manifold. There was some convenient existing holes right near the back of the driver's side of the cab to run the 1/4" air-brake tube to. So the line just traveled down the inside of the frame rail and back into the cab.

2016-08-13 15.36.45.jpg 2016-09-03 18.51.47.jpg


Now I get to decide if I'd like to keep my fold down passenger seat, or get a second air-ride HEMTT seat. The main driving factor for the fold down seat is that I DO have a gunner's cut out in the hard top and the M66 gun ring to go with it...
 
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TruckGuy

Member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
140
23
18
Location
Belmont, NC
Getting the bed ready to paint

Finally got started on the bed. Cleaned, scraped cleaned some more... primer - ready for paint.

She'll be up for sale soon.......



.
clean1.jpgclean2.jpgprimed.jpgpose.jpg
 

tobyS

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Location
IN
Nice work TruckGuy.

I did that to my M817 (dump) bed and sweetened the primer up with some extra red oxide. Worked great.

Have you considered A3 front wheels and tires? Those are 11.00 duels aren't they? Edit..or are they 12.00?

Have fun.
 

TruckGuy

Member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
140
23
18
Location
Belmont, NC
Thanks.

Ahab - Was a bit of work, but not a bad project on a day with great weather.

tobyS- duals in the back, set of 10 Firestone T831s 1100 X 20. I have thought about the A3 rims for the front, just never came across any.
 

tobyS

Well-known member
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Location
IN
I never heard of doing that. Where did you get the idea?
]
I bought a supply of old oil base paints and some cans of the pigment "iron oxide" came with it. I used new primer but added some pigment so when it scratches, it's shows primer and doesn't go to the steel. It made it thick and to have some filling ability.

I don't know if iron oxide is part of today's color palette but think most mixers of paint would give you a couple extra shots, if they have it. For rust prone areas, like a bed that holds water from time to time, it's great.
 

Valence

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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605
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Location
Davis County, UT
I went to the movies this morning and saw the most manly movie there. Finding Dory, of course.

Then I went grocery shopping.

#Hardcore

image.jpg

Update on on the seat: it rides like a dream but certainly does leave less room in the cab. I'm not uncomfortable by any means. Except, I'm sitting too high, and the air wiper is just starting to be in my way. I think I'll remove the 3/4" of rubber below the seat base adapter. I would prefer to not have to modify the seat base adapter...
 
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tobyS

Well-known member
4,820
815
113
Location
IN
Thanks.

Ahab - Was a bit of work, but not a bad project on a day with great weather.

tobyS- duals in the back, set of 10 Firestone T831s 1100 X 20. I have thought about the A3 rims for the front, just never came across any.
The 365 has the same OD (the same rev/mile) as the 11.00. I like the duals and thought about going the other way...from singles to duals on my A3 (rear). Instead I'm bobbing it (4x4) and using 395's... so have less tires to buy. Sorry, no surplus rims but if you find some with the 14.5 tire, they are the right match to your 11.00's.
 

gimpyrobb

dumpsterlandingfromorbit!
27,785
747
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Location
Cincy Ohio
I went to the movies this morning and saw the most manly movie there. Finding Dory, of course.

Then I went grocery shopping.

#Hardcore

View attachment 642257

Update on on the seat: it rides like a dream but certainly does leave less room in the cab. I'm not uncomfortable by any means. Except, I'm sitting too high, and the air wiper is just starting to be in my way. I think I'll remove the 3/4" of rubber below the seat base adapter. I would prefer to not have to modify the seat base adapter...
Have you turned the air wiper motor up-side down yet? It'll get you a tad more for UN-obstructed view.
 

Valence

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
2,131
605
113
Location
Davis County, UT
:funny:

Hey, Mr. Valence, what is the "KUP" on your tag all about; does it mean anything?
It's for "Sergeant Kup", the Transformer (also see my current profile picture).

The story is, once a good friend asked me how my "autobot" was doing. I grew up loving the transformers so I named my truck after my favorite one back in the day. ;)

http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Kup_(G1)
A short excerpt: "Kup is a tough old coot. He's almost as old as rust, in fact, and he was plinking Decepticons and Ick-Yaks with acid bursts from his trusty musket laser long before most of you turbo-revvin' young punks were born. In his day, lasers didn't need to use light; they did whatever they were told to do. And liked it."
 

TruckGuy

Member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
140
23
18
Location
Belmont, NC
Thanks Tracer. It wasn't too bad. Sprayer for the base, rattle can for the brown and black. Not perfect, but it works.
 
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