few more questions on bobbing a truck

So I’ve been watching some auctions and haven’t won one yet. But as I look into the bobbed project, I came up with a few more questions.

When guys “bob” a truck, do they leave the first rear axle in place, to use the prop shaft/ drive shaft without having to modify it, or do they push the axel back a bit to get a little more length and try to easy up on a rough ride with a short wheelbase?

Since some guys think it’s a sin to “bob” a M35, I started looking at other trucks since I saw the conversion of a fifth wheel tractor. I noticed that they are all “close” in wheelbase center line to center line and overall length. All the data was taken from pics of the data plates off of the GL website.

WB = wheel base center line of front axle to center line of first rear axle.
OL = overall length

M35A3
WB – 130
OL – 264

M818
WB – 140
OL – 265

M931
WB – 140
OL – 265

M923
WB – 153
OL – 307

The 923 seems to be a lot longer, but this could have been a long bed truck I looked at. So it would seem that you could use a tractor to make a bobbed truck, you just don’t have the bed to deal with and you have to lose all the 5th wheel gear. So if you are going to use a trailer for a bed, no big deal. But if you want to shorten a bed for looks, then you have to go scrounge one.

If the A3s keep going for premium $$ then this might give me an option if not as many people are looking at the tractor units.

On another note, I saw a comment about pulling the axles before towing a 5 ton truck, what gives?

Ma Duce said:

So I’ve been watching some auctions and haven’t won one yet. But as I look into the bobbed project, I came up with a few more questions.

When guys “bob” a truck, do they leave the first rear axle in place, to use the prop shaft/ drive shaft without having to modify it, or do they push the axel back a bit to get a little more length and try to easy up on a rough ride with a short wheelbase?

Since some guys think it’s a sin to “bob” a M35, I started looking at other trucks since I saw the conversion of a fifth wheel tractor. I noticed that they are all “close” in wheelbase center line to center line and overall length. All the data was taken from pics of the data plates off of the GL website.

WB = wheel base center line of front axle to center line of first rear axle.
OL = overall length

M35A3
WB – 130
OL – 264

M818
WB – 140
OL – 265

M931
WB – 140
OL – 265

M923
WB – 153
OL – 307

The 923 seems to be a lot longer, but this could have been a long bed truck I looked at. So it would seem that you could use a tractor to make a bobbed truck, you just don’t have the bed to deal with and you have to lose all the 5th wheel gear. So if you are going to use a trailer for a bed, no big deal. But if you want to shorten a bed for looks, then you have to go scrounge one.

If the A3s keep going for premium $$ then this might give me an option if not as many people are looking at the tractor units.

On another note, I saw a comment about pulling the axles before towing a 5 ton truck, what gives?

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I know someone ( a pro) who manages to use the original drive shaft even with m105 beds. I chose to make mine 10" behind the front axle spot using an m105 bed, filling the empty space with a rack for the very large ammo cans for lockable storage. Then I'll be getting the driveshaft lengthened.

105 bed and added 3 1/2 inches to drive line. Bed one inch from back of truck cab support. Looks correct and did not have to cut 105 bed end to make it fit stock drive line. Tire center of wheel wells. Pro right.

Please continue your earlier (3 days) thread, http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce-...75263-new-guy-looking-build-bobbed-duece.html . Do not start a new thread everytime you think of new questions.