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It should work pretty well, they are designed for each other. I can't do it right now because my winch does not work right now and I have no wire rope.
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M870A1 Acquisition Thread
- Thread starter Castle Bravo
- Start date
- 1,959
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- Arizona
A few more photos.
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- 1,959
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- Arizona
A few updates.
M35A2-AZ came over and we (he) welded up a few additions and we fixed a lot of little dents on the trailer edge by heating and beating them straight.
Soni (M920) told me that the area where the wood breaks on the M870 trailers is on the gooseneck. This is because the longest spans between cross members on the trailer are up on the gooseneck. We added 2 pieces of angle and 2 pieces of channel to make the spans smaller. I guess I'll find out if there was some good reason that Shoals didn't do this to begin with. I would've liked to put diamond plate up there like Soni did, but since I already had the wood and diamond plate is expensive, I went this route. The original cross member up there was also straightened. I only have one poor photo of what it looked like before the new cross members were added.
It seems to have plenty of cross members under the main deck. You can see why this trailer is so heavy. The previous owner cut out the stake pockets, but thats probably a good thing because I won't have to cut the deck wood to fit around them.
Gooseneck steps and spare tire carrier. These were added by the previous owner.
One of the widening triangle pockets had a piece missing, so a new one was welded in.
Aluminum ramps. The ramp angle matches the trailer almost perfectly. Despite not being "original," I really like them. You can move one around by yourself unlike any of the steel ramps of this size. They say they're good for 23,500 lbs per axle, so they should work with anything you'd want to load over the rear of the trailer. For anything heavier, I can load over the front of the trailer.
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The next step is paint prep.
M35A2-AZ came over and we (he) welded up a few additions and we fixed a lot of little dents on the trailer edge by heating and beating them straight.
Soni (M920) told me that the area where the wood breaks on the M870 trailers is on the gooseneck. This is because the longest spans between cross members on the trailer are up on the gooseneck. We added 2 pieces of angle and 2 pieces of channel to make the spans smaller. I guess I'll find out if there was some good reason that Shoals didn't do this to begin with. I would've liked to put diamond plate up there like Soni did, but since I already had the wood and diamond plate is expensive, I went this route. The original cross member up there was also straightened. I only have one poor photo of what it looked like before the new cross members were added.
It seems to have plenty of cross members under the main deck. You can see why this trailer is so heavy. The previous owner cut out the stake pockets, but thats probably a good thing because I won't have to cut the deck wood to fit around them.
Gooseneck steps and spare tire carrier. These were added by the previous owner.
One of the widening triangle pockets had a piece missing, so a new one was welded in.
Aluminum ramps. The ramp angle matches the trailer almost perfectly. Despite not being "original," I really like them. You can move one around by yourself unlike any of the steel ramps of this size. They say they're good for 23,500 lbs per axle, so they should work with anything you'd want to load over the rear of the trailer. For anything heavier, I can load over the front of the trailer.
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The next step is paint prep.
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This is a nice mod, though I think I may have gone with rounded/smooth treads, certainly for the top one - potential hand grips maybe (subject to owners stature!).
NB A2's went to some kind of slotted ladder setup on the gooseneck. A2 pic added at bottom of post.
They'll look great once painted. Didn't the USMCs' 870s have rear ramps?
QUESTION: Does anyone know what size/make the beavertail snatch block (for unloading) was? I have seen some 112000 lb ones go through GL but they are only (!!!) for 3/4" rope. (M916' rope is 7/8") ..... If there actually was one (not mentioned in Bii), maybe I saw one in a pic - possibly the one that was on GL in Hawaii this summer??? It looked similar to the ones on an M88.
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- 1,959
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M870A0s have that angle bracket "lip" like the M172 trailers, so it can be used with ramps.
The TM mentions a USMC 870, but doesn't really define its differences. I've seen some A0s that have a "taller" gooseneck with stake pockets down each side of it, which might also just be the Load King 403LF trailer.
I don't think I've ever seen a rear snatch block for an 870. Like you said, its not in the BII...
The TM mentions a USMC 870, but doesn't really define its differences. I've seen some A0s that have a "taller" gooseneck with stake pockets down each side of it, which might also just be the Load King 403LF trailer.
I don't think I've ever seen a rear snatch block for an 870. Like you said, its not in the BII...
I recall the BII for a 870 consisted of six 3/8" chains and snap binders, a spare tire which was mounted at the rear of the trailer, the support brackets that went into the slots at the rear of the trailer sides, and 4 shackles that were fitted 2 on anchor points on the floor and two on the gooseneck. The ones in the rear generally stayed there as they folded down flush with the floor, the front ones had to be removed the load/unload the trailer. When used with the M123A2C with one midships winch a shoe was added on the rear cross member to keep the cable and the front of the trailer out of the the tail lights and a goal post like fixture behind the winch to keep the cable off the fifth wheel. Some units fabricated adapter king pins for 2 1/2" fifth wheels so you could pull the 870 with a M818 if you either had a fork lift to lower and raise the front of the trailer or you were loading over the rear from a ramp.The pin was fabbed from a m172 reversable king pin.No snatch blocks were furnished. A M747 had several 60 ton blocks authorized one of which was mounted more or less permanently at the rear for change of direction and the others were used to set up a 3:1 mechanical advantage to check a tank when you unloaded it. Hanging the blocks was a character building exercise and newbies were counseled not to let the block fall on their feet ifd they were to walk normally again.
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Other than being for a 10 ton, that almost sounds like this kit here that I was asking about -
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showth...0A1-Trailers&p=1073020&viewfull=1#post1073020
I have a nice 2" kingpin that Soni made to use with a regular fifth wheel. I think a 1400R20 equipped 5 ton tractor is high enough to pull the M870A1 trailer.
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Matt,
The aluminum ramps look great and make me think that the years of "character building" I've been through with the steel version should be reconsidered. Can you tell us more about their dimensions, lip strength at the place they hook on, and the supplier. I think I saw them as part of your load on the trailer recovery pictures ?
John
The aluminum ramps look great and make me think that the years of "character building" I've been through with the steel version should be reconsidered. Can you tell us more about their dimensions, lip strength at the place they hook on, and the supplier. I think I saw them as part of your load on the trailer recovery pictures ?
John
- 1,959
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- 63
- Location
- Arizona
They came from discountramps.com and are the 23,500 lb/per axle variety.
- 1,959
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- Arizona
I'm hoping to.
groundog
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I like the ramps very nice
- 1,959
- 216
- 63
- Location
- Arizona
Some updates.
All of the paint prep work is now done and I'm painting tomorrow. It took about 3 gallons of primer to cover the trailer, and so I'm thinking it will be a similar amount of paint.
All the wood is cut and fit to the trailer, but I don't have any photos of that. Apitong is heavy! I still have to drill all the holes to hold the wood down, and I'm thinking that won't be very pleasant. There are 125 or so holes, and each one has to be countersunk, so its 250 total operations.
All of the paint prep work is now done and I'm painting tomorrow. It took about 3 gallons of primer to cover the trailer, and so I'm thinking it will be a similar amount of paint.
All the wood is cut and fit to the trailer, but I don't have any photos of that. Apitong is heavy! I still have to drill all the holes to hold the wood down, and I'm thinking that won't be very pleasant. There are 125 or so holes, and each one has to be countersunk, so its 250 total operations.
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rustystud
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Looking good !
agazza2
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Looks great, looking forward to seeing the finished trailer. Have you been keeping track of how many hours you have into restoring the trailer?
1954 COE
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Great job as usual!
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Looking good!!!!
- 1,959
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- Arizona
I haven't been keeping track, but I'd guess around 75 hours so far.
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I was looking at these trailers being overhauled at Red River depot yesterday (no pictures allowed). They have replaced either the entire rear axles or just the hubs, and gone to what looks like 17.5" hub-piloted rims. Tires are much skinnier than the 15's. Looks like the 10R-15 LPT is becoming obsolete so we better stock up. Feltz tire at Red River had a bunch of them.
- 1,959
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- Arizona
More photos!
Green is done, brown and black paint goes on tomorrow.
Green is done, brown and black paint goes on tomorrow.
