M923 Bobber project

[350TacoZilla]

I figured it was time to start a build thread for my M923, code name Ralph (from kids movie wreck it ralph, since main character is big,little slow and wrecks everything he touches).

I will be putting few posts in from my new members thread http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?99660-new-from-MD/page3
and then will start updating this thread instead. First post here will be uber long just to get you caught up to date.

Plans were to get a 923 or 923a2 and bob it down into nearly pickup truck size, turbo it and then just have a weekend cruiser/car show truck while still using it as a truck.

1-2-13- truck is paid for sitting at GL lot
I just wanted to update I officially have a paid for m923, now if I can get it home before my 10 days are up. I will be taking lots o pics of truck and keeping as good of records as I can of the bob job to follow. For now here is a gl pic of my truck.



1-17-13 truck is home to my parents house (where garage is that I can work on my cars)

ok picture time, first one is sitting at bikemans I had popped hood to fill power steering next ones are sitting in my parents driveway. I suddenly dont think my moms dodge ram with 4.5" lift and 35's is all that big anymore lol.




3-17-13

ok well I got my 2 425/65/22.5s mounted up (had to buy a 1" impact to get lug nuts off after twisting the head off a 3/4" breaker bar)

I also have my 6" CAT stacks on truck with stack box to help with drone, still need to paint them black and finish up a set of supports to help keep them from wobbling around at tops. I also took the stock flex connector from stock stack and re-mounted it under truck cab and welded 4" 90 elbow to it so the stacks can move a bit without leaks. I also decided to go ahead and get a set of 52's for truck since the 43's just dont fill up fender enough (still look better in person than the factory 11r's did up front though).

 

[350TacoZilla]

4-07-13

well its at the no turning back stage! truck is officially 2 axles now. I got the tandem setup out today and moved my rear crossmember up to its new location, didnt get new springs on yet so truck is blocked up for now but next day off I plan to mount the springs and set it down on own weight again. I had been back and forth on what length bed would look right since I was sliding bed forward almost 1 foot, seems like I will end up with a 9'6" bed and bed will come right to end of frame not hang over like stock. ( I also do not plan to put the bumperettes back on.) In the first pic (with truck facing away from camera) the jack handle is about at the cut off point for frame to give idea of overall length.




4-16-13

UPDATE

got frame cut down and rear crossmember in final spot, the bed looks like it will be 9'6" on nose like originally planned



now if I can just get those air cans rotated like everyone else I will be good, right now axle is sitting on wood black to keep springs from hitting.


4-18-13

Worked today so didn't get much done for truck, got 6 of the old g177's broke down off rims and got my temp wheels mounted up for back (2 more matching 425/65/22.5's like on front but on standard rig 22.5x8.25 wheels) till I can get some combats or fmtv's.

I rolled a xzl up to truck for quick comparison pic.I honestly cant believe the difference in how much they fill the fenderwell up and I have had 16.00r20 goodyears before so not new to the large tire game.



4-20-13

worked on finishing bob job today on truck and started out fine I got the cans rotated, axle centered,springs in place and bolted tight,and then noticed I had put the wrong rear back into truck (I put the one without the abs sensors in it back in) so using skid loader I go to get correct axle and axle slides off end of fork and I take out both air cans (luckily I was in skid steer cause the main spring shot out like many people know can happen). I now have the option of either taking apart the brake cans from axle under truck (the factory middle axle) and putting them into the rear rear axle and then swapping axles out from under truck OR taking brakes apart on both axles and putting abs into the axle under truck off the spare axle. I am thinking the second option since it was pain to get axle under there in first place.

Any tips on how the abs is in there?


4-21-13

Ok so today I took rear back out of truck, put correct rear in, switched air cans from one rear to other, rotated cans to clear springs, and plumbed the air lines except a few I need to get longer lines for so i basically got back to the place I was yesterday after about 9 hrs of work today. 1 step forward 2 steps back some days.

 

[350TacoZilla]

5-5-13

I got all the air lines hooked up except for the rear glad hands I just have them blocked off for right now.

BIG news is.....

I got to drive my truck!! first time in about a month it moved on own power, I'm very pleased with overall size and glad I went short as possible (while still trying to keep its proportions looking right) turning circle is near my dad's CCLB ram's, seems to have bit more power now that its not lugging around the extra axle and all the steel that I cut off. ( I scrapped alot of the steel that came off truck and it weighed over 3000lbs + weight of the rear axle + weight of 6 11r20's missing) I do still need to get shocks figured out as the stock 5 ton front shock mounts interfere with the air cans on rear axle, thinking of still using the front shocks and the upper mounts just making new lower mounts for them.

I also have to take my stacks back off since a bird apparently flew in one a few weeks ago and died there..........

 

[Farmallmilitary]

Looking good!

 

[350TacoZilla]

TY I'm thinking another weekend of work and it should be ready for rd again. i did get some pictures today with an actual camera but nothing detailed just few overall shots to show size of truck. I also did a quick cut and paste in paint-it to get visual of idea I have been kicking around, take a 2nd stock front bumper and bolt it upside down under stock one.

 

[TurboMustang370]

I also did a quick cut and paste in paint-it to get visual of idea I have been kicking around, take a 2nd stock front bumper and bolt it upside down under stock one.

You aren't alone on that one. There are quite a few people, including myself, looking to do that kind of bumper setup. Issue I found is everyone wants $200+ for a bumper.

 

[350TacoZilla]

Yeah I had looked into get a big rig bumper and just painting over the chrome (one of the larger drop down style ones) but they dont have much structure to them and I want the bumper to be usable not just for looks. i also thought it would help truck not look too tall once the 53's are on if bumper was lower.

 

[TurboMustang370]

Yea, I agree. And it also gives it that Mad Max Bad A** look

 

[350TacoZilla]

well I got to work on truck today and got it back together with bed cut down and welded back up.

I cut off the front header and re welded it in new spot instead of cutting bed twice and re welding floor together, also by doing this I only had to cut the excess bed off the front. I ended up with little longer bed than originally planned by sliding it as close to the stacks as I felt comfortable with (1.5" away) so bed is right around 10' inside to inside.

I have not got the bed sides cut down and welded yet since I have 2 sets to pick from I cant decide weather I should use the ones in better shape for my truck or cut down the bent ones that were on it and sell the better set.

I also did keep a bit of an overhang like the factory but not as much of one, for some reason the bed didnt look right ending right at the end of the frame almost like rear axle was too far back or something so I admit the bed ended up this length more to please me in the looks depot lol.
I will be updating with full size pics soon I hope.

 

[wreckerman893]

I like the stacks and the flatbed.......I had them on my bob deuce.

 

[bigboy44]

Good Job, I really like the front bumper idea. Need more pics!

 

[350TacoZilla]

I like the stacks and the flatbed.......I had them on my bob deuce.

ty I do plan to make up the bedsides but I dont mind it as the flatbed either.

 

[350TacoZilla]

Good Job, I really like the front bumper idea. Need more pics!

will post better pics for sure my cell is outdated and takes horrible pics lol I like front bumper idea also but I need to mount up my 16.00's first to see if it would clear them.

 

[Tow4]

Good looking truck. Lots of good ideas in your build.

 

[jagman]

Great looking rig, how much do you have tied into it so far? I am looking to do something similar when I get my rig.

 

[350TacoZilla]

more work than anything , most expensive parts where the 5 ton front springs and about $100 in saw blades,grinding wheels etc.

 

[jagman]

Work is a good thing, I am very limited on funding right now due to my POS F350 blowing up and I have only owned it for a year... I really need a replacement truck to drive and if I can get the rig I'm looking at I can possibly do what you have done. Do you daily drive it? It looks absolutely BA?

 

[350TacoZilla]

I'm actually finishing up the wheels/tires swap and need to bolt the rear shock mounts on before I can drive it again. I can tell you pulling 5 395s off rims swapping beadlock inserts and remounting 5 16.00's on those rims is a pretty big task for 2 people (me and my dad). I plan to drive it a good bit but I have a scion XB I DD and @ 35mpg the 923 doesnt compare for fuel mpg's.

my dad had an 05 F350 with the 6.0 and had the heads done by the dealership and the bill was 6K.

 

[jagman]

Yeah my EGR cooler failed and blew my motor so I own a $13000 paperweight. E-5 pay isn't the best either so I am looking for the poor mans way to having a great work truck. Yours is perfect, now only if I can do the same for about 2 grand lol.

 

[TurboMustang370]

Yeah my EGR cooler failed and blew my motor so I own a $13000 paperweight. E-5 pay isn't the best either so I am looking for the poor mans way to having a great work truck. Yours is perfect, now only if I can do the same for about 2 grand lol.

Bring your 6.0 to a real diesel shop. 99.99% of the time the EGR cooler failure will not blow the motor. The worst would be needing to deck the heads (unless one is cracked), EGR cooler delete and the cause to most 6.0 engine failures - oil cooler. Do you have gauges or scan tool? I prefer Edge CTS.