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My axle fell off on the way home!

abh3

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Florala, Al
Be very glad that the Alabama Department of Public Safety didn't happen by, you know, those friendly guys and gals in the silver and blue Crown Vics and Chargers... Can't see what tag you have on that pickup but they can be pretty particular about tag weights, GMVR, etc., if they'll write a ticket for an unsecured CHAIN on a trailer deck they'd make you wish you'd gone about this a different way! :razz:

I've never driven a MV off the lot, ALL have been on my gooseneck or lowboy (tagged correctly, more or less) because I dread the thought of explaining to a jury how it was all just an accident that I bear no responsibility for because the dumb old army truck was broke... When I've whined about this here in the past I'm told folks know what they're doing and to butt out, ya'll keep thinking on that and one day ALL these machines will be demil only. :soapbox:
 

Recovry4x4

LLM/Member 785
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Welcome to Steel Soldiers. Glad you got every thing home safe. Enough bashing has already occurred so I'm not going down that road. What I will say is that there was adequate time between the bidding war and EUC approval to get some manuals and not show up blind. Park these trucks and spend some time on research so you can enjoy them in the future. Search the term dogbone and you will have a weeks worth of reading. Read the deuce threads as they are a smaller version of the same thing and more widely covered.
 

flyxpl

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Chatham IL
Although still unsafe and illegal , if the dump would of been put on the trailer backwards with the engine sitting over the trailer axles the poor fords bumper may not have been dragging the ground . Not knowing this simple procedure makes me think you may have a hard time learning about these trucks even with the manuals . You are lucky the dump has an engine in it much less runs . Most the dumps I preview have engine and drivetrain parts laying in the floorboard .
 

zout

Well-known member
7,744
154
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Location
Columbus Georgia
Just got done deleting my first post seeing as you must have a good picture of the move and some thoughts on it by now and I do not have to add anything more to that.

As said by some great members - park em and go though the tm's and learn about the trucks and its workings. There will be plenty of zombies left over anyhow and there is no rush.

Dig into the truck even before you hit the road running so you know exactly what you have under your feet and now safe for the joe blow that is out on the road with you.

Welcome to the SS site by the way.

You have some awesome members in your neck of the woods - and even if you had to supply a great meal for them to come over and walk you though some stuff might be to some avail to you - there are SOME members here that know everything BTW and you just found out besides the towing incident of how most of us react when it will effect or could effect our hobby to the general publics eye.

So if you have not dropped out already - hang in there - it does get better.
 

Flyingvan911

Well-known member
4,709
158
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Location
Kansas City, MO
Welcome. Glad your recovery didn't end badly. We are very concerned about safety because accidents can hurt our hobby very badly. Not to mention hurting someone.

The site is full of great info. Read up and have fun!
 

saddamsnightmare

Well-known member
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Location
Abilene, Texas
February 10th, 2012.

Alabamafrog:


Now you have your first education on OD Iron. First, it is not smart to drive a truck you know nothing about, how to inspect or repair it. You were probably inches from killing someone other then yourself, which would get the rest of us in a lot of grief. Yes, these trucks were built to take abuse, but after forty or fifty years of young GI's driving like they stole it, the trucks are antiques. As to the suspension, "surprise, surprise, surprise, Sgt Carter...." it is an off road tactical suspension, it is not designed primarily for the road, and if the bushings or bolts fail, she will throw an axle. Plus you were driving in low range, probably 6 wheel drive on the road, something had to give and it was the No. 2 axle....aua

Deuces can't take 6X6 on the road without snow or ice to slip on, so why would a five ton be any different? Few all wheel drives are designed to handle hard dry pavements.... even on civillian trucks....

SO, now you get to either shell out $$$$ to repair the truck, or junk the truck and take your losses, or learn to drive, operate and inspect your truck correctly before you kill someone.... I will not pat you on the back for a couple of idiotic moves, AND your Ford's not built for moving 5 tons... What YOU do stupid, can, if it hurts or kills someone, end the hobby for the rest of us. My trucks were and are daily drivers, guess what, the inspection and proper maintenance will eat up your time and money to do it right...THAT'S why Uncle sold them in the first place....:deadhorse:

Now buck up and do it right! These guys can help you, but you will probably take a razzing for not knowing more about what you bought, before you bought it....2cents
 

alabamafrog

New member
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Location
Huntsville Al
I try not to let folks get to me on forums, although of the dozen or so forums I have frequented over the years this has been the most hostile one yet. I have spent many years helping people out on truck and tractor forums so I know how much work it is and I know how easy it is to be tempted to berate the newbie. But there has been a lot of good posts and help here already so its worth putting up with the folks who enjoy degrading others. Most probably drive minivans and live in apartments.
Anyways thanks to all the nice people who have helped me so far and I promise I will do some of my own leg work and read up on this when I get time. Lately I have been so busy with work that I work from 6am to 6pm then do paperwork until near midnight so extracurricular activities like reading up on 5 tons have been put on the back burner.
The way I got into this is I was doing a job at the DRMO office and noticed all the big trucks driving out. Talking to the folks that worked there they said most all of them ran and had very low miles and were basically brand new just sat around for years. They claimed that these trucks were fine to buy then drive straight cross country. They also require appointments and are a bit of a headache to schedule previews, then you have to preview and bid on dozens of trucks before catching one cheap enough to win the bid so it didn't seem worth it.
I assumed it was like buying a good used car that has been meticulously serviced and maintained and I was assured they would be safe to drive the 6 miles to my buddies mechanics shop where I had scheduled them to get a complete going over and repair. You'd think that the government guys that do this for a living every day would have warned me or at least mentioned it if these things were unsafe to drive. Instead they assured me that it was in great condition, well maintained and ready to go.


As for the recovery, what the heck is that, terms like recovery aren't used in the normal world I come from. But I admit my truck and trailer were over loaded however at no point did it feel unsafe, The trailer is a 2010 30' gooseneck that is well built and rated for 23,000 pounds and has very good tires and brakes, the truck is a modified powerstroke and has a modified tranny and high end brake controller, in fact I had to turn the controller down a tad as it locked up the wheels during a test stop as I was leaving the lot. The truck has a 30k rated ball and hitch in it too. As for loading the truck, the DRMO guy on the big loader said park there and he shoved it on the trailer, there was no room to turn the rig around. He had to knock, and I mean knock several other trucks out of the way to make room to get in to it. Notice that I stopped the dumper as far back over the trailer axles as possible to distribute the load as even as I could under the conditions. Again, this was a 6 mile trip during a low traffic time at slow speeds straight to the mechanics shop. Oh, and the tag on the truck is a farm tag rated at 30,000 pounds, the trailer has a HD trailer tag. I got seven tractors, a backhoe, 6 trailers, and a 30' camper that I haul on a regular basis so I am no stranger to towing. The axle twisting on the one I drove made me far more nervous and thankful no one got hurt than the one I hauled.
So let the minivan and Subaru drivers fuss all they want I will still give the site and all the good helpful folks the benefit of the doubt and try and be a productive part of this community in the future. Hopefully work will slow down a bit in a few months and then I can take the time to learn the ins and outs of these beasts. Until then they will sit at the mechanics shop waiting for his and my time and TLC.
 
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abh3

New member
236
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Location
Florala, Al
Sure, many of us have hauled 12+ tons of dozer, hoe, etc on a gooseneck with a diesel pickup. You must have an F1 tag, my F2 is good for 42,000lbs and I only hope Dept Public Safety doesn't look too close at the truck data plate, LOL!! But still, that's serious hauling, it's probably a good thing you were only going a few miles. A Deuce on a gooseneck behind a pickup is pretty easy until something happens, I had a back tire (singles) blow out going down a steep hill south of Mogo w a Deuce on the trailer, it had my full attention there for a bit! :shock: Your load in that scenario could've made the papers...

There's a lot of anxiety out there about MVs, accidents and the ensuing bad press, hence the feedback. The hobby is all too aware of the vehicles that are/were demil only, it could happen to all of them depending on which way the political breezes blow...

But you're on your way now, it's hard to only have one or two!
 

charlietango

Member
505
20
18
Location
Winnipeg
dont curve ball this to us leaning on you because your some kind of victim. you did some seriously un safe things that warranted input for you and others reading as a 'let this be an example' kind of thing. A succession of 5 bumps trying to brake that Ford rig of yours and you would have pogo-sticked into someone! But we don't hate you so get over it. You will find these guys help you no matter what and heck I'm even Canadian and they put up with me! Just so its clear I would tell you the same thing in person as here, what you see is what you get and what I have to say I feel needs to be said (otherwise I'm quiet) wether I'm right or not. its just how I am.

razzing, we teach how we were taught in the military... its ok! just don't F UP after we tell you....hahaha:beer: <-- lets go get some if I'm ever in AL!

PS Ted's Trucks N Stuff by Midland are great people down there. If you need N stuff give them a shout! (google them i can't recall their info)
 
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Heavysteven

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Hickory Flat Ga
Your joking right, you did not feel unsafe with a 23,000 on that trailer.

Your rationalization that pulling that kind of weight was safe with a F-250 is comical.

rationalization (also known as making excuses[1]) is an unconscious defense mechanism in which perceived controversial behaviors or feelings are logically justified and explained in a rational or logical manner in order to avoid any true explanation, and are made consciously tolerable
 

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porkysplace

Well-known member
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mid- michigan
Everything about your load was unsafe . You put a 23,000# truck on a trailer that weighs 10,000# and is only rated for 23,000# total and you feel it is safe , well your wrong plain and simple. That load should have never went on a public road . It's people who think like you who necessitate the D.O.T. to regulate trucking . I also find it hard to belive anyone involed in selling these truck straight from the government would tell you they are low miles ,well serviced and ready to drive anywhere. Considering the fact they do not let you move them on preveiws and more and more bases are going to a tow-off policy with a approved towing operation . These trucks are sent to auction because they are beat to death and to costly to maintain for the government.
 

doghead

4 Star General /Moderator
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Yeah seriously, can we please just try to help the new guy.

What's done is done, now it's time to move on.

Any more rants will be removed.
 
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