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New to me m59 dump truck...

Evil Dr. Porkchop

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I bent up a couple of the spare tire holder bolts, I'll just need to get some info on the standoffs that thread the holder closed and I'll make something similar. While painting some other stuff I threw some paint on the back of the new fuel tank, I'm planning on taking the fuel lines out of the m275a2 frame so the truck should be pretty similar to how an m59a2 would have been if they were ever factory built.
IMG_3497.jpgIMG_3498.jpgIMG_3502.jpgIMG_3499.jpg
My new dataplate should be in the mail as well, not bad since I only first talked to the plate manufacturer about making one earlier this week.:)
 

rustystud

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I bent up a couple of the spare tire holder bolts, I'll just need to get some info on the standoffs that thread the holder closed and I'll make something similar. While painting some other stuff I threw some paint on the back of the new fuel tank, I'm planning on taking the fuel lines out of the m275a2 frame so the truck should be pretty similar to how an m59a2 would have been if they were ever factory built.
View attachment 664951View attachment 664950View attachment 664948View attachment 664949
My new dataplate should be in the mail as well, not bad since I only first talked to the plate manufacturer about making one earlier this week.:)
It's good to see someone else's work bench as cluttered as mine is ! Of course you just have the sheet metal top over wood correct ? I went with 1" thick steel plate. 4ft X 8ft long. 1" plate is the minimum needed to absorb the blow from a 24oz hammer. Learned that from an old blacksmith. Of course it takes a "cherry picker" to move it anywhere !
Actually I just wanted to say really nice work on your trucks ! That tank looks brand new !
 

tommys2patrick

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Kind of breaks my heart to see the M275 used for parts. But bringing a dump truck to life is a great final tribute. As always, you do fine work and love the step by step pics. If your parting out the rest of the M275, do you have any interest in selling the front bumper lifting/towing eye brackets, bolts and clevis pair?
 

Evil Dr. Porkchop

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It's good to see someone else's work bench as cluttered as mine is ! Of course you just have the sheet metal top over wood correct ? I went with 1" thick steel plate. 4ft X 8ft long. 1" plate is the minimum needed to absorb the blow from a 24oz hammer. Learned that from an old blacksmith. Of course it takes a "cherry picker" to move it anywhere !
Actually I just wanted to say really nice work on your trucks ! That tank looks brand new !
Yeah it's just sheet metal over wood, it could probably use a little organizing here and there.:) I'm really lucky that the multifuel tank is as nice it is, I couldn't believe they smashed the driver's fender that bad but didn't dent the tank at all!
Kind of breaks my heart to see the M275 used for parts. But bringing a dump truck to life is a great final tribute. As always, you do fine work and love the step by step pics. If your parting out the rest of the M275, do you have any interest in selling the front bumper lifting/towing eye brackets, bolts and clevis pair?
I hated to use it as a parts rig too, but it's just one of those deals - getting quarter fenders and a good fuel tank is an expensive or difficult task for the short trucks. What I paid for the whole truck before shipping was probably not much more than those parts would have set me back.

Also the tractor needed a complete restoration and lots of replacement parts: new bumper, grille, hood, fenders, cab, 10 tires, wiring, battery box, alternator, engine, seats, master cylinder/airpack and more. Do all that work and you've got a truck that typically brings less money than a cargo, sadly. And while the tractors are not super common, there are still a ton of them driving around while I can only think of a handful of m59/m47 dump trucks that will be on the road soon.

I will be saving all the tractor parts in case someone buys a tractor that has been converted to a cargo and wants to make it original again. Hopefully at some point I'll find someone who scraps a dump truck and wants to save the cab protector for someone's future restoration.:-D

I know the shackles were missing but the mounts were there. I'll check around and see if I can find them.
 

tommys2patrick

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The great circle of military vehicle life. Better to see it go to keeping another MV alive than to make toaster ovens out of it. Wish I had a line on a cab protector for you. My M275 was in pretty good shape but needs a few small things to make it really complete. I saw your ad for the 5th wheel and related parts. Hope someone can take you up on it or build a rig like the Taj tractor! the old style tail lites would be great for me too.
 

rustystud

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The great circle of military vehicle life. Better to see it go to keeping another MV alive than to make toaster ovens out of it. Wish I had a line on a cab protector for you. My M275 was in pretty good shape but needs a few small things to make it really complete. I saw your ad for the 5th wheel and related parts. Hope someone can take you up on it or build a rig like the Taj tractor! the old style tail lites would be great for me too.
I totally agree ! If only I wasn't on the other side of the country I would get those parts for my 1954 REO.
 

Evil Dr. Porkchop

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Colchester, VT
My replacement data tag from dataplates.net showed up today, it looks good to me! Total time from when I first asked about it to when it arrived was 6 business days, very fast considering all the plate information is different for an m59 and I live on the other side of the country from the manufacturer.
IMG_3513.jpgIMG_3512.jpg
A couple of tailgate pins showed up today too, as well as an NOS cab protector/dump body warning plate. I probably won't use that since I've only seen it on the newer 5 ton dump trucks, but it is mentioned in the very latest m35a2 TM as being on the m342a2 dumps. I've never seen it on any 2.5 ton dump truck in the real world.
 

Merc1973

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Sykesville, MD
I bent up a couple of the spare tire holder bolts, I'll just need to get some info on the standoffs that thread the holder closed and I'll make something similar. While painting some other stuff I threw some paint on the back of the new fuel tank, I'm planning on taking the fuel lines out of the m275a2 frame so the truck should be pretty similar to how an m59a2 would have been if they were ever factory built.
View attachment 664951View attachment 664950View attachment 664948View attachment 664949
My new dataplate should be in the mail as well, not bad since I only first talked to the plate manufacturer about making one earlier this week.:)
Great rehab, thanks for sharing with us. What paint type/color code are you using and type of application/prep?
 

Evil Dr. Porkchop

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Colchester, VT
Great rehab, thanks for sharing with us. What paint type/color code are you using and type of application/prep?
Thanks. The paint I'm using on the dump truck is Gillespie Coatings paint, the color is 24087. Prep is basically sanding as necessary, and spot priming spots that need it or sometime whole panels. The only things I've painted for the dump truck are the firewall and the back of the fuel tank so those didn't get a lot of work to make them look good as all I really care about is having them the right color.

There are some painting pictures of the last truck I painted 24087 in this thread: http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?149292-The-VTCS-m756a2-Pipeline-Truck
Eventually the dump truck will look just like that truck with white stars and markings.
Until the weather gets better work will be slow though.
IMG_3517.jpgIMG_3516.jpg
 

Merc1973

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Thanks. The paint I'm using on the dump truck is Gillespie Coatings paint, the color is 24087. Prep is basically sanding as necessary, and spot priming spots that need it or sometime whole panels. The only things I've painted for the dump truck are the firewall and the back of the fuel tank so those didn't get a lot of work to make them look good as all I really care about is having them the right color.

There are some painting pictures of the last truck I painted 24087 in this thread: http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?149292-The-VTCS-m756a2-Pipeline-Truck
Eventually the dump truck will look just like that truck with white stars and markings.
Until the weather gets better work will be slow though.
View attachment 665985View attachment 665986
Great, I will check it out. Do you sand every inch or just make sure it's clean and no loose paint? Im just trying to pick up tips for starting to convert my Deuce CARC painted 383 (in 1989) to it's original 24087 from 1968. I'm not looking for a showroom finish, just durable and to remove existing rust and weld patches over the holes. No way in heck I will sandblast this beast, lol.
 

Evil Dr. Porkchop

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Colchester, VT
Great, I will check it out. Do you sand every inch or just make sure it's clean and no loose paint? Im just trying to pick up tips for starting to convert my Deuce CARC painted 383 (in 1989) to it's original 24087 from 1968. I'm not looking for a showroom finish, just durable and to remove existing rust and weld patches over the holes. No way in heck I will sandblast this beast, lol.
I would sand every inch of the exterior panels you want to look even, especially since your truck is CARC now. The rough texture of the CARC will show up in your semi gloss paintjob, and be especially noticeable next to parts of the truck you sanded smooth. I also wouldn't sandblast an entire truck myself, although it would be a nice finished product. I just want my trucks to look decent and not rust away too soon.
 

Evil Dr. Porkchop

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How did you make out with the tire hold down bolt specs I sent
Although I haven't gotten anything done regarding them, I've figured out how I'll make them.
Here's the picture Mackafd sent me of the spare tire nut, for those who aren't familiar with them.
IMG_3506.jpg
The square end is approximately 13/16" so the spare tire can be secured using the standard budd lug nut wrench that is issued with the truck.

My plan for building them is to use three 1/2" square nuts stacked together and welded into a single piece. They are a 13/16" square, and I'll just have to drill the center out a size or two larger to clear the hook bolt. Also 3 stacked gives the same length as the original. Then I'll weld that to the correct size pipe which will be threaded.
 

Evil Dr. Porkchop

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I looked up the different part numbers for it and didn't find anything readily available. Figured it was just easier and a lot cheaper to make a couple when I get the time.
 

hndrsonj

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Hawthornes in Lake city FL had a chassis with part of a carrier on the back. I am pretty sure those were still on it.
 
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