Mazdeuce needs a project - for a project......

I've been poking around, and it appears those GAZ rally trucks still use a very stock-ish suspension consisting of leaf springs and solid axles at both ends- which means that sort of handling is achievable using bolt on parts, more or less. Maybe you'd have to weld some more shock ears onto the axles and frame.

The equations to determine spring and damping rates would be pretty simple, since the leaf springs give a 1:1 ratio just like struts would- the input numbers for weight would just be a lot higher than usual!

Yea, leaf springs are easy. There are a couple of places that will make you brand new springs to your specifications. Supply a length, vehicle weight, and use. Just add $$ and you're good to go. Shocks of course are getting easier year after year, even if they're not cheap.

This truck would be a good candidate for using half the stock leaf springs to soften the ride and adding air bags to get capacity back up when necessary.

Some bread vans and RVs have straight axles in the front with disk brakes that are as wide as the outer duals in the back if you want to swap axles. Or put this cab on a modern RV chassis.

Deuce and a half trucks have wide front axles too, and with the Rockwell axles you can use two fronts for 4-wheel steering with your 4wd. You would lose the two speed rear axle it already has though.

Theres a guy here in town that parts out military vehicles. He usually has rockwell axles stacked like cordwood.

Because the point of this project is writing, I'm going to spend a large amount of time researching and exploring the stock systems. The plan is to understand and make work all of the systems and it sits and then move forward. You guys are going to see (and help me ) assemble a story, in real time. My photography will improve, the structure of my posts will improve.
So everything is on the table. Stock. Improvements. Ramp truck. Weird pickup. Camper. Race truck. Maybe all of them in sequence.

Also, I don't really know anything about medium duty trucks other than they're bigger than light duty trucks, and smaller than heavy duty. I'm sure I'll need some big tools, and some specialized knowledge. This is an analog to someone stepping into any automotive unknown, air cooled cars, modern electronic cars, carburetors and points, motorcycles. How to blend current knowledge with new and not think knowing about one thing makes you an expert in something else. Demystify the process of learning.

In order to start your research here is a little write up a friend did while converting and old truck to modern running gear. Sorry about the rest of your day...
Diamond-T

One thing you should research first is how TX will feel about you owning and driving the truck. As a cab chassis truck you will not be able to register and insure it like a car or pickup.

Here in SD, for my cab chassis Ford Transit that means I need license plates with tonnage decals on them. Tonnage decals have to include the weight of any trailer you are towing, so in my case a 9500# gvwr for the truck plus a 6k# max tow ratings means 8-ton decals, which cost 10-20% more than my 3/4-ton pickup.

Insurance is also weird. USAA won't cover it, and both State Farm and Progressive require it to be insured with a commercial policy. That is @30% more than my 3/4-ton pickup.

Also, there are the weight stations. In MN, IA, and ND a non-commercial vehicle under 10k# doesn't have to stop, which is why the gvwr on my Transit is set at 9500# even though the individual axle ratings add up to more. In SD, though, any vehicle over 8k# has to stop, commercial or not, and they expect my truck to stop. With the ratings on the IH, you may have to stop almost everywhere.

The exception to all those truck rules is if it becomes an RV. What rules apply to RVs vary, and what it takes to become an RV varies, but it will need to be part of your research and may drive your project direction.

In reply to oldopelguy:

I am going to need to learn about that. Luckily I know a couple of people with big trucks for hauling race haulers so they should be able to help me track down the info. As usual, if someone else can figure it out, so can I.
And just in case it isn't clear by now, the COE is currently sitting in oldopelguy's yard.

To become an Rv you usually need to be able to Cook, Clean, Crap.

Cook: Microwave or single burner stove is enough.
Clean: small sink with fresh tank and grey tank. Can be portable.
Crap: as simple as a porta-potty.

Additionally, some rough ability to sleep.

I can't quite convince myself (yet) that I'd want a permanent RV. I can see building a removable box, but I think I'd like to be able to do truck stuff too. I'm pretty sure I'd run afoul of the law driving around an RV with the R part removed.

So put a good flat bed on it. Slide out ramps for cars and other things that need transported it, build lift off camper box, And put rally suspension under all of it. I also agree with the Cummins/Allison combo for motivation.

You could always winch an Airstream up onto a flatbed.

Take your pick of project cars at my house in suburban Atlanta. I have a 14 year old that can help. 1992 Saab 900 turbo convert with 88 SPG parts car, spare interior and CE wheels included. Also have 86 F250 diesel 4 speed 4wd former fire truck. and just brought home a bone stock 85 Mustang GT 5.0HO 4bbl 5 speed ttop car with 80k miles. Been sitting for 20 years. Yep, we gots projects.

Wall-e wrote: You could always winch an Airstream up onto a flatbed.

Why waste the smoothest towing torsion axles out there? The whole point of the Airstream design is to tow with ease.

-Hans

I just had a moment where I thought... "I wonder if anyone has done OLoA in a VW Phaeton?"

That sounds like a sufficiently terrible idea.

SPG123 wrote: Take your pick of project cars at my house in suburban Atlanta. I have a 14 year old that can help. 1992 Saab 900 turbo convert with 88 SPG parts car, spare interior and CE wheels included. Also have 86 F250 diesel 4 speed 4wd former fire truck. and just brought home a bone stock 85 Mustang GT 5.0HO 4bbl 5 speed ttop car with 80k miles. Been sitting for 20 years. Yep, we gots projects.

I'm going to have to make my way out your direction some time, I'm not too far and it sounds like you've got one hell of a stable

mazdeuce said: I can't quite convince myself (yet) that I'd want a permanent RV. I can see building a removable box, but I think I'd like to be able to do truck stuff too. I'm pretty sure I'd run afoul of the law driving around an RV with the R part removed.

Well, there's lots of opportunity for having an RV AND a bonneville COE, and ...

Since you have a family to haul around

Youtube is worth watching

And here's a link to a guy who repowered an old Diamond T with the LS6.2 gas and various other systems. And completed the project.

I've gone as far as driving a COE for project possibility, never pulled the trigger. Approved.

Ever thought about building an overland vehicle? I know being in setx isn't the best for camping/offroading but it's not the worst place in the world. Maybe do a full build out in the interior and 4x4 conversion on an old painters van, or set up an 80 series land cruiser for solo adventure.

mazdeuce wrote: In reply to oldopelguy: I am going to need to learn about that. Luckily I know a couple of people with big trucks for hauling race haulers so they should be able to help me track down the info. As usual, if someone else can figure it out, so can I. And just in case it isn't clear by now, the COE is currently sitting in oldopelguy's yard.

Every good story needs a nemesis...what better than "The Man" trying to stick it to some poor guy who just wants to build a race car hauler?

By the way, how you gonna get this thing home?

I understand the crazy seller has offered delivery with purchase. Perhaps he'll chronicle the trip?

I'm just over a week from the beginning of the next chapter. All of the adventures will the chronicled, because that's what I do.
This is going to have projects, side projects, cross country driving with the kids, a field full of potential that I can't even come close to tackling myself, and god knows what else. Build thread incoming.

Damn cool truck. Love your writing duece! I'd love to check it out when it's at your compound. My dad loves old trucks big and small, I'd love to buy him one and help him fix it up when they finally make the move down to Austin.

Watch for the thread. Once the truck and I are back in Houston (a couple of months) drop me a line and come on over. It might take a while to get it driving around the neighborhood, but you can say you saw it "before".

If your travels take you to North East Texas I would be honored to present some of my fine old crap and buy ya'' some BBQ or pizza or whatever.

Bruce