Audie, the G506

[Grendel]

So my son is deep into history and fabrication. I like mil trucks.

Enter in "Audie Muprhy" the run way crash truck that was a 1944 Chevy G506 - 1.5T truck for the US Army Air Force.

The design concept is that it's still a "crash truck" that's been updated with common parts over the years.

We got it from a pulp mill in Maine, where it had a fifth wheel plate poorly welded on 4x4 box tube to haul pulp trailers into the mill for 45 + Years.

I don't feel bad about taking this one apart, as it's so bastardized it's not even funny.

Originally, we were going to use the factory frame, but it necks down to 2" in front which makes it about impossible to use.

Plan V1 was a 5t frame, MRAP solid axles and t-case on 53" tires... but it was too damned big and the Durmax didn't fit in the nose. So the truck would not really be useful


So, V2 of this thread and design

 

[Grendel]

So I sold the 5T chassis, with the MRAPs At4K's, Axletech 600, Pete Air ride, etc, from the previous build.

I kept the Cab and front clip.

I have a 2004 Ford F550 Cab and Chassis frame, a 2004 F550 front 60, a 2014 F450 front 60, a 2004 F550 Dana 135 with lockers and 4.88s... I plan to use the coil sprung front axle on my 2004 chassis. 40" tires in place of the 53" - A coil sprung SD F550 front axle, as a wiiiidddddeeee bitch and a dually Dana S135.

I also have a GM 632 CI, 1,000hp engine coming. An Allison 7 speed, built to handle it...

This is the concept:

 

[DNL]

Love it!

 

[Massxj]

Nice.

 

[budget76]

fawking awesome. Is this the one that was started on the old board but you had engine fitment issues and changed plans? or was that a different awesome build? I can't keep track

finish War Pig first, I wanna see that one done

 

[Grendel]

fawking awesome. Is this the one that was started on the old board but you had engine fitment issues and changed plans? or was that a different awesome build? I can't keep track

finish War Pig first, I wanna see that one done

Thanks.
Yes, this is the cab and front clip from that other build on that board.
K5, then Pinky, then War Pig... although all are being worked on simultaneously. This is a warm up thread, I have the engine on order, but won't see it until June at the earliest.

I've had the transmission since October, had a few built, along with AlxJ64's trans for his Dodge.

This is as far as we got. Too fawking big to be useable.

 

[holdmypocket]

Thanks.
Yes, this is the cab and front clip from that other build on that board.
K5, then Pinky, then War Pig... although all are being worked on simultaneously. This is a warm up thread, I have the engine on order, but won't see it until June at the earliest.

I've had the transmission since October, had a few built, along with AlxJ64 trans for his Dodge.

This is as far as we got. Too fawking big to be useable.

I'd feel like a kid in a candy store hanging out at your shop. You build cool shit rigs.

 

[Grendel]

Thanks guys.
As I said, I have a 2004 F550 chassis here, rear end, front end, etc.

I also bought a 2012 F550 "big boy" front axle... and spring buckets to convert that chassis to 2005+ suspension and steering radius... mainly for the better turning and stopping.

I plan to do custom radius arms, like we did on the IH.

So I am at diminishing returns, but I just found a 2012 2wd Chassis... already has all the shit on it.

It's $1K. I sort of wonder how much time I will have into conversion, vs just selling off my 2003 shit and using the later model chassis.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

If I could find a rolling chassis in the right cab config and length that cheap, I'd definitely go with a full chassis swap over changing just the front section out.

 

[budget76]

If I could find a rolling chassis in the right cab config and length that cheap, I'd definitely go with a full chassis swap over changing just the front section out.

As someone that has never done anything NEAR this scope, I agree. Sounds like a huge time savings + less time to pay the guys to swap all the shit over. How many weekends if you do it yourself? or how many man hours to pay the guys to do the conversion vs starting with the closer-to-right thing from the get go


who are we kidding, you know this

 

[Grendel]

Well, there is no right cab config. I have to move the wheel base and make cab mounts, regardless.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Well, there is no right cab config. I have to move the wheel base and make cab mounts, regardless.

LOL

Then idk. Which is easier for you, building cab mounts, moving the rear axle brackets, and installing all the coil brackets/braces up front, or just building cab mounts and moving the rear axle.

6 in one half dozen the other

 

[Grendel]

I mean, have you ever seen a 1941 Chevy G506 cab on a F550 frame before?

 

[Grendel]

So far, I bought the 2006 + steering box, radius arm brackets and a late model SD60 (the wide bitch) to go on the current frame I have: They bolted in a Sterling 10.5 rear to the frame and hauled it up like a trailer, from rust free VA

(ignore the shit on the chassis - it's a 8on 225mm Dana 135 for the chassis and a spare 2005 Dana 60)

 

[Grendel]

If I bought the second chassis, I'd have two complete F550 chassis, on 2004 and one 2012... and a complete 2006 F350 SRW axle pair...

 

[budget76]

I mean, have you ever seen a 1941 Chevy G506 cab on a F550 frame before?

Saw 2 of them at the local Starbucks last week. Why don't you build something unique?

If I bought the second chassis, I'd have two complete F550 chassis, on 2004 and one 2012... and a complete 2006 F350 SRW axle pair...

Sounds like the makings of another project

 

[Grendel]

Saw 2 of them at the local Starbucks last week. Why don't you build something unique?


Sounds like the makings of another project

Eh. I am not sure I like the turning radius of the 2004 vintage stuff.

 

[Grendel]

Whelp. I guess this answers that.

Will cost me my new spring buckets, a York 210 and 300.00.

 

[Grendel]

I picked up the new chassis yesterday. The Dodge struggled in high wind, but got it done.

Thinking about factory air ride for it, since the leaves are already off... I do have them to put back on, but...

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[GLTHFJ60]

Factory air ride? That's got to be some sort of aftermarket kit right?

 

[SLOWPOKE693]

Factory air ride? That's got to be some sort of aftermarket kit right?

It's factory. I've seen that setup on Ford bus and ambulance chassis before.

 

[Grendel]

Just not sure I want to spend 1K on it.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

It doesn't look like factory brackets is why i was asking. Ferd would have made them formed, not fabricated like in the fb pics. Cab and chassis from ford would have been leaf spring rear, coil front (05+ anyway), then the upfitter would change anything they want about it.

IMO air ride isn't worth it.

 

[Grendel]

It doesn't look like factory brackets is why i was asking. Ferd would have made them formed, not fabricated like in the fb pics. Cab and chassis from ford would have been leaf spring rear, coil front (05+ anyway), then the upfitter would change anything they want about it.

IMO air ride isn't worth it.

They are factory F550 cab and chassis. You can go see them on the dealer lots.

I've seen cast, stamped and fabricated hangers.

 

[Grendel]

So I got sick of this crap floating around and need to get it all together. Also tired of talking about other people building their F550's

So I drug out the frame, the axles and all the crap to put it together. Got pretty far before the pain (RA) got to me.

 

[Grendel]

We're taking off the rusty front spring hangers tomorrow, to replace with new ones.

Also swapping in all the really nice formed hangers I got from Beat95yj

Don't like the factory radius arms either, so will do tube ones.

 

[Grendel]

So I am going back and forth on rims/tires.

I do not currently have anything for the 10x225mm Ford pattern. Thought about just buying cheap 19.5" rollers, but they don't exist. To move the chassis around, as my tractor won't pick up a full chassis.

As you can see in the rendering, I planned to run dual Continental MPT 81 -335/80R20 's in the rear, same in the front, plus a spare. Which is about 7 rims, $5500 worth of rims from Stazworks. 7 tires at 41" tall x10" wide, $3500. Also requires 2 rim types.

Starting to think about SRW, with 365/80R20 Continental MPT 81 instead, a 43" tall, 15" wide tire.

Thoughts?

 

[Grendel]

Could also do something like this, but singled out:

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Duallys for show aren't cool. If this isn't towing weight then I'm all for singles, just got to get the offsets right so it looks balanced.

 

[Grendel]

The design concept is that it handles as much or more than the original G506 while having a better turning radius, brakes and suspension.