What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Beefing up a rollback car hauler?

Please don't base any ideas on something you saw in Fast and Furious. :doah:Having said that......it's still cool and plausible.
 
haha I know, still pretty cool idea. How about putting another 14 bolt under it making it a dual axle, springs, brakes and all and running that? humor me.
 
The rear rear (if you will) wouldn't be driven. Unless you come up with some sort of crazy chain....nevermind. Would need top loaders for both rear axles to be driven. Anything can be done with enough beer and a welder.:waytogo:
 
I saw a dual rear 14 bolt truck with both rear axles powered. it had a ford divorced style 203 backwards. the input was now the first axle output, and the front output was for the rear axle.
i just cant remember where i saw it. i'm sure it was a magazine.
 
sweetk30 said:
weak frame / springs / and driveline + super rear axle = not realy worth it.
Click to expand...

I have to fix these at work occasionally. Depending on what you want to do the weak link may not be the drivetrain but the bed and its equipment. Guess how I know
 
I agree that the frame probably would be to weak...

I've seen buses that have two rear axles and both were powered...

If you really wanted to do a project like this, source out a rig that already has the axle and drop whatever on that frame... This way you could find something with a diesel as well...:dunno:

For what it's worth, the frame on my bus is the same width as a Chevy frame... But, it's huge...:D

And the rear axle is enormous... Not to mention, the frame is only a few feet longer than my crew cabs...:eek1:

I've actually thought about it...:haha:
 
Is swapping a crew cab body onto a shortened (if needed) bus frame possible? If so I'd get the international bus with a 466 that things insane. 1hp-2.5ftlbs of torque. Makes a 6bt look bad.
 
Nazarethk5 said:
Is swapping a crew cab body onto a shortened (if needed) bus frame possible? If so I'd get the international bus with a 466 that things insane. 1hp-2.5ftlbs of torque. Makes a 6bt look bad.
Click to expand...


I looked at it for a bit... I think it would be pretty simple...

My bus frame is about 25' long, crew cab was about 21'...

The bus wheel base is 6" shorter...

The dt466 in the bus looks like it would fit under the hood of the crew cab... It looks a lot like a cumins...

This would be a really cool tow rig...:D
 
I thought about just using the cab and front clip and building a flat bed...

The engine would have to get moved back on the frame, just cut the mounts and relocate... If you had both frames side by side you could easily fab whatever was needed to make the bus match the chevy...
 
Cut both frames behind the cab and splice!..:D

Cranberry growers here often buy old school busses and use them to haul crates of berries at harvest time,ithey'll cut the sides off and load them roof high,they'll carry 30K lbs without a whimper..some hat farmers use the same method to haul lots of hay at once..

I've seen many school busses converted to car haulers,guys buy them cheap and cut off the bus body about ten feet behind the drivers seat,so they still have a "camper" / sleeping area & kitchen,the rest is either made into a bavertail ramp or they put a conventional aluminum roll back bed on it..there is a Winnebago not far from my house that has a Jerr-Dan roll back bed on it and still has some of the camper left up front--the guy got it for free after a large tree crushed the rear half of it,and he bought a roll back body for 2K at a swap meet and grafted the two together..I thought it was a cool idea--he has driven it to AZ and hauled back a few nice old trucks and muscle cars with it..

A "tag" axle isn't a bad idea IF the frame is up to the task,otherwise its only going to give a false sense of security..tire life isn't the greatest on the rearmost axle,as they get scuffed bad as they get dragged sideways in turns..
 
I've seen some over here that cut the back off for hauling...

I looked at one and didn't like the rear overhang and how far it swung out while taking corners...

The Motor home thing wasn't an option, the frames are weak and everything inside is built out of sticks and staples...

The length of mine at 25' is about perfect, easy to get in and out of places and park... And finding a motor home with a dump truck frame, International DT466 and Allison 4sp is a tall order... I can haul the Blazer on the car trailer when wheeling and when just camping not have the extra length and weight...
 
The Winnie down the road was built on a 70's Dodge truck chassis,the same as a
D-600 or whatever Dodge calls a 2.5 tin truck that year..the overhang on the rear end is only about 3 feet,but your right about some busses,they have 6 or more feet behind the rear wheels..the frame on the Winnebago is beefier than most ramp trucks are by far,its got at least 8" high frame rails and they are 3/8" thick..the camper body IS just the usual 2x2's and paneling as it came stock...has a 440 V8 with a 727 Torque-flite trans...it loves gas but it gets the job done in comfort!..he said the A/C really works great when it was designed to cool off a huge camper and you sawed 2/3rds of it off!...:D
 
That kind of a set up for a motor home is hard to find... Most of the frames are a lot smaller...

The frame on my bus is 3/8 thick and 11" tall...:eek1: The diesel, tranny and eaton with a huge frame is what made the deal for me... Oh, and cost...


Sorry to the OP for the hijack...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom