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Chevy Diesel Military Tug Truck...know anything?

Desert Yeti

Desert Yeti

1/2 ton status
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I saw this on Craig's List:

http://tucson.craigslist.org/tls/718421359.html

and was immediately intrigued by the possibilities as a base for a trail rig... anyone know anything about these like what sort of axles/frames, how crazy the gearing really is, etc?

Just in case it sells and the link disappears and ppl are still curious, here's the ad quoted as well: (although you've really got to see the pics) A photo of an ID plate says "Made in West Germany".
Craig's List said:
EX-Airforce Chevy Diesel 4X4 Tug Military Truck - $4800 (sierra vista)
Date: 2008-06-13, 7:51AM MST

Chevy Diesel 6.2, Auto, 4X4, 4 wheel steering, only 11,ooo miles, sits 7 foot 10 inch tall, it is called a bobtail, Geared too high to be driven on the road, I have a clear Arizona title. 520-xxx-xxxx
Click to expand...
 
Top speed is something like 21 mph. 6.2, TH400 and NP208 permanently locked in low range IIRC. Diff's are some ZF planetary units.

Basically geared like a forklift.

Rene
 
tRustyK5 said:
Top speed is something like 21 mph. 6.2, TH400 and NP208 permanently locked in low range IIRC. Diff's are some ZF planetary units.

Basically geared like a forklift.

Rene
Click to expand...

change the t-case out (even to just a stock 208 to get high-range), swap on those 53" military michelins on custom beadlocks and you could probably go at least 45 and have a badass trail rig with 4-wheel steer.
 
It has no suspension either

There was a thread on them awhile ago

I bet it would bring a grand just in scrap metal though
 
muddybuddy said:
change the t-case out (even to just a stock 208 to get high-range), swap on those 53" military michelins on custom beadlocks and you could probably go at least 45 and have a badass trail rig with 4-wheel steer.
Click to expand...
As howdiy said, they have no suspension. The tires are the suspension.
 
thatK30guy said:
As howdiy said, they have no suspension. The tires are the suspension.
Click to expand...
Ah well, it was a good thought :). Anyone know how the 4 wheel steering worked? So with no suspension, the axles aren't separate units that could be put under a K5...?
 
They were hard mounted but could still be used separately if needed. You would have to fab the links and mounts you wanted. They had no suspension because they were used as a plane tug. If there had been any springs then there would have been a breakdown in the near future I'm sure. Since they were only used on airports they didn't have to be fast or comfy, just reliable.
 
I don't have the cash or the fab skills to make it happen, but as a flight of fancy, are the axles strong/good enough to make that work worthwhile if they were cheap/free? I imagine they've got good size brakes on them. If the rear steer is a simple mechanical setup (cables or linkages) could be be ported over to a trail rig application? How many degrees of turn is it good for?

I guess if it were that great an idea, someone would have done it already, huh?
 
I worked for a place that had one of those a few years ago.

A guy up here in Michigan did just what you said. Although his idea of wheeling is mud bogging. He scrapped the bumpers (I recall him saying he got about half his purchase price back in scrap money right there), went to leaf springs all around, put in a 205 or something, and put it up on some TALL tires. Works pretty good from what I hear.

Steering is hydraulic. Bit of a learning curve when using it too.
 
Actually I believe those have some suspension, sort-of. They are hard mounted in the center and have coil springs so the axles can pivot off the center. Also the diff gearing was in the 10:1 range
 
I think the suspension changed a bit. I swear ours had rubber blocks in between the frame and the axles. That was it.
 
I have one of these aircraft tugs. They were Chevy trucks modified with tractor axles by a company called Eagle Bobtail.

Here is one of the other posts about these trucks where I posted some pics:
http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=215480

Below is some info; most of this is in the other post, some of it is new/updated:

The frame is a 2WD frame that has been reinforced in a few spots with 1/2" plate. They have a 6.2L Diesel, a TH400, and a NP208. The T-case has no range selection lever and is locked in high range. The front output is clocked so it is almost straight down instead of being off to the side because the pinions on both axles are centered.

There is no real suspension. The axles are attached to the chassis via a centered pivot (like a tractor) and have rubber blocks between the axles and the frame. The tires on it measure 38" on 20" rims.

The planetary axles are ZF APL-345/B and they are geared 22:1 total ratio (6:1 is in the hubs, the rest comes from the ring and pinion) although I have heard that there are some out there that are closer to 11:1. My top speed with the motor on the governor was 17 MPH (confirmed by a chase car).

The axles also have built-in 4 wheel hydraulic steering that is selectable via a lever on the floor of the cab (regular steer, tight steer, and crab steer options) and controlled by the steering wheel. They also have wet brakes that are inside the planetaries as well as a micro lock for a parking brake. Other ring and pinion ratios and parts are supposedly available from ZF dealers and these axles were also available in some Case International, Ford New Holland, and John Deere FWD tractors so parts can supposedly also be sourced that way. However, I have not yet tried to actually get any parts for mine.

The truck weighs 12,000 lbs. and it is rated to pull 60,000 lbs. The front bumper and the box behind the cab are ballast weight, about 5,000 lbs worth. I had to torch holes in the ballast boxes before I could take them to the scrapper because he was afraid they were full of concrete. These were full of what looked like regular old dirt.

-Mike
 
Thanks Mike! I appreciate the information. Those axles are insane. So is the steering system!

What else have you done to yours so far? Seems like the cost/work involved in making it into a trail rig may not be feasible but it would sure be unique! Are you still working on it?
 
I have a lot of other projects going on right now so I was actually thinking that I may just sell it. It sucks because I know a year from now I'll wish I still had it but right now it is just sitting...

If it I did keep it, I would want to do something about the top speed. I found a ring and pinion that would drop the axle ratio down to about 13:1 but I have not gotten a price yet. With 47's, that would put the top speed up around 35 MPH. More speed could be had by switching to a higher revving gas motor, an overdrive, or even taller tires. I'd hate to swap in a gas motor though because the current diesel runs so well. I would also weld up the diff's when I had the axles apart for the gear change.

For the suspension, I was thinking either leaf springs or one-links. I don't see adding a suspension actually being too difficult. The hardest part would be accounting for front driveshaft-to-oil pan clearance but there are ways around that.

-Mike
 
Hi,
here are a few pics of those trucks. Found it on the homepage of a German surplus store...
R0015786.JPG
R0015792.JPG
R0015791.JPG
 
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