4X4 HDT

[jimandsue60]

This may be a stupid question and reading some of the responses on this forum I may be asking for it. But any way. Would a 4x4 6X6 drive (steering axle and rear wheel axle or tandem axle) conversion add any benifit to a HDT conversion? Would the front wheel drive be an advantage? Are there any HDT's that offer a front wheel drive option? I am not thinking severe off road 4X4 travel, but more along the lines of hardpack sand or an ocasional winter ski trip, or even wet grass.

Thanks
Jim

[KAYE RIVERCITY]

.....Tulsa Truck Conversions...last time I looked for a 4X4/6X6 was doing the conversion for about $12,000 for a GMC 6500 with a 8k front axel IIRC......I have had some on our surplus lot over the years and they are very slow [45mph max]and the fuel mileage is about 8mpg for a 5 ton and about 4mpg for a Oskosh/ Freightliner 22.5 ton tank retreiver M-931[?] model....NOT fun to drive!....no air bags and almost solid springs under the tractor....more 45,000# winches than a person knows how to deal with.......with a locking rear axel you are going to get out of any mess that is possible without a wrecker anyway...I can see no real advantage if you lock up the rear axels.....or I'd have one.....not a hard thing for me to have built as I have all the parts in Ky.....geofkaye

[Marc]

Hi Sue & Jim. There is no such thing as a stupid question,Just dumb one's and yours is none of the them.There's been great strides in what you are thinking and talking about.Kaye is right about Tulsa Truck but that is real old old stuff.I have specd.about a half dozen of these out in the last year.Depending on what you are going to do to the truck as in a Toter or a Motorhome would dictate what the right way to go would be.You can do a MD 4x4 with a GVW of upto 32k or go all the way to a 6x6 HD 80k GVW. Makes no difference in what make or model truck you want.Tulsa Truck Mfg. is the oldest and most well known around but there have been many guys work there with alot of great ideas and ability that started there own shops.These are the ones to deal with.Hope this $.02 helped a little.I have quite a bit of info & photos if you are interested.

[fastlap]

A buddy of mine is building a toter with a front drive axle , He is using a marmon harrington (hope I spelled it ) conversion out of an old town truck! I drove the truck , Lots of gear noise even in 2wd
Its gonna be nice at the close races on those muddy days when the trailer is sunk in about 6" and you have to back out !
I have built some 3 wheel drive trucks , and trucks with a hyd motor on one front wheel with a locking hub (man)
this is the best system I have used to assist a unit in the mud or snow at slow speed
(just to get it movin)
I presented my 3wd setup (gear CV) to a couple of manufactures to no avail

When they tested it they agreed that it worked 95% as well as 4wd and it allowed the front axel to be set up like a 2wd so it was way cool and gave the best of both worlds but they think it is unmarketable !
In many ways 3wd (only one front driving ) works better than 4wd

Hope I am not off the subject here / t

[KAYE RIVERCITY]

......good observaton "t" my Dodge has a locker in the fornt axel and when engagedit will not turn more than 15 degrees if that.....when I unlock one hub I have all the traction I need in most cases and I cna turn just like normal....and the traction is about 80of what 4X4 does-with the locker in truck is in "tankmode"and won't stop until high cenmtered.....geofkaye

[rwrr001]

I would like an 8x8!

http://www.actionmobil.at/





http://www.geocities.com/rosenbergwelding

[KAYE RIVERCITY]

...start saving your money.....I not sure you can have a MAN in this country because of the emmisions.....though I did see an Army truck that had a MAN- air cooled diesel....who knows for sure?....anyway-they got to cost upwards of $300k....for starters....the michelin tires are about $550 each retail....geofkaye

[Marc]

Man O' Man that M.A.N. is the cat's ass.As for the vehicles you are correct kaye but it is not the motors.I throw my hat pretty close to the Sport Fish Boat Mfg. Capitol of the Country. There are eight(8)within ten(10)miles of each other here As for the power plants that are optional equipment M.A.N. is the #1 Choice.They deliver the motors in Volvo 770's with 650 H.P. M.A.N. Diesels in them.From what I know(very little about anything)the motors are installed in the trucks here in the States at there own place by them.They get around it by putting a"RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT TEST VEHICLE"graphic on the Truck.I do know that to upgrade from the stock Cat Diesel's In a 48'Ocean Yacht that it is another 80k in cost.But your talking about the Best Hi-Performance Diesel Motor in the World. I think this is $.04 cents of info if anybody cares

[kblackav8or]

Look at Fabco in SOCAL. They make parts to do it including axles and transfer cases. There are some with a center disconnect so you aren't spinning the axles all the time. A International 4800 might fit but it isn't a class 8. Marmon Herrington does some conversions on some Business Class.

[KAYE RIVERCITY]

....If a guy knew what he needed to do a 4X4 conversion I can look into our stock inventory and probably get a line on a axel with a divorced transfer case but I can't find the components in reverse order.....sorry but we don't have the ability....there are about 4000 front unites in stock....near Fort Knox Ky for sale....if you know what you need we probably have it somewhere if you know the numbers or what military vehicle it is out of.......there not that many different axel combos it choose from ....maybe 24 all together......3/4 ton to 22.5 ton.....geofkaye

[KAYE RIVERCITY]

....I can probably just give it to you and you come and get it as "We" don't do a very good job of shipping.....Roger gets pizzed when he has to make crates and do all that is required to ship these days....anyway he may cut a finger off building a crate......geofkaye

[kblackav8or]

http://www.xplorermotorhome.com/
Looks like someone else does. They do everything from Sprinters up to Class 6/7 Peterbilts, Kenworths, 6x6 Sterlings. I have no idea what level of quality they produce. Just that they are out there.

[KAYE RIVERCITY]

....since I just left Fort Knox [-the recycling business-] this evening, I can tell you that we sell 12,000# 4X4 axels for $750 [you pick up] and rear axels 20,000# for $400......I remembered to ask!.....[The Alzys are getting better!]....anyway there are used unites from 2.5 ton and 5 ton trucks....there are some 22.5 ton axels but I can't find them[air brakes]......you need to modify the brake systems from hydraulic to air/disc on the 2.5 ton.... air is standard on the rest [it's akit you buy from someone] and custom make some driveshafts....BUT most have less than 5000 miles on them.....everything else must be made custom to work....but we can sell every unite we can cut off the trucks.....shippping is a PIA but when we have a truck load we call the vendors and they send a tractor trailer within a week for pick-up......lot of guys use them for monster trucks-jeeps for off road and rock crawlers and of course farm truck/swampers conversion....6:21 to 1 in most cases but regearing is no biggie if you can use a dial indicator...Rockwell parts are very easy to get now.....changing for 10 lug is easy also if you can drill on center and can measure.....all of the 5 ton unites have 10 lug hubs and fit standard rims...available refinished for $25.00....hubs are from a guy in NewYork[Inter-agency Motor Pool] for about $500 and are Selec-tracks....I have a pair just for sh*ts and giggles.....they work rather well.....geofkaye

[kblackav8or]

Dang - where are these? Are mid-3.00 ratios available?