This may not be the place to ask BUT...

[duncanstives]

Everyone here is quite helpful and it at least SORT OF related to FSJs...

I am planning on EVENTUALLY putting rockwells on my Jeep (along with the exstensive mods from frame to engine that are required to keep it from breaking and take advantage of the capability rockwells provide). I have noticed that old 2.5 ton truck with rockwells go SUPER cheap and mil surp auctions... Some of them even RUN and still get sold for less than the cost of buying a set of rockwells alone... If I can find one nearby it seems like a good way to possibly get some rockwells but then I would need to rid myself of the rest of the truck... My question(s) is (are): Anyone bought one? Anything else useful to be had off an old 2.5 ton? Whats the rest of the drivetrain like?

[Dmntxn77]

Welder first.... Duces second..


;)

[duncanstives]

I don't need a welder for the truck...


Just a torch :D

Seriously though: This is a hypotetical debate... The closest one for sale ATM is FLA... To far (it runs but has a bad head gasket... Driving a giant non-street legal truck 800 miles with a bad head gasket in the middle of winter is too risky even for me...).

I just want to be ready in case one comes up for sale closer... Hell even if it has to sit for a year until I have to tools to deal with it I have still got a hell of a deal. There is a big army base near me (they store the nations chemical weapons stockpile here and as a result there are constant ads about what do if there is a leak and stuff on the radio... KNOW YOUR ZONE!... LOL). Maybe they will sell some stuff eventually.

[Desert Beast]

how cheap? you can get a set of fronts for about $1500 (front and rear about $1000). is it worth your time to hassle with all the other aspects of getting rid if the rest?

theres not much thats useable to the normal joe. youll have an extra rear that you could sell. powertrain is gigantic, and is not often swapped into anything. same goes for the engine. unless you found a collector of the stuff, best bet would probably be to send the rest to the scrap yard.

[duncanstives]

I have seen auctions for a running one close for less than $1K... This is with some mechanical problem.. i.e not something you could drive the crap out of as is but not something completely inoperable either.... This is about as good as they get (they do not seem to sell them in perfect condition... I guess they keep those ones.. LOL).

To bad the rest isn't useful for something... I suppose unless I decide to modify the whole truck and use it (remove the farthest back axle, shorten the frame, get rid of the body, cage it, lock it, add some differnt leaf springs and put on a set of 48s) I will just stick with buying some already out of the truck... LOL

Of course I have seen some super cool 6x6s and millitary vehicles used for wheeling.. Mostly in eastern europe.

[Dmntxn77]

I suppose unless I decide to modify the whole truck and use it (remove the farthest back axle, shorten the frame, get rid of the body, cage it, lock it, add some differnt leaf springs and put on a set of 48s) I will just stick with buying some already out of the truck... LOL



I will put money that you will NEVER see anyone waste their time doing that.... :cool:

[elbastardo]

DB has a good point the rear (non steer) rocks are worth almost nothing. The reason to run the 2 fronts is to compensate for the crappy turn radius by using rear steer.

I havent looked for rocks latly, but about 5 years back fronts were cheaper, but ofcourse demand changes that:grumble:

But if the going rate for 2 fronts is around 1500$. Then a 60 14bolt combo is about the same price, possibly cheaper.

[duncanstives]

Slightly cheaper I would think though with a bit of looking around I was able to find rocks for 1200 or so (for a pair of fronts) a year or so ago... Even so with the rocks you get rear steer and a SUSTAINTIAL boost in awesome factor.... Downside is you have like 900lbs each and a lot of work to make them fit... Plus the cost of hydro steer which is sort of required with rockwells... Not an essential with d60/14 bolt (though still nice)


Like anything it all depends what you want out of it...

[Aaron871]

I will put money that you will NEVER see anyone waste their time doing that.... :cool:

Have you ever seen BigWheelBobs, bobed duce?
It is awsome!
:D

I'll see if I can find a pic....

[duncanstives]

I would love to see it... I searched for something like that earlier using a search engine but found nothing...

[Aaron871]

http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/3546/0000117ha3.jpg
Thats my old M-715 on rockwells in the background...lol
http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/2783/0000118me7.jpg

[gotmike]

here's prices on the axles... and on some rebuild parts for them... http://www.boyceequipment.com/pricelist/pricelist.html#2-1/2%20Ton%20Axles

http://www.boyceequipment.com/

[Aaron871]

here's prices on the axles... and on some rebuild parts for them... http://www.boyceequipment.com/pricelist/pricelist.html#2-1/2%20Ton%20Axles

http://www.boyceequipment.com/

I have used Boyce before for parts. They are a top notch company with top notch products, but the prices are top notch too.....

There is a yard in North Texas that has a pile of Rocks right now for $650 a front. That's the best deal I've seen in a while. I'll see if I can find the link.


edit:
http://www.redriverparts.com/aboutus.htm

[duncanstives]

I talked to boyce awhile ago.. I had a question about something...

They were very helpful

Anyway that M35 is awesome... I suppose he modified it to get rid of the other axle?

I wanna see one with the body completely gone... Just a caged "buggy" that seats 6 or 7: 4 in the "back" with seats that face sideways and outward and 2 or 3 in the front...

Add some nice seats... A huge cage.. Keep the 15000lbs winch that was on some.. Keep the front axle but get rod of both rear axles in replace one of them with a second front but add upgraded shafts... Keep the engine (170HP 6 cylinder diesel if memory serves) but add nitrious... Add some flexier leaf springs... Maybe with some type of joint like that old WII dump truck that had a joint in the middle (behind the cab) to flex from side to side... Some crazy unconventional stuff... It would wheel well (in areas with lots of room), seat lots of people... ALL your gear and could pull pretty much anything out/off the trail... Plus it would get ALL kind of looks and be a really fun project...

[Desert Beast]

here's prices on the axles... and on some rebuild parts for them... http://www.boyceequipment.com/pricelist/pricelist.html#2-1/2%20Ton%20Axles

http://www.boyceequipment.com/

you can usually get rockwell take outs for about 1/4 of boyce's prices. but might have to do some work to get them to work.

[elbastardo]

The bad Great Googley MoogleyGreat Googley MoogleyGreat Googley MoogleyGreat Googley MoogleyGreat Googley Moogley factor is always there with rocks:thumbsup: Im not trying to steer you away from the rocks atall, just some input:) .

Rocks are like 60s, market value is set by the shopper. Use nonconventional methods for looking (not 4wd sites), and you might find a set for dirt cheap;) .

And IIRC when you take the drums off a rock there about 150lbs heavier than a front 60:thumbsup:

Looking foward to the build:thumbsup:

[amc75matador]

Just found this on Ebay
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Parts-Accessories_Salvage-Parts-Cars__Diamond-Reo-Military-6x6-Truck-Salvage-Vehicle-Parts_W0QQitemZ120356252103QQddnZPartsQ20Q26Q20Acc essoriesQQadiZ7582QQddiZ2811QQadnZSalvageQ20PartsQ 20CarsQQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Car_Truck_Parts_Ac cessories?hash=item120356252103&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=65%3A7%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

http://i4.ebayimg.com/06/i/001/27/3f/0f78_12.JPG

[duncanstives]

That cage needs LOTS of work before I'd trust it in a rollover :eek:

Still looks like a great thing to start with for a build... Price isn't bad at all... $2800 for that isn't bad at all (assuming it has only minor mechanical issues... No cracked engine block or anything)...

As for the FSJ rockwell build... It might be like 6 months or so before I even start buying parts... That said saving $400 a month in gas (by moving right next ot work) is definitely going to help with the build buget... Plus I am renting a nice sized garage with 240 so a welder, tube bender and other tools are definitely coming soon...

[HeavyIron]

I don't believe that cage's purpose is for roll overs, I think it's there to keep tree branches off the vehicle while it's driving through the brush on the way to fight a remote fire. Reminds me of the cages built on logging equipment.

[imiceman44]

That cage needs LOTS of work before I'd trust it in a rollover :eek:

Still looks like a great thing to start with for a build... Price isn't bad at all... $2800 for that isn't bad at all (assuming it has only minor mechanical issues... No cracked engine block or anything)...

As for the FSJ rockwell build... It might be like 6 months or so before I even start buying parts... That said saving $400 a month in gas (by moving right next ot work) is definitely going to help with the build buget... Plus I am renting a nice sized garage with 240 so a welder, tube bender and other tools are definitely coming soon...

I could be wrong, but this looks like the older REO truck that has GM axles and the 201 Tcase with dual rear outputs.
Those axles are worthless for most people theyare not rockwells, and the engine is a gas engine also GM

[Stuka]

That cage needs LOTS of work before I'd trust it in a rollover :eek:

Still looks like a great thing to start with for a build... Price isn't bad at all... $2800 for that isn't bad at all (assuming it has only minor mechanical issues... No cracked engine block or anything)...

That cage isnt a roll cage. Its a brush cage. It lets you drive straight into brush and trees, and the bars act as sliders to slide branches and the like up and over the cab.