M1010 Ambulance to Expedition Rig

Outback

Explorer
UPDATE

Removed the top 28volt alt and installed a 160 amp 14 volt alt in same mount and uses the same belt. This is "Plan B" on the Steel Soldiers web site. Works beautifully! Done

Removed all rear box interior. Let me tell you. That was a lot of work! Done.

My 255/85R16 Toyo Open Country MTs arrived via the brown truck the day I left. These tires are great! Super thick and tough sidewalls. I have then also on my work truck. Off road they rule.

ORD 4" Lift will be ordered next week. I should be back home when it arrives.
 

chilliwak

Expedition Leader
Its always nice to follow your progress Mr Outback. Please keep us all updated with your latest improvements. There are a lot of fans here watching your rig. Cheers, Chilli..:cool:
 

Outback

Explorer
THANK YOU SIR!

I arrived late last night from Kansas City, Missouri. I was up early and headed over to my favorite tire shop. Discount Tire in Prescott AZ. In the back of the Campulance were 4 brand new 255/85R16 Toyo Open Country Mts. The shop was busy as it always is but the young guys they have were just running back and forth working there arses off. Gotta love there work ethics! In no time at all I had 4 new shoes on my Rig. I must say I love these tires! The 255/85R16s are actually quite quiet for a mud tire. This kinda shocked me as my Toyo Mts on my work truck are much louder. Maybe its because they are skinnier than my work truck tires? They ride soft and quiet. In fact they are quieter than the old shoes she had on. Those were all terrains. Go Figure. My brother commented on the fact he could actually hear me when I was running down the highway at 55 (speedometer slightly off now). So if anyone is on the fence with these tires do not hesitate. Will they last as long as a AT tread. Nope. But I don't care. I want traction when I need it and these tires give you that. Resized_20180510_140112_6082.jpegResized_20180510_143811_169.jpegResized_20180510_143823_8985.jpegResized_20180510_152510_7343.jpeg
 

Outback

Explorer
Next on the list is my 4" lift from ORD. This will have all the bells and whistles so to speak. Blistein shocks and all. While I am waiting for my lift to arrive I will repack the front bearings in the morning. I should have done this sooner but life has a way of interfering with ones ability to get ******** done. Oh well. I will post some pics next of the gutted box section.
 

Outback

Explorer
Here are some pictures of the gutted box and closed up A/C opening. Gutting one of the rigs is no easy chore! It is however totally worth all that effort. I now have a clean slate to work with. I also removed all of the old A/C lines. You can see them in the last picture. They are now gone.Resized_20180327_161953_1756.jpegResized_20180328_144130_1586.jpegResized_20180330_171203_8691.jpegResized_20180323_143605_6546.jpeg
 

Outback

Explorer
So what else do I have planned for the Campulance?

Hmmmmm.....

I would like to have an Overdrive. So a purpose built 700R4 from PATC is in the near future. I would also like to add to that 700R4 a Magnum Box and NP205 with twin stick conversion. I definitely need a bit more horses so a Banks Turbo charger comes to mind..... Of course I need an in cab A/C unit. I don't mind the heat but Mrs Outback would really appreciate the cool air. I wouldn't mind it either to be honest. Big ticket items but worth it in the long run.
 

chilliwak

Expedition Leader
Looks nice and clean in the back of your rig Mr Outback. Are you going to add cabinets and a bed? Also, how much do you figure an AC unit will cost you? Are all those trucks born with a walk through from the cab? Sorry for all the questions, I am just interested, thats all. Cheers, Chilli...:cool:
 

bknudtsen

Expedition Leader
Looks good. Are you doing an ORD shackle flip to gain the 4”, or just a spring lift? I recently replaced all my OEM spring hangers and shackles with ORD stuff, and while time consuming knocking all the events out, it is much beefier now.

Brad
 

Outback

Explorer
Looks nice and clean in the back of your rig Mr Outback. Are you going to add cabinets and a bed? Also, how much do you figure an AC unit will cost you? Are all those trucks born with a walk through from the cab? Sorry for all the questions, I am just interested, thats all. Cheers, Chilli...:cool:


Cabinets, bed and the kitchen sink as well as a few other things...... The Ambulances or M1010 came with the pass through door. There is a very thick maybe 1/2" thick rubber bellows between the cab and box. The door is on rollers and locks open or closed. Very well built.
 

Outback

Explorer
Looks good. Are you doing an ORD shackle flip to gain the 4”, or just a spring lift? I recently replaced all my OEM spring hangers and shackles with ORD stuff, and while time consuming knocking all the events out, it is much beefier now.

Brad
Definitely a shackle flip. I will be using there 2" shackles flip with 6" super shackles. This ends up giving even a better ride than just a shackle flip. My m1028 build thats on here https://expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/project-war-wag.66342/ had every option or upgrade ORD offers (minus the super shackle). I will be doing the same on this vehicle.
 

mp_tx

Observer
Looks good. Are you doing an ORD shackle flip to gain the 4”, or just a spring lift? I recently replaced all my OEM spring hangers and shackles with ORD stuff, and while time consuming knocking all the events out, it is much beefier now.

Brad
Definitely a shackle flip. I will be using there 2" shackles flip with 6" super shackles. This ends up giving even a better ride than just a shackle flip. My m1028 build thats on here https://expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/project-war-wag.66342/ had every option or upgrade ORD offers (minus the super shackle). I will be doing the same on this vehicle.

What’s the verdict on towing with the rear shackle flip? That has been what’s holding me back from the ORD kit.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Outback

Explorer
What’s the verdict on towing with the rear shackle flip? That has been what’s holding me back from the ORD kit.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
When I built my first M1028 (k30 mil spec) I installed a 4" ORD lift with the 4" shackle flip. I towed a trailer all the way back from Ca to Az about 9 hrs and never had any problems. In fact the only thing I noticed was the ride was drastically better than stock was.
 

Outback

Explorer
Friday I pulled into a friends shop and had the front wheel bearings checked out. The driver side selectable hub bolts did not have the usual O rings on them that keep the water out. This side had the usual brown grease (turns brown after water intrusion). There was some rust as well. Even though the bearings looked fine he suggested we get a new set for both sides. New bearings, grease and sealed up hubs and the front end is done. Better than new. I will give Yukon selectable hubs one more try. I will wait though until I get a set of 35 spline chromoly axles (inner and out). The rig is coming along. Resized_20180511_105207_6664.jpeg
 

chilliwak

Expedition Leader
Good to see your front hubs getting serviced Mr Outback. Was the O ring missing? You should be good to go for a long while now. Happy travels. Cheers, Chilli...:cool:
 

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