Project "Autonomous" F-350

[b dkw1]

Yes, you should change them. If you don't use your welder that often, your wire will start to rust (even in the high desert). Rusty wire is the death of liners. I have to replace mine almost yearly.

Also, those little clip on felt wiper deals will help keep the liner clean. Or paper clip and paper towel if your feeling like a cheap bastard.

 

[pappawheely]

Yes, you should change them. If you don't use your welder that often, your wire will start to rust (even in the high desert). Rusty wire is the death of liners. I have to replace mine almost yearly.

Also, those little clip on felt wiper deals will help keep the liner clean. Or paper clip and paper towel if your feeling like a cheap bastard.

Thanks for the info. I started this thread because I knew I would learn a lot along the way and wanted to share it. Like any project, you turn over rocks, and find more rocks underneath.

BTW, this thread just hit 500K views today.

 

[patoz]

Mike, on 500K views!

 

[pappawheely]

I used the Atlas springs on the F350 to build the rear suspension on the Uhaul. While they were off the F350 I got some superduty springs for cheap and put them on the truck. When I was going to get the slide in camper I swapped the superduty springs on the Uhaul and put the Atlas springs back on the F350. When I put the box back on the Uhaul the superduty springs did not like it. The box has a bunch of stuff piled in it, but I didn't think it was that much weight. The overload pads were discarded when I moved the axle back, and changed everything else from the cab back. The superduty springs went flat from the weight. I pulled them out and inserted the overload spring into the leaf pack. Going to set it back down and see where it sits in a little bit. I sure am tired (literally) of swapping one ton leaf springs in and out. I have some sore muscles today. ?

 

[pappawheely]

We built this trailer out of a service bed for a toyota. It was one of the last things my friend Andy did before he died. When I took my truck in to Atlas spring they built the F350 springs to match the shackle reversal in front. It ends up lifting the truck 5 inches. They did the trailer at the same time and also lifted the trailer 5 inches. I understood the thinking, but it made the trailer ridiculously tall. I did not use the trailer very much, truthfully I thought it may tip over. It has one of those swivel hitches for maximum articulation. I didn't want to send it back to Atlas because they just did it for me. The other night it dawned on me to see if I could do an axle flip on it. Today I pulled it apart and flipped the axle to the top of the springs. Super happy how it turned out. It still has the spring pack I need, but it's nice and low now. I can put the shell back on it and tow it behind my prerunner. It might end up being used to haul water to my property so the beefy springs will be needed. A water tote holds 275 gallons. When full, that's around 2300 lbs. I already had 2240 lbs in the trailer so I know it will hold it.

Before the flip.


After the flip.

 

[pappawheely]

The next project is to engineer a way to lift that 2K lb trailer up high enough to get the frame underneath for welding. I have to lift without creating an obstruction when I set it down. Any ideas?

 

[patoz]

Are you talking about the little trailer you flipped the axle on, or that long one in the picture? Either way a forklift with fork extensions would probably work OK, if you have access to one. Otherwise, I would suggest a couple of overhead supports of some sort and four big come-a-longs.

 

[pappawheely]

Are you talking about the little trailer you flipped the axle on, or that long one in the picture? Either way a forklift with fork extensions would probably work OK, if you have access to one. Otherwise, I would suggest a couple of overhead supports of some sort and four big come-a-longs.

That truck box in the background is 32 feet. It has to go on the frame in the picture. I wish I had a forklift, but I don't. I'm going to have to build some type of supports to set it on while I position the frame. I don't think I can just set it on the frame. It won't have enough strength until it's all welded together. I paid a guy to do the conversion, but he left me hanging.

 

[java]

High lift on either front corner, wood cribbing on the back corners.

Or cribbing front and rear with a cross beam.

Back the trailer under and lower back down.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

 

[patoz]

I see the problem now. What you need is something like this boat lift we used to lift my Ambulance body off of the flatbed trailer when it got here. We ran the 3" straps longways under the body after removing the front and rear lower panels, so they wouldn't damage the sides where the straps made contact.

Once it was up, the flatbed pulled out and a used trailer was rolled under it to hold it until the new trailer frame was built. Then we just reversed the process and rolled the new frame under it.

 

[pappawheely]

Out of the blue I sold my Dana 24 transfer case today. It had been on marketplace for a while; I forgot about it. The best part is that it's going in a fully restored 68 4x4. Glad to see that a really nice old truck is saved. The guy who bought it does auto glass and will give me a killer deal on replacing my broken windshield. It got broken shortly after capturing this image. Once Bryce Menzies got her back on all 4 wheels, he was hard on the throttle (it was during qualifying). At least no cameras were harmed. We were standing on the top of the shell.

 

[Ole Chipper]

Last body swap I did for a Quigley 4x4 van we used a tree and my tractor. Raised it up in a tree pulled the frame out and set the junk body on a trailer. Reverse for the new rust free body. Raised it up and pulled the 4x4 frame under it and lower it back down.

Sure would have been nice to have a fancy lift. Sometimes you just have to adapt to what you have.

 

[pappawheely]

Last body swap I did for a Quigley 4x4 van we used a tree and my tractor. Raised it up in a tree pulled the frame out and set the junk body on a trailer. Reverse for the new rust free body. Raised it up and pulled the 4x4 frame under it and lower it back down.

Sure would have been nice to have a fancy lift. Sometimes you just have to adapt to what you have.

Ha Ha Ha. There aren't any trees for miles. I'm in the desert.

 

[calicamper]

Ha Ha Ha. There aren't any trees for miles. I'm in the desert.

Dig a rollin pit back the trailer in slide the box over it

 

[Buddha.]

When I was a kid we had a 12x 25' 1-1/2 story shed that we sold. The guy used 4? high lift jacks and a million pallets as cribbing to lift that thing high enough to back the trailer under. It was terrifying but I guess it worked.