finally got my first m715 - let's talk modifications...

[stepsidedan]

thinking of putting some recent drivability in there; engine v8, power brakes, power steering, highway axles, etc..

do you have recommendations? i'm familiar with the full size jeep market so the more i can put in from wagoneers or chiefs is a plus.

was thinking 401, 727, 208, amc 20 in rear, dana 44 front?

want to run 44" tires. will also need a serious lift. can i adapt leafs from bj's offroad for instance to the m715 frame?

thanks on forehand,

dan

[Mikel]

Hello Dan,
What are you going to be doing with the truck?
Mikel

[stepsidedan]

no off-roading... just cruising down the road and scare the s#$!t out of porsche owners...

[stepsidedan]

basically make a duplicate of this one...

[Mikel]

I don't think an AMC 20/D44 combo would last very long with 44" tires, even on the road. Brakes would be awefully inadequate too. A very common swap for M715's are the D60/14B from CUCV's, but I'm not sure how readily available those would be in Belgium. Gearing is 4.56, which would not be bad for the road.

But if you are going with such big tires, perhaps the M715 axles might work well with an OD trans. You would be turning 2900 RPM at 65MPH with a non-OD trans. Pretty good for most gasoline engines.

Engine wise, I'm a big fan of diesels. Here is a Cherokee with a Cummins 6BT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8q4KPP3N2U

Do you have any pics of your truck?

[stepsidedan]

mikel, thanks for your reply.
what's an od trans? what's the default gear ratio in the m715?
is there a discbrake conversion kit exiting for these axles?

regds,
d

[stepsidedan]

as for the engine. it has to be big, it has to be strong, it has to be v8 and it has to run on petrol (we convert these to LPG out here) and run cheaper than diesel... keepîng a decent sound (i don't like the diesel turbo's noise)...

[Mikel]

mikel, thanks for your reply.
what's an od trans? what's the default gear ratio in the m715?
is there a discbrake conversion kit exiting for these axles?

regds,
d

OD= Overdrive (T18/T98 has a 4th gear of 1:1, NV4500 has a 0.73:1 5th gear, a 27% overdrive).

There are disk brake kits for our axles, but IMO it is better to upgrade to more modern 1-ton axles, as it is cheaper and you get the added benefit of much stronger parts, open knuckles in the front, readily available parts, vastly expanded rim options...

I just sold a pair of Dodge Dana 60's for $700.

[BubbaWilkins]

You have several options on the transmission.

My truck has a manual overdrive transmission ahead of T98. It's basically a two speed transmission with 1:1 low and a 27% overdrive High.

you can find more here:

http://www.high-impact.net/transmiss...onversions.htm

The downside/upside is that you have two gear shifts and can use a combination of both for a variety of gear choices.

My truck is also running a AMC 360 with an aggressive cam, headers, and a holley 4brl carb.

Unfortunately, all of the above was installed by the previous owner, so I won't be much help in actually installing them. The set-up is very streetable.

[Jester]

I would think your options would be directed by what you easily have access to in Europe.

If you have no desire to 'wheel the rig, just stick with the stock axles and re-gear them for better street manners.

Based on everyones trucks I rode in over the weekend, the stock drum brakes are more than sufficient as well for street driving.