Finally got her on the road!

[Flingarrows]

Front drive shaft shortened



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[Flingarrows]

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[Flingarrows]

I finally got some window time with the truck. I really havent taken it out of town since the axle swap.

I drove a 30 mile round trip on friday night, and a 50 mile round trip last night. It ran great. The flat window is terrible for night driving though...

[jeeper]

Good to hear George.

I thought I'd be happy with a top speed of 45 but am starting to re-think that myself.

I'd also like a rear locker I think.

Does the 6.2 seem to have enough power with 4.56 gears?

[Barrman]

Glad you got to drive it some George. Covering the back window is the only way to help with the reflections. It just helps, not fixes the problem.

A locker is great off road and a major pain on the street. It makes noise, lets you change lanes by getting on the throttle or off the throttle and it will scare the day lights out of you when trying to pull a trailer in the rain. Front tire wear and rear tire wear will be fun to watch too.

It chewed my NDT's up in just hundred miles. The Michelin tires are better, but front air psi is super important for tread wear. Spicer reported he could see little wisp of his super swampers coming off the rear tires as he went down the road.

Power is so subjective to the driver. My M715 is great unless I hook a trailer up to it and have to drive into a head wind up hill. My 1009 has 3.08 gears and has the same problem just 10 miles an hour faster than when the M715. The M715 can pull anything up any hill into any wind up to about 42 mph. My M1009 won't go faster than 53 with the same load on the same hill. My 6.2 powered, 3.44 gear USAF Suburban hits the same wall pulling the same load at 58 mph.

A 4.56 geared M1010 I did some work on for somebody a few years ago had the same thing happen at 48-50 mph.

I can't make a pattern out of what rpm you have to be at to get power. It ranges in the examples I gave from 1600 rpm to 2600 rpm. I think it really comes down to the IP, IP timing, air filter and how much wind resistance the truck has.

[Flingarrows]

Paul, with 4.11's. I was. Very comfortable at 55. According to gear ratio calcs, with1:1 drive, and 37" tires, I should be able t cruise 65 without a strain.

Tim, I could see where a top with a blackout curtain would help. I had the top off, so I guess there is no help for that. I did clean the windshield yesterday, which helped with the ghost images that I thought were crossing the road...


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[Flingarrows]

I drove the truck into work yesterday. It was 150 mile round trip, and pretty hot out yesterday, but it ran perfect. I kept it at 55-60 the whole time, and most of the driving was highway.

I topped of the tank before starting, so when I top it off again, I should have an idea of the mileage.

[Barrman]

How many waves and thumbs up did you get?

[Flingarrows]

How many waves and thumbs up did you get?

Lots Tim. When my daughter rode with me on Saturday she asked "why is everyone waving at us, this is weird"

[Flingarrows]

I started making a hitch for the truck. It is 3/16", and will bolt to the bottom of the frame. I will also add side plates to bolt on the side of the frame, and add some sort of support to also tie into the frame towards the front.

Last night I just notched it, welded, and coated with Ospho. I did sand/clean/bevel where it is welded. There is a root pass in the bevel, and 1 pass over the top.

I don't see a lot of towing in the 715's future, but the pintle was too tall to pull a hay wagon/home coming float last year. I told Trevin that I would have it set up for him this year.