[JetFxr]

I will post the build, if this is to weak for Pirate or needs to be moved to the Tow Rig section please let me know. I had owned the truck for four years before the build. The truck had a 392 five spd I had installed three years ago. With the gas mileage (around 9) I would need to sell it or do something different. I had bought a 27' U haul truck about three years before and we were not using it anymore. The U haul was getting better than 12 miles per gallon sooo I blindly said WTF its doable. I went through the maint records on the box truck and found that the motor was a factory replacement with less than 50,000 miles and the tranny had just been replaced before I bought it from U haul.
The Travelette started life as a Yellowstone park ranger truck so the body was in good shape. It did have a Maco crappy paint job and tons of dings.There were a few issues to be delt with during the paint phase of the build, we cut patch panels and tig welded for a good repair.
As far as the new drive train goes, it is 7.3 IH deisel, spicer 5 spd, devoriced 205, GM 14bolt and sw dana 60 frt both have 4:11 ratio.
before the pictures start I would like to thank Dana Westburg for the fab and wiring help and Rob Aukshun for the paint and body work.

If anyone has questions or wants to know more post up.

 

[JetFxr]

This build started in the winter here in Montana, and is still going on I will be doing something about the interior as it is very noise and I want to do power windows and door locks. I bought a set of Scout power windows from Jeff IHonly and they worked So good on the Scout I picked up two more to fab up in the Travelette. So on with the build first was to rip out the gas stuff, and deal with the rusted inner fenders. I had looked all over for clean ones but they are hard to come by.

 

[JetFxr]

Next was to patch up the hood hinges and get the junk painted up before the engine tranny install.......

 

[JetFxr]

While the clip is off and the engine is out time to move the rear hangers to the two wheel drive postion. I used chevy 6 inch lift springs so the frame was cleaned off and painted after the springs were fitted.

 

[JetFxr]

Time to get the 60 in place, on a side note with 6" lift I need to deal with the steering issues. way to much angel for the push pull steering box. I got a IH two wheel drive steering box from the junk yard but it was shot got another one shot also. So on a off shot called NAPA got a rebuilt one for 130.00 Da. So the steering is set up for cross over had to do new draglink, and high steer arm on the passenger side no big tech here.

 

[JetFxr]

Rear is no big deal install chevy 6" lift springs, 4 inch blocks, and the 14 bolt rearend. If you look above the rear axle you see the homemade goose neck hitch. On a side note after the truck was up and running the rear was about 1" low so we did a shackle flip more on that later. Also note the park service green below the rear window where the bed was.

 

[JetFxr]

OK last one for tonight, here is the doner truck, I bought it for 4000.00 used it for three years pulled the engine and tranny then sold the chassis for 2000.00 not bad.

 

[Shadow man]

OK last one for tonight, here is the doner truck, I bought it for 4000.00 used it for three years pulled the engine and tranny then sold the chassis for 2000.00 not bad.

I can't tell you how many 1,000s of miles I have put on that type of U-haul chassis.
God, I hate those underpowered pigs. I'm sure the engine works OK for the application that you are using it for, but did I tell you I HATE those trucks and their N.A. underpowered engines?

The Travelette truck looks good though. :smokin:

 

[crashhawk]

This is one of if not the sweetest T-ette I've ever seen. Can't wait to see the full thread on it.

 

[bigmookied]

Here is the write up from BB:

http://www.binderbulletin.org/forums/showthread.php?t=80733

Still one of my favorites around, someday my Travelall will grow up to be cool too....

 

[Shadow man]

Here is the write up from BB:

UgG! :shaking:

 

[JetFxr]

Busted I did a thread on the BB but this is an on going project and I thought here on Pirate I would go more into real time problems. As I get the thread current I will go into sound deaden ect. There are a few issues I would like to have some good feed back on later in the build. So Shadow man I will say the U Haul was a dog but with the guts in the travelette it is a towing mule. I would have preferred to do a powrstroke but the 7.3 was what I had. I am not sure what the U Haul had for gears but the Travelette has 4:11 and it work great up to 65mph after that its wound tight but I have a GV overdrive unit I am thinking about using. The Spicer 5spd works much better than the IH box that was in there before, because the shifter was shortened the throw between gears is close and the thing shifts smooth. In these pictures you can see the size on the spicer over the IH 5spd. Well on with the build to catch everyone up to date. The engine is removed the 7.3 cleaned up and ready to install, had to fab up the frt crossmember mount.

 

[JetFxr]

Here are the pictures of the engine and transmission installed. The trans has an emergency brake, it uses a 1480 U joint the thing is massive and it was a real problem to have a spud shaft made to connect to the transfercase. I had the first one made and had bad vibration and it gave up when I did a stupid truck pull. I had to have a new one made it works much better no vibration.
The spud shaft is only 6" long because the trans is a little longer. The joint is 1480 on the trans side and 1310 on the transfercase side

 

[ChiScouter]

If your still having problems with that driveshaft I have one with 1410's from a dodge D600. Off hand I would say it is about a foot long.

 

[Mechanos]

The yokes on the jack shaft are 90° out of phase. That may be contributing to your vibrations.... but since there is very little angular deflection of the jackshaft, that might be negligable.

 

[Bo185]

Weres the turbo? You need one!

 

[binderbound]

How is that aluminum radiator and electric fan set up working out for you? I think major screwup and I are going that route on the diesel project.

 

[CSmith]

The yokes on the jack shaft are 90° out of phase. That may be contributing to your vibrations.... but since there is very little angular deflection of the jackshaft, that might be negligable.

Weres the turbo? You need one!

x2 on both of these.

Cool truck.:smokin:

 

[JetFxr]

I have had a new spud shaft made and clocked it correctly vibration solved. As far as the aluminum radiator it was great for the 392 but not enough for the diesel. I had to cut the core support about 6" on each side and used a radiator for a late 80s F350, I will try and snap a few pictures tomorrow. As far as the tubro I am looking for long life, I'm scared to over boost and overheat. The truck will honestly pull a house down, torque is incredible if your not easy off the clutch the tires brake loose at idle.

 

[[email protected]]

That t-ette is amazing. shipping to 67301
I am on the hunt for a travelette now. If you find one let me know. I have a 6-71 and 4+2 sourced for it.

That is suprising that that ryder had air brakes, wonder if the renters had to have a cdl?