Truck Built From 3/4 Ton Pickup 2 Ton Truck

Truck Built from 3/4 Ton Pickup 2 ton Truck PICKUPS Modifications 16-5-7 "It rides like a locomotive and has as much pulling power as a 1 1/2-ton truck, but it cost only about $3,000 to build," says Larry Schmahl, Lucas, Ohio, who cut off an old 1973 Chevrolet C-20 3/4-ton pickup at the back of the cab and married it to the rear frame of a 1963 International BC162 2-ton grain truck equipped with a 17,500-lb. 2-speed rear axle. The pickup had 400,000 miles and the truck had 150,000 miles with a rusted-out cab and bed. Schmahl completely reconditioned the pickup cab to look like new, installing new doors, fenders, floor, rocker panels, and cab corners. He also fitted the home-built truck with new tires and a diamond steel plate bed. It has 7.50 by 16.00 tires on front and 8.25 by 20 dual 10-ply tires on back. He installed the front spindles and hubs from the 2-ton truck on front of the pickup. He also rigged up power brakes on both the front and rear. The pickup's 225 hp gas engine was worn out so he rebored it to get 250 hp. He also replaced the "New Process" 4-speed wide ratio transmission with a new one equipped with a heavy duty clutch that he bought at a junkyard for $150. "It really goes. I use it to pull my 16-ft. gooseneck livestock trailer and a 20-ft. heavy duty implement trailer that I use to haul bull dozers and round bales," says Schmahl. "I also use the truck to pull my 4-ton fertilizer spreader. I had been using a 1-ton pickup to pull the trailers and spreader, but it couldn't handle the steep hills in our area. It didn't have enough gears or power and the suspension system was too soft. It also didn't have enough braking power. I considered buying a Chevrolet C-5011/4-ton or C-60 1 1/2-ton pickup because they have bigger tires than standard pickups and a 2-speed rear axle. However, either one would have cost more than $20,000. "My rebuilt truck looks like a 1-ton Dually but has bigger tires, a heavier rear axle, and far more power. It also has the 2-ton truck's suspension system to handle the big loads. The springs are so stiff that I had to remove two of them to soften up the ride. The biggest challenge was the braking system. I finally installed a master cylinder off a C-60 pickup and hooked it up to the vacuum booster off a BC 162 IH truck. I bought used truck tires for $65 at a junkyard. I bought the diamond plate steel from a plant that was closing and paid only $30. "It has just the right ratio of gears to power. With the 2-speed rear axle I have eight forward speeds and two reverse. I use a button on the gearshift lever to switch axle speeds on the go. I haul big loads with the 2-speed axle in low range and the transmission in fourth gear and don't even have to shift going up hills unless I'm pulling more than three tons. I can pull a 4-ton load of fertilizer up hills with no problems, and it'll easily pull a2-ton implement trailer loaded with a 10-ton dozer. By dropping the axle into low range I can back up nice and smooth no matter how big the load." The 2-ton truck's rear frame sat about 12 in. higher than the pickup frame so Schmahl cut it down about 8 in. He also added a fifth wheel hitch and a rear hitch. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Larry Schmahl, Box 69, Lucas, Ohio 44843 (ph 419 892-2813).

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