M923 5 ton 6x6 cutting up for axles? - Page 3

Originally Posted by M923

That much?!

Yea that much, the KT-450 came out of a Buyrus Erie that I had cut up for scrap. That big counterweight hanging off the rear weighed in at 18,000 pounds.

The Bucyrus Erie I scrapped out did not have the boom as shown below but had a heal boom used for loading logs. It was the largest single piece of scrap that I had ever cut up.

Cutting that up must have taken a bit of acetylene huh?

So that’ll easily burn a 5 ton to short Steel?

Personally I would purchase a nice used Unimog over a US military truck.

Originally Posted by Proton

Depends on your skill level.

I wouldn't advise ordering a liquid oxygen to cut up one small 5 ton truck.

One K bottle would reduce the truck, after using plasma to cut up scrap her at home I much prefer it over oxygen.

Some truck frames are doubled and a thick sheet of rust scale forms between the rails, you will soon learn an oxygen cutting torch has a beach of a time cutting through this scale. I've cut enough trucks many larger than your 5 ton to have learned the tricks when encountering scale.

Plasma has no problem with scale and does not flair up when it comes into contact with grease or dirt saturated in engine or hydraulic oil. I've singed off my eyebrows and hair to may times to count.

Personally I do not put much stock in your story's but just the same will give ya a tip that may save yer life. Frame rails are made as channels, lets say your frame is 3 inches across the top and bottom with 12 inch sides to make up the channel aka frame rails.

The safest way to break the trucks back putting it on the ground safely is to cut the bottom 3 inches first then cut the 12 inch side rail from the bottom up as you near the top of the cut the frame will collapse. It may even tear the last 1/3 of the 12 inches from the shear weight of the truck bearing down on it.

The top 3 inches usually bends as the truck drops to the ground.

Interesting! Now, could I cut the cab, etc up using a torch?

I'm absolutely crazy, but now I'm almost wanting to cut one up just as a learning experience.

So when I get to the frame, basically do it as though I were bucking up a tree trunk, i.e it will eventually bend under its own weight?

Do this with the axles still on, or no?

Originally Posted by Proton

Ok here's a step by step used by yours truly.

First i would cut the webs on the rims leaving the centre part still bolted to the hub, a small portion of tire rim stays with the tire send it off with the tire your only loosing a few pounds.

Cut the u-bolts then cut the top leaf of the spring front and back, let the frame drop onto the differential. Driveshaft cut one side of the yoke that holds the bearing cup, once that has been cut you can then push the driveshaft free of the spider.

Now I would cut one side of the differential housing, if one side is longer than the other from centre this is the side I would cut. Again cut into the housing from the bottom. have a bucket ready to catch the oil. While this is draining go to the front and start removing sheet metal.

With large truck rear ends no need to cut the axle just cut the tube and the axle, brake drum all pull free from the pumpkin.

Bumper just cut the heads off of the bolts that secure it to the frame, rad support cut the two bolts that secure it to the cross member. same for the fenders just cut the heads off of the bolts.

Cut the steering column and the drag link, the cab will be mounted on rubber blocks with a long bolt going through the centre I cut the heads off top side once the seats have been removed. Do this any other way your going to get burned, oxygen on hot rubber really flares up usually right in yer face.

If its a metal cab send it as crush, once a year we had a car crusher come into out yard the loose tin ie: fenders would be used to stuff cars for added weight..

Best to remove the fuel tanks first, draining is not advisable as an empty tank is my hazardous than a full one.

On one of our yearly car crushes I was cutting off a cat when the plastic fuel line melted and caught fire. I set it off to the side and let it burn the car rather than waste time trying to put out a fuel fire.

The fire got pretty hot and one of the front bumper energy absorber's exploded, sounded like a canon had gone off.

Always be prepared for the unexpected, plan your moves.

So I should cut up the axkes then put it on the ground then start cutting the cab off?

cutting into diffs...torch after drained?

Get the truck on the ground before all else?

Originally Posted by M923

So I should cut up the axkes then put it on the ground then start cutting the cab off?

cutting into diffs...torch after drained?

Get the truck on the ground before all else?

Well your certainly not going to ruin anything your worried about if your scrapping the truck are ya.

Once you get good with the cutting torch you can blow a large nut from a bolt without ruining the threads on the bolt or remove a welded bead from tow pieces of metal. Or prepare two pieces of metal with bevelling before welding.

Truck and torch were my main tools of the trade.

When you finally do get an oxygen contract get it from one of the majors, so if one day you leave Alaska for a demo job elsewhere in the USA your'll have access to purchasing gas out of state with your home state contract.

If you do not have an empty to return they may charge you demmurage on the second bottle but most will allow a bottle out if its only for a week or less with out further charge.

Interestingly I’ve also heard that a yard may pay more for a running truck that is driven in?

Originally Posted by Proton

I'm done scrapping trucks.

I would like to thank Patriot76, Hills and especially Proton for all of the advice given on how to scrap a M923 truck. I only scrap ewaste and haven't touched a torch since high school but after reading recent posts about scrapping M923s, I believe I could torch the s**t out of one with no problems! Or I could just continue to talk about them.

Originally Posted by jimicrk

I would like to thank Patriot76, Hills and especially Proton for all of the advice given on how to scrap a M923 truck. I only scrap ewaste and haven't touched a torch since high school but after reading recent posts about scrapping M923s, I believe I could torch the s**t out of one with no problems! Or I could just continue to talk about them.

As would I! As of now, I believe I could also burn one to the ground as of now. Thanks guys, you've already taught me a lot!

Originally Posted by M923

As would I! As of now, I believe I could also burn one to the ground as of now. Thanks guys, you've already taught me a lot!

Your on your own now kid this old man is going prospecting. No internet no phone, eating out of a can and sheeting with the bears.

See ya next year and good luck with the trucks.

Unimog chewing up a tree, wood chipper operated off of rear PTO.

Originally Posted by Proton

Unimog chewing up a tree, wood chipper operated off of rear PTO.

Proton, I thought you were out in the woods sheeting in cans and eating with the bears, or did I misunderstand?

Originally Posted by M923

As would I! As of now, I believe I could also burn one to the ground as of now. Thanks guys, you've already taught me a lot!

What is your local yard paying per ton for scrap cars and trucks, versus prepared short as you call it.

Once you chop up your Military truck your going to find out that the cab, fenders and the hood are not considered heavy melt. Tires and glass will not be allowed in your heavy melt load, plus your going to loose a few hundred pounds of caked on grease, dirt and mud hidden in body pockets by cutting the truck up.

The last large bottle of oxygen I bought a few years ago was just under $100.00 a 20 pound bottle of propane around $25.00. The propane bottle will last for about five large oxygen.

I figure even for a noob one large bottle of oxygen would be enough to cut that MILITARY truck up into small bits.

We've spent plenty of time discussing how to cut this truck up and now your new found confidence feel that you can burn one to the ground, I don't doubt for a minute that you could. Now that it's on the ground how are you going to load it.

Shall we take it to the next stage - loading.

Living on the west coast, Budget kept a crane truck rental for the commercial fisherman and others like myself. I myself on several occasions had rented that truck, in fact this truck was the first time I had even used a truck mounted knuckle crane.

The rental truck was fortunately on the same end of a 60 mile journey as the scrap yard, I would pick the truck up late in the day then drive that 60 miles home and be up at 5:00 am to have it loaded and back its home late in the afternoon.

One of the loads I had was an old D8 Cat with half the engine missing and no blade, the crane would not lift the whole cat but I found that it would lift one end at a time. Once an end was lifted would stack railway ties under then lift the other end and stack more ties under.

I did this until each end of the cat was level with the truck deck, then gradually worked each end of the cat over onto the deck of the truck.

At this time of my life was in my early 20's, now at this late time of my life I would like to hear how your going to load and haul the scrap from this military truck your planning to butcher.