M923 5 ton 6x6 cutting up for axles?

At some point I'll be picking up this military 5 ton 6x6. I'll possibly keep it but I'm thinking about chopping it for the axles to build a mud truck. This won't be for awhile but what all can I expect to do to cut it up myself if so?



Should I pull the axles and just trailer it in to a scrap yard whole? Or should I get myself a torch and torch it? What all will I be doing to dismantle a 22,000 lb truck?

Start from the bottom up? Top down?

I likely wouldn't save much else, if I go this route I'll trash it all. Thoughts?

Originally Posted by Patriot76

The fastest, most economical, and easiest method would be to take it to the yard in one piece and let them use the shear to dismantle it down to the axles. Have the yard reload the axles and you take the money for the rest of the metal.

Good luck.

Thanks for the prompt reply. You think they'd actually do that for me? Wow. I may part it out but if they'll do this I might have it sheared.

Do you think I could drive it in, over the scale, have them drain and shear it, and then just run the axles back across the scale and get out of there?

And being able to watch is preferable for obvious reasons.

Originally Posted by Patriot76

Since you are a new member of the forum, I assume you are not a regular scrapper and do not have a relationship with a yard. I could get it done because of history. If you can drive it to the yard, this strategy would leave a lot of money on the table. Your idea of parting it out would be financially beneficial for a person like myself. Having the knowledge, tools, and network would make this type of job easy and profitable.

If it is mechanically sound, I would use it or sell it as is and look for another set of axles for my mud truck. If I drove the 6 x 6 in and asked them to shear it they would think I was loosing my mind. I know one of the yard hands or the yard itself would buy it immediately for more than scrap value.

Sounds logical. This won't be for awhile yet so I would definitely make a relationship with a yard first.

It's mechanically sound. Despite thinking I was losing my mind would the ones you know still do it if you refused to sell it to them whole? I wouldn't sell it if I was already there, either tear it down or send me on my way...[IMG]file:///Users/andrewlange/Desktop/IMG_1141.jpg[/IMG]

Just an opinion, but it might be more hassle than it's worth to try to repurpose the axles out of an M923. They had a habit of locking up & stalling out the motor when the brakes were too firmly applied. It caused a lot of fatal accidents.

The military later had them retrofitted with anti lock brake systems and that fixed the problem.

It's one thing to swap in an axle but it's a lot more complicated to transplant a 6x6 ABS into a 4x4 mudder. You would have to chase back all of the wiring harnesses salvage and the central processing unit ? How on earth could anyone ever keep it all organized & straight in their head ?

Instead ... maybe get the axles out of an old machine that's been out sitting in a field for the last 40 years ? They must be a lot simpler without all of that computer control stuff.

[QUOTE=hills;288066]Just an opinion, but it might be more hassle than it's worth to try to repurpose the axles out of an M923. They had a habit of locking up & stalling out the motor when the brakes were too firmly applied. It caused a lot of fatal accidents.

The military later had them retrofitted with anti lock brake systems and that fixed the problem.

Yep, I'm very familiar with these trucks! I know all about their ABS issues quite well, if that's what you mean.

A lot of people use them in 4x4 projects so it's definitely doable. They're pretty simple really.

I'm also an MV hobbyist "by trade" so it's very likely I'll keep the truck. If not I'm likely having it torn down with a shear for the axles. Have you trashed any of these trucks yourself?

The more I think about it tearing it down in 5 minutes with the shear sounds like the best option IF I go this route.

Unless the truck is a rust bucket, who on earth do you want to destroy a $7,000 - $16,000 truck that still runs ?!

Getting this one for 6500. Not the prettiest one out there but I'd be driving the heck out of it first for sure.

So with the worth of the axles (especially as time went on) and what I'm getting the truck for I'd not-quite break even probably...especially if scrap went up.

I may just keep it as is and drive it until the wheels fall off, too.

[QUOTE=M923;288067]

Originally Posted by hills

Just an opinion, but it might be more hassle than it's worth to try to repurpose the axles out of an M923. They had a habit of locking up & stalling out the motor when the brakes were too firmly applied. It caused a lot of fatal accidents.

The military later had them retrofitted with anti lock brake systems and that fixed the problem.

Yep, I'm very familiar with these trucks! I know all about their ABS issues quite well, if that's what you mean.

A lot of people use them in 4x4 projects so it's definitely doable. They're pretty simple really.

I'm also an MV hobbyist "by trade" so it's very likely I'll keep the truck. If not I'm likely having it torn down with a shear for the axles. Have you trashed any of these trucks yourself?

Nah, i drove class B straight jobs off and on for 30 years. Did some work in the garages and so on. A truck is a truck .... ya know ? It's just not my calling in life. I don't especially like that kind of work.

For somebody else ..... it might be a labor of love if that's what they're really into.

It's a fixed bed but good to know for any dump beds.

So you say pull the bed torch out the axles flip it on its side and chop up the rest? I presume removing cab, etc. first.

I prefer the taking it to the yard and tearing it down with the shear by FAR if that would work. Think it wouldn't trash the axles?

Originally Posted by Patriot76

Since these vehicles have a ladder frame, the cab and the majority of metal will come off with the frame. You can still remove the box in one piece even if it is fixed. The secret with using the shear to avoid damaging the axles is to shear the frame front and back of each axle. You will need a torch to remove the extra metal from the axle. The easiest way to shear off the axles is to turn the vehicle upside down. A good operator will not have any trouble salvaging the axles. Do not be surprised if the yard wants the metal for removing the axles.

So what a good operator would do is tear the cab off, possibly tear the bed off, tear the cowl off, pull the motor off, throw it upside down and chop up the frame between each axle for me? I'm fine with that...think they would also torch the last of the frame for me?

And yeah, I could see them just wanting the metal for the extra effort, or at least at a reduced payout.

Or would they flip it upside down whole (doesn't matter, if it's getting scrapped anyway) and shear things out with the truck on its side? Cab etc hypothetically doesn't matter in this case, it's all being sheared in theory.

If all you want is the axles we normally just cut the leaf springs near the hangers. then the driveshaft and what ever else might be attached and rip the rest off with the senebogen. But those trucks are pretty much infinitely repairable. people will buy them for parts or to fix up if it doesn't run. Why on earth would you torch a truck worth at least $5K? I'm actually looking around for one at the moment to use as a heavy hauling scrap truck if I start buying AC Compressors in bulk. I would hate seeing a perfectly good military truck getting the torch just to get an axle out.