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Hi Folks,
once I get my braking situation sorted out on my 1964 M-750, I'm going to start construction on a ramp truck bed for it. I did a search of the site, but haven't been able to find any threads on here about ramp trucks, or build threads for that style of deck.
I'm going to start one once I buy some steel and start fabbing things up, but it would be great to see what some others are working on.
Here are a couple examples of the kind of deck I'm looking at building: What we started with
The old racers ramp trucks are cool, but its a truck only used for one job. I have built 2 roll back truck beds by starting with a flat bed, make a frame from channel iron under it that pivots at the back, then use the next size bigger channel slid onto the small channel and the slide nice. No fancy nylon slides, just steel on steel. Together with hydraulics and a winch, its more of a project, but now you have a truck for many uses. I had tow trucks most of my life, but once you have a roll deck you will never go back to a single use bed.
This is what I built.I probably have about 1,500 in the metal. A lot of welding, riveting , and cursing! Started with 6” channel down the middle. Then angle triangulating the frame. Diamond plate on the deck and 18 ga sheet metal riveted on that. Good luck!! Ramps are hidden in the center rear compartment. I am I. No way and fabricator or welder. But I’ve had my 08 f350 dually on it and it packed it no problem!!
When I originally bought it. Old fire truck from Polk Township, Marshall County in Indiana. After wheel and tire change Channel iron down the middle Angle iron triangulating the frame Decking put on Sheet metal After starting to spray the salt, vinegar, peroxide solution. After fabbing the access doors Repopped 57 flareside taillights from LMC Back view Side view The Rat Packer
This is my 75 f600 ramp truck, 212" wheelbase, 20' bed. the ramp is a little steep in the back, but it's very versatile as I can haul just about anything on it other then vehicles. the drawback is that it's too much of an angle to load a car. It could be fixed with a longer less steep tail, but I only haul trucks so it works fine. The wedges are nice but difficult to haul anything else on them.
I was planning to get the best of both worlds by running the two ramps instead of just a wedge deck, with a channel between the two ramps, that hugs the tops of the frame rails. This would both allow me to transport motorcycles or smaller cargo items, as well as provide access to the bottom side of the car for clutch adjustments while at the track, which I can't do at the moment without jacking the car, as it is looooow...
Something to think about on these trucks, they are slow, and brake parts are almost non existent. I've had good luck with mine for the last 15 years or so, but 53mph top speed is pretty slow. I'm currently gathering parts to update the driveline. I'm using an F550 stuff so it will be easier to get parts and alot safer.
I've been looking at a similar move, for better brakes with parts availability, but I'm still struggling with the idea of losing these front Dayton wheels, as the look of these is such a huge part of the look of this truck for me. I guess it doesn't make much difference what it looks like if it won't stop when you step on the middle pedal, though, right? I'm gonna get these front brakes apart and re-evaluate based on the condition of the internals. As long as I can get spring and hardware kits, I think it's do-able, as there are still a couple places I found that will re-line brake shoes, and wheel cylinders are likely rebuildable, or somebody somewhere will have old stock someplace...I hope.
I got the same GMC TopKick front axle to use with this old Mercury, as the Dayton wheel arrangement has the right look for this truck, but maaaaaaan is it overkill from a size/weight/capacity standpoint.
As you say, brake parts seem to be pretty much nonexistent, so I'm kinda scrambling to get this thing together safely and reliably for a vintage drag event next summer in Byron Illinois, about 7 hrs from here in a regular car, so likely closer to 10 in this old truck.
A straight wedge style ramp truck is just not practical for anything other that hauling vehicles. I also contend that these trucks are inherently more dangerous if a chain or strap breaks as your chains and straps are working against gravity. A much better design is to have one our two breakovers in the bed so when loaded, the vehicle be hauled is on a flat plane. The added benefit is you have a truck with a deck that can haul other things than vehicles. I like the idea of a separate thread for these projects. Just my two cents which when adjusted for inflation are not worth very much.
A straight wedge style ramp truck is just not practical for anything other that hauling vehicles.
That’s absolutely true, but in my case not an issue for me, as this truck’s singular purpose is to replace the open trailer used to haul my race car. For motorbikes, firewood, topsoil, furniture, camping gear etc I have a late model pickup truck.
With regards to the safety aspect of fighting gravity, I think planning and diligent inspection of all the rigging need to be mandatory requirements for something like this. I had planned to have the car tied down from a point at each wheel, with the winch cable left on when hauling, as a backup, plus one strap from the rear axle housing, to prevent the car from rolling up and into the back of the cab if we did a panic stop, or hit something, heaven forbid. With us only using this rig to haul a 2700lb Mustang a few times per year, the straps won’t get much of a workout, or see much UV degradation . I’d be more worried about them getting wet or chewed by mice during storage.I had also seen an old ramp truck with chocks fab’d out of rolled plate formed to the radius of the rear slicks, so that when the car was winched on the ramp, it was drawn up just past the point it would normally rest at, the chocks were installed, then it was rolled back into the chocks with the winch, and the straps were then installed. It looked like it would take 90% of the strain off the straps, and add a whole lot of safety and peace of mind to the whole situation.
I agree that a flat deck would be a better, more practical multi use truck, but this one is just a one trick pony that only needs to haul a race car. Honestly, I don’t want it to be useful for anything else, cause then folks are gonna call me up and ask to haul all manner of stuff home from auctions
or out of the bush, and I’m not building it for my friends and neighbours, I’m building it for my Family.🙂
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