OK, guys, let me tell you that if it was mine and I wanted to drive it home, I would. You forget that this is the west, and the pool of drivers come from farming, ranching, mining, and heavy construction.

It is not that complex a truck - it is only a 5 speed tranny - and even the neighbor girl knows how to shift one of those. Yes, it is big - but it will not be driven in traffic.

The only scary part is downhill in the mountains - and I only remember two bad spots. The first is Sherman Pass in Wyoming - if it gets away from you there you can just kick it out of gear and ride it down. Nice straight freeway there.

The second is the mountains on the Utah/Wyo border, and what makes them extra scary is that you drop down into Salt Lake City traffic - no room to coast to a stop. There is an alternate route, but the grades are even worse on the alternate.

Whoever does that leg just needs to know to keep it in the low gears all the way down the mountain - second, maybe third, for better than 50 miles.

With a new battery, good brakes, and wheel bearings - it is just a matter of watching the temperature and spending the hours behind the wheel. I am more worried about the cops and DOT than the truck.

In fact, if Joe will pay for the fuel, and someone else get it to Cheyenne, I will deliver it to Reno for Joe to pick up, or all the way to his home if he wishes.

It is easy to be pessimistic and a nay-sayer, but never forget that the Mormons moved across Iowa to Salt Lake pushing hand carts, and our ancestors took the same route to Oregon with oxen and 4 wheeled wagons. How tough can it be?

And, Joe, repairs done in Iowa would have to be done before you could drive it anyway! Just do it!

 

I was not being a pessimist, I was being a realist. Sure our ancestors crossed the Great Plains with oxen and 4 wheels carts, at 5 mph. They didn't cross them with 7500 pounds of steel going 30 to 50 mph. If an oxen became lame they shot and ate it, they didn't have to worry about it veering off the road and killing someone.

Ok, let's say everything foreseeable is fixed. You're tooling along at a good speed and some little tin box of a car pulls out in front of you and jambs on its brakes and you have to slam on the brakes. Unknown to you the rear axle has over heated and leaked oil into the rear brake drums or the 50+ wheels hardware decides to let go. Now what? Or you're tooling down some mountain pass and something similar happens? Seeing that most likely the guy who is at the wheel might have only been behind the wheel of this strange truck for eight or ten hours, at most, and really doesn't know how to handle the truck or what it's mannerisms are, when the rear starts to swing around, what is he going to do? These scenarios may sound extreme, and pessimistic, but you have to face it on a 1700 mile drive it could very likely happen. Heck, when I take my 3/4 F-2 out for a drive around town I often have morons pull out in front of me. More times than you can imagine. I don't know if they misjudge the speed of my old truck or what. I have to lock the wheels up, crank the steering wheel and pray that I can avoid the jerk. I can only imagine what it would be like in a truck that is strange to me and almost twice as heavy.

It's easy to be macho and jump into a vehicle and take off. That would be just fine if you're the only one on the road but you have to think about all the others out there with you. Let’s get real.

The potential cost of problems that can occur on a fly by you pants endeavor like this can quickly out pace the cost to do it the safer, correct way.

Oh boy, I might have done it again!

 

That is easy - he is going to hit someone. Stupid drivers are why they put big bumpers on old trucks.

Guy deserves it for pulling out in front of a truck anyway.

 

Car with dead family, father, mother and two small kids. It's just not worth it.

 

Just to keep things in perspective, a fire truck might be awefully hard on the digestive system...

 

What is a family guy with kids in the car doing arguing right of weight with a truck? Seems like terminal stupidity to me! Even then you would most likely just push him down the road a ways.

Think of the story the Kids will have to tell about the Firetruck!

How likely is that to happen anyway? This sort of thing is a danger no mater what you drive - or where you are. The route of the truck is across miles of empty land - it will not be in traffic unless someone drives it through Boise or Salt Lake City. And then it will be on the freeway, likely not in rush hour traffic.

And, 53, most of what my ex cooked tasted like old tire rubber anyway! However, with all the brass fittings, a guy would have to be careful going to the bathroom.

 

'53, thanks for the bit of humor. I needed that.

 

Enough bickering guys.
The whole idea of the relay has been fun to discuss. Can it be don or can it not be done? What fun. The second to last truck I brought home was a 79 F-150 4x4. It was 170 miles from my house and the motor didnt sound healthy and the front end was worn out pretty bad but the brakes worked. It made the whole trip, much to my surprise. I also had someone follow me with a chain just in case. I think its up to Joe to head out to Iowa on his own and evaluate the situation. Let him decide if its able to make the trip and arange for any needed repairs locally. Joe should be the one to make the trip and the rest of us along the route should be able to offer him support if needed and that would include food or a place to sleep to help keep his costs down. And like I said before lets think small on this project even if its just to get it operational enough to drive onto a trailer.
Kudos to Monsterbaby! What a guy lets pitch in and get him a cold one.

 

Well said!!

Don't sweat the petty things, just pet the sweaty things...
Bobby

 

Joe,


If you do head out to fix it and bring it back this thread will not have been in vain. You now have a number of folks interested in the truck at varius locations along the way who I suspect would be willing to help out with repairs, locating local shops/parts, etc. in the event you needed them. If nothing else, you would have some varied and diverse comapny for the trip if some of these folks rode along with you for short spells.

Good luck. My suggestion is to make a decision and follow through with it as soon as possible.

Carl

 

Joe, just so you know the guy from IDOT was here today to do the VIN inspection so you should hear back from him soon.

 

OK great, thanks. Good input, and support from everyone. I am investigating other resources, and am also wanting to see if this idea can actually work. I'm looking into some repair shops in Chariton, to see what I can get done about the brakes and bearings. I'll also check to see about a truck and trailer, If I had a truck, I've got a flatbed semi trailer. I guess if worse comes to worse, I can expedite the build on my 53 F-800 semi, and use it to haul the truck back. What it really boils down to, is if Rob thinks it can be made to make the trip, then we have a chance to pursue that, if he doesn't, then I will find a truck and trailer, and with his help, I can get it home that way. I'll resubmit an ad on uship, and see what it leaves. Rob, you've already done alot, and I don't want to ask you do too much. Give it to me straight, can she be made to make it, or do you think it won't be worth it? Your opinion will help me to make my decision. If you don't think so, I won't bother trying to fly there to make repairs with you, or do much more than a little bit of brake work to get it to a loading dock. I'll get you battery moeny, and a master cylinder. I'll be able to get that taken care of the middle of next week. If we can get those done, we have a better idea of what we're looking at. You're my eyes man, and I would like you to look at this as if it were your truck, and your family that would be driving in it. If you think it's a no, then it's a no.

 

I just recieved a donation for the battery, and it will cover it so I am heading down tomorrow to pick it up. I will let him post up who it was (expecially since what I know is his real name and not a screen name and some don't want real names posted)
Thanx again

 

Joe, this is your mission should you choose to accept it. I work in a plastic refinery and we have safety meetings every morning and a big one every friday and one thing I have learned is that any situation can be what ifed to death. what if this happens, what if that happens, what if I drop a plate on my foot while unloading the dishwasher and it breaks my big toe and I die of blood poisoning. I can recall in the 1980's Gm was having a problem with the diesel motors in there olds cars running away from people and they were brand new. Use common since, If the tires are good and brakes are good, kick the tire and light the fire, turn em, burn em, peel em, squeel em and let us know when you get home. Sure the bearings might take a giant crap on you, but then again they might not. So what if the truck is old you could rebuild everything where it is brand new and you still won't have any gaurantees. Statisticly more people are killed withen a mile of there home so your chances of getting killed are worse once you get it to your town I say if it will start and stop go for it. Of course I say alot of other things too, that are gauranteed to not make any since at all. good luck and God speed. This message will self distruct in 5 seconds 5....4.....3.....2.....

 

F6, I agree. I'm checking with some shops. If we can still do the relay, I'm thinking getting it to North Platte, NE, or Cheyenne. That would be the biggest part of the trip. I'm not scared to drive it. I've driven worse. I know how the brakes, and the drive train on those reacts. I know it will stop, and I know the bearings will hold. I'm working on getting all that inspected. If all is new, then it should be fine. Gas, who needs it. We'll just flat out on the flat ground, and coast the down hills. Might save some gas that way. Or, I can pull into a truck stop, and secretly chain up to a semi, and let him pull me to the next truck stop. The only problem would be if he's not going my way. HMMM, that would suck. It could be done. If it's meant to be, it will work. Alternatives are open to suggestion. I've resubmitted an ad on uship. We'll just have to wait and see. Hey Rob, I can't get a danged PayPal account going here. Having some bank issues. Do you want to do the PP account? If not, no biggy, just thought I 'd check.