4x4 dually's are out there. I come accross them all the time.

I just picked up an 87 cc 4x4 dually 5dp with a 460 not to long ago for 1700. I really wanted the 86 4x4 dually, but the guy never called me back.

All of the 4x4 dually's Ive seen have been cab and chassis f350's and superduty's.

 

4x4 duallys are probably the rarest of the IDI's at least that is the way it seems in my travels. That is why I said if you are looking for and need a truck you are more or less stuck with a 2x dually or a 4x single wheel. A cab and chassis would probably be his best bet as he needs a chip bed anyway.
On another note you are going to be using this truck for a living all of these old diesels were good and capable of doing the job you are going to do. So find one that has been well taken care of and don't just buy the first one that comes along a wore out rig is a wore out rig no matter what it started out as and will be a money pit even more so when you are talking down time. So take your time there are still some really nice ones out there maybe even if you wind up without every option you are after.

 

around hear finding a 4x4 dually is not all that hard but finding it with a longer wheel base is hard. There are plenty of dually 4x4 with 8 foot dump bodies. Im just worried about the amount of chips and logs i can fit in the back. Im going with an idi because they are so simple i can even work on them. If it breaks down theres only a few things that could be wrong. Ill find one when it comes along that has been taken care of and do an overhaul on it with my buddy. Im running around with my 03 ranger at the moment with a smaller trailer but come this summer im going to need a bigger truck so i have some time to look around for the right truck.

 

If you are up for a road trip I happen to know where there is an immaculate I think 85 that started out as an F250 supercab. It has been stretched and has an 11 0r maybe12 foot very nice flatbed on it it is a dually but like mine it has been added chrome wheels and needs absolutely nothing mechanical or cosmetic.
I looked at this truck about 6 years ago and fell in love wiyh it but it dissapeared before I could get in touch with the owner. Come to find out a friend of mines had been looking at it and decided to get it and went back only to be told it was sold that evening when he sat at the supper table the title was laying there his wife had bought it for him.
I doubt that Terry has hauled a load on this rig he likes to keep his stuff perfect and immaculate he now has cancer and would sell it. If I had the coin it would belong to me.

 

I hope that you buddy still has a fighting chance with his cancer. I was thinking about taking a road trip down south over febuary vacation (im still in college and will be for another 2-3 years) to see if i could pick up a nice clean tuck but NM is a bit of far for me.

 

LOL it is just a bit farther than NM but belive me it is worth a trip the grandkids even know better than to even play around it.

 

its not that bad.you just box it in,and you can haul most everything off from the average tree job in just one or two trips.
i would have liked the cab and chassis too.but didn't find much in the price range and condition i was after.
with some added springs,you can haul quite a bit.
you should of seen what i did with my f150 for years lol.

you will be surprised how much brush it takes to load up a truck when you chip it.
though firewood,and chips are heavy,its nothing compared to stone/gravel of course.check out how some guys are hauling these loads with hydro-boost conversion brakes and springs like Dave does,and gives a very good idea of what these are capable of.
im still contemplating running the loads like Dave does,to know if i'l be doing the brake upgrade too.more will become clear when i start using it.but i do suspect,i'l be following his methods.
i'm going 8w x 9l dump,but the reason is for when i carry bulk brush that doesn't weigh anything,but the extra room so i can fit more on to haul to the transfer stations,as sometimes you get into removing dead wood/brush that just dulls the chipper knifes and its just easier to haul it off.

 

ive done a few jobs and my little ranger was screaming all the way home with the 12 foot trailer behind me full of wood and brush. it was just a little birch about 25-30 and the stump was only 12 inches around and the truck was screaming up the hills. How long did you run with a pickup. Im still in school but im starting up this year and id like to not kill my ranger but i would also like to be able to use the truck after i get out of school so my overhead is lower.

 

i used the f150 far longer than i should have.i used it for 8 yrs doing this.constantly with loads 1-3 ton.stopping wasn't a problem going easy and downshifting with the manual tho.
surprisingly,i only went through 1 rear end,1 trans,and 1 motor.she sure more than payed for itself.but in no way was it enough truck.i wouldn't try using a ranger.you will just kill it of course.i'm confident the 250hd will be enough truck for many years after seeing what an f150 will do with just the 250/350 springs.the frame is not strong enough for those loads to be safe,but never had any problems in that regard.

those small jobs like that 30' birch wont even be anything to an idi truck.you will hardly know its there i suspect with these engines torque rating.
7.3l: 360 lb-ft. @ 1,400 RPM (388 w/ turbo)
(hp ratings are only under 200,but you and i dont care about this much.)

its good to have a trailer,but you can't haul it and the chipper.and depending on the size of the job,it could mean a trip back and forth,or just an extra trip to the transfer station.so i just skipped the trailer.
you wont have to worry about chipper size.you could go with a 12" chipper if you want.the idi wont know much diff between it or the 6" i doubt.

here's my chipper(iv got the diesel):
http://www.salsco.com/products/86_Series_WEB.pdf

it tows very,very easy.my 300/6 knew it was there,but no probs at all,as its only about 1 ton.even while loaded,it wasn't a problem.
with the IDI though.......i can't wait to hook on to her.i'l have to keep looking back to make sure she's still with me lol.

 

8 years man thats crazy. After only 1 year of mild work with the ranger im starting to worry about it. I hope to get 6 inch bandit but i have not looked at saslco so ill look into them for sure. I got way more than i expected out of this. All i really wanted to know is if the 7.3 had head gasket issues like the 6.9 and now im completly changing my ideas and looking a different chippers. so now im looking for a 4x4 diesel cab and chassis. sounds good to me and thanks to everybody for your insight.

 

yeah.4x4.
yeah,as you can see with the salsco,it has the 12" wide opening.man,that is a huge,huge,huge plus for a 6" chipper.i love the thing.
good luck,and safe & happy climbing.

 

u can allways do a swap to for 4x4 if u realy want to lol

 

Im glad that you mentioned the salsco because theres a dealer only about 40 or so miles away and the nearest bandit dealer is way farther than that. I just might have to stop by to take a look the next time im close. Good luck climbing, be safe out there buddy. I guess i could try doing a swap for 4x4 if its really easy. Im not the most mechanically inclined person out there. How hard is it i do? I have a buddy who is a mechanic and has a shop and all of the tools of the trade. I know that the tranny would have to be different, new transfer case and front axle. Would it just bolt up to the frame. I honestly would rather just look for a 4x4.

 

Joe will do the conversion for ya for free.

seriously.it's the most in depth conversion there is to do to a truck,and most feel it's simply not worth it.(it's cheaper to just buy the 4x4 in the first place.)

 

it can be cheap if u get a doner truck it not that bad