[AT] The newer trucks re just not going to last.

Tue May 17 18:03:20 PDT 2022

When my sister moved to Northeast Texas and asked me to build a house for her, I brought down my tandem axel tool trailer. I live in Michigan and have two choices, go straight south on the east side of the Mississippi and then west, or jump across into Missouri and down the west side of the Mississippi, through Oklahoma. I chose poorly. Interstate highway just about tore my, relatively new, trailer apart. I had installed a tool crib and tool boxes in there that had been working fine for over two years, they did not survive that trip. Between the expansion joints and potholes that could swallow a car that even the semis where dodging. 

Trip had been fine until Oklahoma, I feel for you.

Aaron Dickinson

Mason, Mich  

From: Cecil Bearden
Sent: ‎Tuesday‎, ‎May‎ ‎17‎, ‎2022 ‎8‎:‎51‎ ‎AM
To: Antique Tractor Email Discussion Group

This is the panel that is the entire dash.  It holds the ac vents, 
instrument panel, ac controls, radio, glove box, everything.  It runs 
from door to door...    finding somewhere in this state to have that 
fabricated is nearly impossible and would cost a lot more than the $1300 
for a new one if I could find it....    This would not have happened if 
this stupid town would have taken care of the roads they had and not 
expanded so much the county could not maintain the roads for them...    
I have been surrounded by them and they have allowed the roads to 
deteriorate to worse than cow trails.  I have to travel over them to get 
to the other farm where I have equipment and hay.  I drive as slow as 
possible, but this truck was sprung stiff, something I will fix if I can 
get it operable again, and since I have not found a bed or been able to 
build one, it bounces a lot.  However, the last time I was hauling 
cattle to the sale, I was on US highway 81 north of Kingfisher and hit a 
stretch 3 miles long that the pavement seams were so rough that the 
glove box door fell off after having to shut it at least a dozen times.  
I don't think anyone can appreciate how ridiculously rough the roads in 
Oklahoma are.... This includes state federal and county roads...

Cecil.

On 5/16/2022 10:19 PM, Stuart Harner wrote:
> Would it be possible to replace the factory dash with a custom made 
> metal one? I am thinking about custom made instrument panels for home 
> built aircraft.
>
> It might not look "right" but then again, it is a 24 year old 
> truck....  :)
>
> Just call it a Rat-Rod and charge extra for it when you do sell it.
>
> Just an idea.
>
> On 5/16/22 22:11, Cecil Bearden wrote:
>> I have a 98 Chevy C8500 Medium duty I use to pull my trailers with.   
>> I hope to eventually get a winch bed on it, but as it is it has a 
>> Gooseneck hitch with  fenders.  It was originally a county dump truck 
>> and the bed was removed after a month and the mechanics bed was 
>> installed and it was used as a mechainc truck until about 2007.  It 
>> is sprung really stiff, and the rough roads here have torn up the 
>> doors and the dash.  I don't dare drive over 20mph on these roads, 
>> but the washboards and potholes are impossible to miss.  The dash 
>> panel has literally fell apart.  It will not hold the instrument 
>> cluster to operate the gauges.  All the press fit connections get 
>> loose in a few miles.  When i removed the gauge cluster, there are 
>> massive gaps and no pieces to glue back in. The wiring harness is 
>> over an inch in diameter and stiff as a board.  I tried all day to 
>> find a NOS dash panel and have the GM number, but good old GM has 
>> discontinued the part.
>>
>> I would have thought there would be a NOS one around but no luck...   
>> This truck has a recently overhauled Cat engine and a rebuilt Allison 
>> transmission.   Brakes have been reworked and the A/c works great 
>> too..  It is the nicest truck I have ever had. Now, it may have to be 
>> scrapped due to the plastic parts in the dash.   I have found salvage 
>> das parts, but they are broken too....  When I contact  a dealership, 
>> they tell me that is a 24 yr old truck..   I guess they don't think I 
>> can do math anymore.. My old 66 Chevrolet still hauls wheat.  My 
>> others are built in the 70s, and are most all steel....
>>
>> Cecil
>>
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