The WC53 Carryall thread .

[Bruce]

Bruce in BC suggested that I drop into this thread and say hello so I figured I'd go ahead and do so. Back in 2002 I aquired two old M37s. One I still have and one I gave to my youngest brother because he kept driving mine when I was away at college and I always feared the worst. My M37 was used for camping duties at the family farm all through college but since recently completing my build up of a Jeep, the M37 doesn't get much attention. In 2002 when I got the M37, I remember getting a Boyce Equipment Parts Catalog... on the back of it was a WC53. I fell in love instantly and have wanted one ever since. I have watched this thread off and on through the years now and drooled whenever I would check in here to see people's progress. Being in college, and then starting out in my career, I didn't have the time or money to track one down. Then I got wrapped up in the Rock Crawlers and built a really custom one out my wrangler. Well, now its time for the next project and so here I am! Super excited!

As for the WC53, I somewhat stumbled across one that I had always adored and am so very excited to continue the truck as its a forum local favorite I believe. I have been in contact recently with Mcinfantry from this board and have come to an agreement to obtain and rebuild his WC53. I don't know how I lucked out so well on this and I can't wait to make the journey to retrieve it, but I am very very pleased! His truck is simply amazing and I can't wait to work on it! He is keeping his driveline but I will be doing something very similar, 4bt, modern axles, etc. My intentions are to have something that my wife and I can enjoy on weekends, and I could even comfortably drive to work. I've slowly been reading through this thread and getting caught up on everything I can so that I can hit the ground running when I get the truck home. Looking forward to contributing to this thread as much as I can!

Man your right about Mc Infantry's WC, and reading this thread took some time to inhale. Keep us posted and take plenty of pics.

[Alxj64]

I have a quick question actually. Been doing some thinking about motor placement and options. I was wondering if anyone can measure for me 3 things.

The width inside the hood at the back at the firewall...

The width inside the hood at the front behind the radiator...

And the overall length from the back of the radiator cover/core mount, all the way back to the face of the firewall. Thanks so very much!

[Bruce in BC]

Carryall engine bay

Fire wall 44' 1/2
Radiator shroud 25' 1/2
Rad to fire wall 30'

Got some more welding done . The inside structural is now welded a bit more than factory in the hopes that it will squeak and flex less than when the carryall left the factory .

take care
Bruce

[Alxj64]

Thanks Bruce! Anymore updates! I am just about caught up on this thread finally!

[Bruce in BC]

Got the floor done

I need to pull the body and weld underneath . This is going to take some creative work on my part .Tight on cash so my subscription and posting pictures are suspended for a little while . Hopefully a few other folks will fill the void . Wrote a little article "10 tips " that needs a bit of work . I seem to be quite busy these days but I do not feel like I am getting anywhere .

Bruce

[Bruce]

How Many?

I don't remember if we talked about this in the past, how many Bruce's are in this thread?

[Bruce in BC]

Ok that did not work

I mailed a cartoon to Gordon . This was over a month ago . Actually 6 weeks ago . I just got it back unopened . Boy do I feel rejected .
Punch line . Instead of going to Norway USA the thing got mailed to Norway the country . There is a return sticker stuck on the envelope . Written in some archaic language last used by a couple of norseman lost on a holiday in 1476 .
This is what comes from lacking enough skills to come up with a new name for a region . There are over 10,000 Trout Lakes in the world , several Vancouvers , a couple of Washingtons and enough Surreys to fill a garbage truck . This must cost billions each year in missdirected mail . Entire economies have been destroyed by this multiple naming practice . Who can we blame for this ? Stupid politicians or lazy map makers ?
I was crawling under a low milage Uni Mog last week . 116 inch wheel base .
I could drop a carryall body on that thing in a weekend . It even comes with a crawler ratio . The only mod to the frame would be to toss the coil spring and go airbag or lighter coils , adjust the frame length to fit and rotate the steering box a tad . The rest of the mods would be to the body .

Too cold to work on much .

Bruce

How many Bruces ARE there ??????

[mcinfantry]

tis true. I'm selling it.
never got right with insurance, and I'm getting divorced. so i got a lot on my plate!

I'm looking for a wc56....

[TK064]

Anyone beef up their carryall with an internal/hidden roll cage? I know a few folks talked about running some structural steel around the rear gate and drivers door pillar. Trying to see if it is worth the hassle of cutting it in.

[Bruce in BC]

I did not do it but it would not be that hard to do

There is enough room to build a cage and hide it behind the stock upholstery panels . I did just beef up the stock internal structure , all the gaps have been filled and the rear uprights are fully welded with new uprights . I am going to get some rectangular tubing and redo the uprights between the two rear windows . Got down to sketching out some ideas with a guy who dropped by the shop and I came up with an interesting design that would really stiffen the Carryall up but I am too far in to change anything now .

Bruce

[Alxj64]

Anyone beef up their carryall with an internal/hidden roll cage? I know a few folks talked about running some structural steel around the rear gate and drivers door pillar. Trying to see if it is worth the hassle of cutting it in.

This thought has run through my mind, though I am still counting the days until I pick up the one I am going to be working on. Bruce in BC, approximately how much room is there in the space you were refering to?


On other notes, I have already started collecting parts for the Drivetrain replacement. Mcinfantry is keeping his driveline but I am going to be going a similar direction. Going with a driver's side diff Ford axle that I snagged from a friend, and I also have a rear axle that is already geared to 4.56 and is easy to convert over to Disc brakes. Snagged a Divorced Ford NP205 transfercase the other day too. Sadly, it has 1330 outputs on it but I am thinking I'll go to a 1350 flange for the rear and run a standard 1350 for the front since the truck will have locking hubs, even though I have considered flanges so that my lazy self doesn't have to get out of the truck to engage 4wd. I wonder what the driveline drag would reduce from economy though?

Also, should I start an additional build thread somewhere in the long term section or are we trying to keep everything right here in the Carryall thread?

Pictures of the axles.

Front HP60 from an '86 F-350. I'm trading the dually parts to a friend for his SRW stuff.



Rear axle is a '65 Eaton HO72 w/ 4.56s and a detroit locker. I think I am going to ditch the Detroit and go with an ARB simply because I have a Detroit in my trail rig and when it unloads it can be quite disturbing, and also is quite and adventure to drive in slick roadway conditions.



I've built a few of these axles. My wife's daily driven Jeep Wrangler has one with 5.14s in it and disc brakes.

[Bruce]

Thread Question 4 Alxj64

Good start, if you proceed with a new thread, add a link here to it. I'm looking forward to following your progress.

[Bruce in BC]

Keep it here

This thread is for everyone and makes focusing on carryalls and what not a whole bunch easier - I just got called out on a search but I will drop by tonight or tomorrow with some measurements .

Bruce

[Gordon Maney]

Also, should I start an additional build thread somewhere in the long term section or are we trying to keep everything right here in the Carryall thread?

I would suggest, as Bruce did, that you post your content in this thread. It will be the planet's biggest carryall thread!

[Alxj64]

I would suggest, as Bruce did, that you post your content in this thread. It will be the planet's biggest carryall thread!

No worries then. I'll keep posting some things in here, I may, however post some stuff in the tech section and such. Gordon, I received your message about the CNC stuff and may try to get a little something together for you. I'm just awfully busy.

Back on the WC front... I've found a set of tires to use for the building phase and initial driving until I can later get enough cabbage together to find a new set. I really would like a set of XZL's but they are hard to find it seems. For the time being, this $300 set, with wheels, will have to do. Sadly the lug pattern is Superduty, ie 8 on 170mm and the axles I have are 8 on 6.5"... Ohh well.

Anyways, two of the tires are decent, I'd say 40% tread and then the other two are just plain ugly.

I've heard these were Regrooveable, and so I saw on the sidewall that they said the same thing. At first I thought it meant that you could re-tread them. Then thought, maybe there is a TON of meat in there.. Well, I found out.

Tires as I picked them up... Disregard the one mark in the bottom right of the picture. I will get to that in the next post.