Square Body Crane Truck

[79vette]

Figured I would post this up for those that are into the old square body work trucks. I am still looking for a K30 with a wrecker box, but I bought this a few weeks ago to tide me over.

Its a 1988 R30 cab and chassis, TBI 350, SM465, and the narrow dually 14 bolt rear end. The flat bed measures 8' long by 7' wide. Odometer reads 34500, and based on the wear on the brake pedal I think its closer to 34k than 134k. I bought it from a guy that ownes a monument company, and bought the truck new in '88 to deliver stone monuments. There is a massive cemetery ~0.5mi from the monument company's shop, and I think the truck spent most of the last 30 years making the run from that cemetery back and forth to their shop.

Also if you need stone work in the southern California area, the guy's phone number is still on the door lol.

Just got it home:


Parked out front with my M1009:


Needs some new carpet and a dash pad:


Unloading my new toolboxes:


Put up my Utah flag, just to have another excuse to play with the crane:

[GM72K10]

I like it. Nice find.

[Palf70Step]

[72c20customcamper]

Like it, would be nice for getting firewood in log length . Load up my dump and the bed .

[1976gmc20]

A monumental find!

[1976gmc20]

Originally Posted by 72c20customcamper

Like it, would be nice for getting firewood in log length . Load up my dump and the bed .

Yeah, I almost got one something like that to load logs with. One of the turn cylinders on the rack and pinion was blown out, and I think that I decided it would cost too much to fix for what the guy wanted for it. Long time ago and my memory is kind of fuzzy.

[Honest Bob]

Oh man thats a sweet setup!

[v30crewcab]

I would use the crap out of that truck!

[Mathew21]

Very cool truck!

[79vette]

Put the crane to work again today pulling the top off my K5. I was working alone today, and I am not sure how else I would have got it off myself. Pretty sure the engine hoist wont go high enough...

Also if anyone knows where to buy these little pins that locate the shell, I broke one trying to remove it. I'd prefer not to have to machine a new one, but I cannot seem to find them for sale anywhere...

Pin:





Crane in action:

[roboticjunky]

Also if anyone knows where to buy these little pins that locate the shell, I broke one trying to remove it. I'd prefer not to have to machine a new one, but I cannot seem to find them for sale anywhere...

On McMaster-Carr's website, look for Threaded Taper Pins, Metric Partially Threaded Studs, or Partially Threaded Studs. That's what that pin/stud looks like to me.

[57NAPCO]

As a guy who used to own a small crane service business, ALWAYS BE AWARE OF OVERHEAD POWER LINES, they with kill you in a heartbeat.

Cool rig !

[cadillac_al]

Very cool. That crane looks like over-kill for what the truck will haul. I suppose it could load a trailer too. I have never seen anytihng like it on a truck that small.

[79vette]

Originally Posted by 57NAPCO

As a guy who used to own a small crane service business, ALWAYS BE AWARE OF OVERHEAD POWER LINES, they with kill you in a heartbeat.

Cool rig !

Appreciate the reminder. I don't have any experience in the crane industry, but I do know to be careful of overhead power lines. The photo is a bit deceiving, but I was able to keep 7'+ away at all times (got a bit closer to the coaxial cable for the internet, but that one doesn't scare me as much)

Originally Posted by cadillac_al

Very cool. That crane looks like over-kill for what the truck will haul. I suppose it could load a trailer too. I have never seen anytihng like it on a truck that small.

It's rated for 3000lb at an 8' reach, and then decreases progressively to 1500lb at the full 15' extension. I don't know exactly what the weight of the truck+crane is, but I doubt it's over 7k. The gvwr from the door tag is 11,000, so I would expect at least 4000lb usable payload?

[79vette]

Picked up some monster firewood rounds last week that nobody else wanted to haul. Some of them are 40+" in diameter. I was able to toss some of them up into the bed myself, but the larger ones would have been impossible without the crane.

Now i just need to split them all...

[4u2nv]

Your the new and improved Paul Bunyan

[Hart_Rod]

Awesome truck!

[mrtoni]

Industry standard used to be at least ten feet from power lines including coaxial because they could become energized

Originally Posted by 79vette

Appreciate the reminder. I don't have any experience in the crane industry, but I do know to be careful of overhead power lines. The photo is a bit deceiving, but I was able to keep 7'+ away at all times (got a bit closer to the coaxial cable for the internet, but that one doesn't scare me as much)






It's rated for 3000lb at an 8' reach, and then decreases progressively to 1500lb at the full 15' extension. I don't know exactly what the weight of the truck+crane is, but I doubt it's over 7k. The gvwr from the door tag is 11,000, so I would expect at least 4000lb usable payload?

Posted via Mobile Device

[61_FL_Apache]

Looks like you already got your monies worth from that truck!

[79vette]

I need to get a hitch setup for this truck that will work with my trailer, and I am hoping someone will have some input.

My trailer coupler is adjustable, but it uses bolts with nylon locknuts to hold it in place. I will be frequently switching the trailer between vehicles, and would prefer something a bit easier to adjust. I think replacing the bolts with something like this gets me where I want to be.
https://www.mcmaster.com/91594A315/
Thoughts on safety, or other opinions? Currently the bolts clamp up on the C channel bracket on the trailer, and the lunette ring is floating freely on them (1/8" clearance each side). It seems like the bolt is basically acting as a pin in this application to me, so I dont see a problem with this idea.


These are the bolts I want to replace with pins:


My blazer is lifted, and to get the coupler at the same height on the flatbed I would have to somehow get the receiver above the rear frame crossmember or use an absurdly long drop hitch adapter upside down. Neither option seems great, and I definitely built the trailer with an adjustable coupler on purpose and I'd like to use that feature.
This is the hitch position on the K5:


And this is where it would have to go on the flat bed to match:


View from the bottom:




For the actual hitch itself, all the options appear to bolt to the bottom flange of the frame. Are there any out there that bolt to the web? Drilling the frame flange doesn't seem like a great idea to me, but that seems to be how all the commercial hitches work.
This is the one I was thinking about getting:
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hit...leID=198722501

[Dead Parrot]

Talk to a custom hitch place. Possible they can build something at a lower cost then you making something ad-hoc out of off the shelf parts. I had a custom hitch done local (J&I hitch) so my M1101 trailer would pull level behind my C10. Cost less then a normal class III hitch in a box and no riser plate required.

[79vette]

Couldn't find a custom hitch place that was in the budget, so I just ended up building one. Total cost was $18 for the reciever tube and probably $15 in welding and torch consumables, and some random steel and bolts I had laying around. Plus the wiring and connector, which I would have had to buy regardless.

4" square by 0.25" tube. Cut a length of it in half with the torch to make the side brackets and welded it up. 3x 1/2" grade 8 bolts on each side. I would have preferred a 4th bolt on each side, but couldn't get it to package with the spring hangers and where the frame started angling up. I wasn't initially going to cut into the hitch tube for the wiring connector, but this is so overbuilt compared to my trailer (tandem 4k axles) that I don't think it will matter.

I got some 5/8" pins for the lunette ring on the trailer so it's now a 30 second, toolless operation to change the height to match the tow vehicle.

[79vette]

Put the crane truck to work again today, parting out my wrecked K5. Pulled the motor, 700r4, and np208 as a unit. Left the front clip on, just had the pull the radiator and hood.

[84 400]

Pins on the ring should work just fine. Used them on our excavator and bobcat rental trailers .

[79vette]

Can anyone give me some advice on troubleshooting poor fuel mileage and an intermittent rough idle?

I just changed the fluids when I bought it and it had not been maintained in awhile, so I am sure it needs some work. I'm planning do do cap/coil/rotor/plugs/wires, check the air filter, fuel filter (if I can find it), check for vacuum leaks, verify the timing, check compression, and also check for a fuel leak. Any other suggestions? How can I verify the TBI unit is working right?

The truck always starts, makes decent power/tows well, but gets 6-7 mpg. The crane isn't THAT heavy, and I would expect at least 10. For comparison my carbed Blazer got 14 on 33in mud tires, 4in lift and an auto trans.