New (used) IH 7500 Dump Truck purchase, modification & fix up

[mrmikey]

I never liked dog house built in the front of the bed of my last truck. It made loading logs hard and it’s also where dirt would start sticking the worst.

I can see dirt sticking and the log problem but you don't need a doghouse just because it has a telescopic hoist. That load looks like a pia no matter what you have

A telescoping cylinder provides zero sideways stability to the bed and the whole job falls on the bed pins where a scissor hoist helps with stability.

Valid point.
Still haven't sold me tho

 

[Hay Dude]

I like tele hoists the best. Shooting for that, but could settle for something else. Never had a problem with that in my previous truck.

 

[ksJoe]

Something poped up on my local craigslist that reminded me of this thread.
This isn't what you're looking for, but at $2750 you could afford to modify it if you like it as a starting point.

15x8 henderson dump bed, no hoist

 

[Hay Dude]

Thanks for that!
I am now in the process of getting the truck mechanically repaired, which buys me a little more time for finding a dump body.

I wish this truck took a 10’ body.
I’d be done and using it by now.

 

[Hay Dude]

I never liked dog house built in the front of the bed of my last truck. It made loading logs hard and it’s also where dirt would start sticking the worst. A telescoping cylinder provides zero sideways stability to the bed and the whole job falls on the bed pins where a scissor hoist helps with stability. My current truck has duel telescoping cylinders mounted half way down the bed without a buildout in the top side of the bed. It works but it can’t dump the bed as steep as other options could. View attachment 790102

Thats a con tractors body. A scissor hoist on that truck is adequate. Great for sticks, twigs, etc.
I’m build a HD dump for mud, rocks, concrete.

 

[4570Man]

Thats a con tractors body. A scissor hoist on that truck is adequate. Great for sticks, twigs, etc.
I’m build a HD dump for mud, rocks, concrete.

My F-750 has duel telescope cylinders. It will dump any load you can fit on it and so would my last 6500 truck. The 750 bed cylinders are flush under the bed and don’t have a doghouse in the front.

 

[Hay Dude]

Yeah I just said you have a contractors body and a scissor hoist is adequate under one (a contractors body)
I’m not overly concerned with whatever hoist you want to run.
I just prefer tele hoists

 

[Hay Dude]

Well, we incurred a setback on the 7500 4x4 this week.
3 new batteries and a reman starter = $1,500
Needs new turbo, too. Actuator has stripped gears inside. Turbo lever to move vanes is frozen up. Turbo won’t “vary” anymore.
Reman turbo with reman actuator = $2,500. Also need to replace oil lines to & from turbo.
I could run it as is with turbo stuck. It would reduce power. Decided to go ahead and fix.


Still haven’t decided on 10 or 12’ dump. 10’ dump is cheaper and much more plentiful.
12’ is more expensive, but more versatile and really takes advantage of the heavy GVWR.

Leaning towards 10’ to compensate for mechanical repairs.

 

[mrmikey]

Well that sucks big time. Never seems to fail, get a few bucks ahead and plan for one thing...something else eats it up.

 

[Rustyiron]

I'm sure that you've swirled every option, combination and choice around in your thinking, but.....
Did you notice any availability or price difference of 15-16' body's while looking at 10-12'? A drop axle and a frame stretch would be involved but your frame concern would be taken care of and IF the longer body's are cheaper may be not that costly.
I do remember you talking about mushroom soil as part of your duties for the truck and for the heavy stuff, just don't fill the bed.

 

[crashz]

Sorry to hear of the mechanical problems HD. The silver lining is that with a 10ft body, you'll have plenty of room for the telescopic hoist without a doghouse. I can't remember which truck had it, but my father had one like that.

BTW - I used to think the scissor lifts were faster. They just seem like the mechanical advantage is there for speed. My 450 lifts so freaking slow that your thumb gets tired of holding the button down (electric over hydraulic up and down) load or no load. Big trucks with PTO pumps are another story, but I thought I'd throw that out there.

 

[crashz]

4570 - your truck is so clean! Even new trucks on the dealer lots up here have more rust!

 

[Hay Dude]

Well that sucks big time. Never seems to fail, get a few bucks ahead and plan for one thing...something else eats it up.

Turbo is crazy expensive North of 2 grand.
Good news is brakes are in great shape.
I’m going to keep fixing things mechanically which buys me time to keep looking at used dumps.
Found a 12’ Virginian bed with tele hoist in Richmond (4hrs south of me) for $4,500.

One thing that almost nobody selling a bed will do is show pictures of the undersides, which are usually pretty rusted.

I had a guy offer $35,000 for it in the parking lot. He told me it’s the most HP/TQ and GVWR they offered without emissions in the 7500 single axle!

 

[4570Man]

4570 - your truck is so clean! Even new trucks on the dealer lots up here have more rust!

That’s a 2006 municipal truck from west palm beach FL.

 

[Peter 315]

Turbo is crazy expensive North of 2 grand.
Good news is brakes are in great shape.
I’m going to keep fixing things mechanically which buys me time to keep looking at used dumps.
Found a 12’ Virginian bed with tele hoist in Richmond (4hrs south of me) for $4,500.

I had a guy offer $35,000 for it in the parking lot. He told me it’s the most HP/TQ and GVWR they offered without emissions in the 7500 single axle!

We do brakes every 2 or 3 years on the sanders they rot right off (springs, shoes, drums).

 

[Hay Dude]

We do brakes every 2 or 3 years on the sanders they rot right off (springs, shoes, drums).

He thinks the previous owner did them recently. I thought they looked ok.

 

[mrmikey]

A lot of our corrosion problems declined when we went to rear discharge. Frames, running gear etc didn't get covered with salt as bad as when it was front discharge.

 

[mrmikey]

Hay Dude, hope you don't have this guy working on your frame . What a mess, pretty much wrote off the truck I'd say:

 

[Hay Dude]

WOW thats some stupid sh*+ right there.
Some updates:
I am probably going to replace the outer frame section on the 7500.
Decided to make it a long term addition to the fleet.
It will cost me big, but I have decided it‘s worth it.

The truck inspection place passed the truck as-is, but I am going to try to do this the best I can afford.
You just don’t easily find pre-emissions 340HP/1100TQ 9.4L heavy GVWR single axle 4x4’s with automatics and low miles/hours falling out of trees.

So far I have replaced:
(3) batteries
Starter
Air brake solenoid valve
Turbo
Turn signal lamp
Engine oil change

The list is fairly substantial, but I was expecting.

 

[mrmikey]

I am probably going to replace the outer frame section on the 7500.

It's going to be a lot of $$ and time for sure but if you're considering the truck as a long term investment it's a good choice, ....a scary choice but a good one long term. Make sure you're prepared for additional items you didn't plan on, there will be some for sure. Pictures, it doesn't happen unless there's pics