Introductions

[RB-058]

Welcome Pal,

Good luck and get ready for some skinned knuckles!!!!

Shon Elliott
"Lucky 13"

What Shon says! Skinned knuckles! Enjoy the ride!

Rob

[spec4don]

And so it begins! Welcome aboard!

Don G.

[brit plumber]

Thanks for the further welcomes, this group appears to be a smaller but tighter community than others I’ve been on.

I have another question. The track is being delivered by a truck without Hyab crane so I’ll have to organise something to lift it off. The chap who owns the yard I’ll store it at thinks he maybe able to lift it off with 2 Telehandlers, 1 either side and then the truck drives away from under it and they lower to the floor. I estimated the weight a 6 tonne (6000kg or 13,000lbs) would anyone have a guess like they did for the previous weight thread.

There’s no rear armour, only one track, the engine and gear box’s are in, their are no doors and the engine armour can be lifted off as it’s just loose. Without knowing the weight of the missing rear armour or how much the engine would add to the previous posts quote of 6000lbs I’m just guessing at 13,000lbs.

[Outsider]

You are probably close on the weight. Depending on the capacity of the telehandlers they should be able to handle it if the keep their booms tucked in and pick on the heals of their forks in stead of the tips. Make sure you have a spotter that both operators can see, and make sure the operators are smooth and not jumpy as that would make the unload interesting to say the least.

Steve

[brit plumber]

Thanks, I see in the other thread that Cleprechaun drove his M15 (in a similar assembly state to mine) to the DMV weigh bridge and it was 11200lb (5080Kg). I’ve read that the track is 500lb each and I don’t have any doors so my estimate may be a little on the safe side. It may be nearer to 5 Ton which makes it safer for 2 telehandlers.

[RB-058]

My M4A1 was just a tad under 4 tons. It didn't have the engine and transmission. Also the hood was missing. It did have the rear bed however (no side plating). So I'm assuming 5 tons will be accurate for yours. Good luck with it!

[R.E.Co.]

My completed M2 weighed in at 13,800 lbs. Shouldn't be a problem

Jon

[brit plumber]

Thank again, it looks like 5 tonnes is about right then, which is good as 2 telehandlers can manage that. My next issue is that the seller thinks it will be shipped on a curtain sider, which (I’m no expert) leads me to think only a large forklift could unload it, and I very much doubt I could find a set of 5 tonne forks in my area.

[RB-058]

Make sure it will be a curtainsider that can open it's top. Than you will be able to lift it out (if your telehandlers can manage). Once the roof is opened it will have free space in width of 245cm. That will be sufficient for your HT. https://www.uk.dsv.com/road-freight/Trailer-types-and-dimensions/Curtain-trailers

Other idea can be to put the forks of the telehandlers upside down so you can get them above the track, strap it, lift it and get it out of the trailer.

I guess you will be glad when it's on your driveway! But hey, it's a halftrack.. Barely anything comes easy!

Good luck!
Rob

[brit plumber]

Thanks to everyone for the help, to wrap this up, the guy I bought it from has a heavy engineering business so it was weighed as they loaded it on to the trailer. It weighed 5200Kg and as one track and quite a bit of the hood armour was on a pallet, we were confident that it weighed about 4500kg with the pallets removed from the track bed.

[RB-058]

Great info! Must  be good to finally have it on your driveway.

Rob

[brit plumber]

It is but it’s now I see how far it needs to go to completion. The one thing that concerns me is the bogie wheels. They are shot and need to be replaced but there doesn’t appear to be many NOS left and I’ve read that some have shed the the tyre/rubber in only a few miles. Retreads with PVU look an option but I’m not sure if anyone in the UK can do this.

[mkoloc]

Welcome to the madness ... nice French track  the Michelin tire is the give away.

[brit plumber]

Thanks, it is ex-French, the previous owner confirmed it was given to the French Army post war and they then gave it to the Armed French Police who sold it off to a farmer. The farmer used it until the exhaust manifold split and then it was laid up for what looks like 20 to 30 years. I’ve had to cut out a large Hawthorn bush from the engine bay and a birds nest from the horns. I’m going to enjoy this long project.

[mkoloc]

BP, my M16A2 is just shy of 9 feet in height, but then I have an extra 12 inch ring that was added during its conversion in 1952.  So figure about 8 Foot in height with the turret.  Your lucky in the aspect that many parts are still available in Europe and the number of restored halftracks there is significant.  Help should be readily available on this site and the G503 or Steel Soldiers sites too.  Its actually quite the fraternity!

Mark