Scrap yard M100 Build

[grnhornetcustoms]

My name is Shane and I live in the SW corner of Washington State. I have started my M100 build and have visited this site for a while now so I thought this would be a good way to start my first post. Several friends and I are Jeep enthusiasts and wheel regularly together. We have mostly built our Jeeps with the intent to drive, wheel and drive home again. We normally drive to the best wheeling in WA and OR withing an hour to an hour and a half or longer to get to our destinations. We often camp and wheel for a few days at a time. My Jeep started life as a 1971 (CJ5) with alot of modifications it has a 90 inch wheel base and TJ inner fenders for a bit more interior space. (I have a couple of kids and a 105 lb Male Choc Lab to haul around with camping gear on board). It is always an amazing feat to load everything and everyone.

Several of us have discussed getting trailers to be loaded and ready to go with little notice, the way it usually works. Since these trailers seem to be a little hard to find sometimes my friend told me that one of the guys he used to wheel with had a M416 and traded it off for next to nothing a few years before and wished he would have picked it up then. Shortly after this I spotted a M100 in the yard at a house that someone had just moved into in the area that we work and told him about it. The next time he went by the owner of the M100 was outside so he asked him if it was for sale. He was told that the M100 wasnt but he knew someone that had a M416 for sale for $200.00. After getting directions he drove there directly and bought the M416. As it turned out it was the same trailer his friend had traded off several years before. (Small world!) He then called and taunted me with his new score on the info I had carelessly given him. A little paint and the old rear floor material from my CJ to patch a rust hole and he had that M416 behind his Jeep for our next Camping/Wheeling trip to Naches.

One morning not long after I woke to a picture he sent to my phone of a 1952 Strick M100 basket case of a trailer. He spotted it at a recycle business as a large generator was being taken out of the trailer. Both were to be scrap metal. I headed over and was able to purchase the trailer for $70.00. Good deal? Maybe, but the build is coming along;

 

[Mark Harley]

Nice score!

 

[grnhornetcustoms]

After I picked up the trailer I decided it appeared to be in good enough condition to tow home. It had one 14" tire and on the other a taller 16" and must have looked like a mint one owner being towed 25 miles home. I wanted to get it out of the scrap yard for obvious reasons so I convinced my wife that with my magnetic trailer lights it would be safe to tow. As we drove away she asked about having trailer licensed and I explained that the route we were taken was scaresly if ever patrolled and I was sure I could get away with only a $124 traffic infraction, if caught. (I am not endorsing this behavior but it was a weekend and I had no way to pickup a trip permit or trailer it right away.)

A couple of miles into the trip I noticed a County Patrol Charger running lights was rapidly approaching me from behind. Because he was running lights when he broke the horizon behind me and the speed he was travelling I knew he had more important tasks to attend to, but I took advantage of the situation. As the Deputy got closer without my wife noticing, I pulled over and when she asked, I told her to look were being pulled over. Then I got the "look". (If you are married, you know.) As the patrol car flew by us like it was shot from a cannon, I was laughing. (That didn't help the situation.) I took advantage to make sure the tires were holding together and the hubs were cool before continuing. I get that "look" a lot anyway I am always bringing some rusty "pile", in her estimation, home to occupy the driveway.

I ordered a couple of fenders and torched the lug nuts off because I had spares from a Craigslist find and they were reverse threads on one side. I found a guy on Cragslist and picked up some stock wheels with tires that were good enough to roll this thing around the driveway and garage. $35.00 and they were mine from Vancouver, WA. I even got a buddy to stop by on his way through to Portland and pick them up for me and pay the guy. I got a lot of help from my 7 yr old as we were surprised to see that the bearings and brakes were in good condition and just needed re-packed and the rear seals replaced, not that my trailer will ever float again as originally designed to do.

 

[grnhornetcustoms]

Thanks.

 

[Mark Harley]

Nice start!
What are you doing with the floor?
A full size pick up repair panel would work.

 

[grnhornetcustoms]

I ended up with a sheet of 16 GA steel and bent the edges to wrap the top of the frame. I have put together a plan to have a pull out tailgate similar to truck bed slider that won't raise floor height too much. It will hide the floor anyways and give me infinite load securing options. Stay tuned, I will try to get more on the build posted. Paid $70.00 for enough steel for the floor, tailgate and to patch rust on the lower portion of the tub. I am having fun trying to do this build for under $300.00.

 

[grnhornetcustoms]

As I tore into the rusty mess of the frame it really wasn't too bad. I had to decide to what extent I was willing to go and spend on this project. I really like to see people who do it themselves and the ideas and designs posted. (Not that writing a check and ordering something is a bad thing.) That is exactly why these trailers are so popular and I guess what brought me to this site.

My Jeep has 35's and I thought about like so many others matching my Jeep. Then the thoughts of a restoration, or maybe a big modified trailer with a lot of racks and external things attatched came to mind. In the end, I decided to have this build be recognizable as a M100 and I like the round fender look, so 35's were out. I don't need to be too tall like my Jeep I will keep the center of gravity low. looking around my shop I have a lot of the materials, steel, tires, springs etc. so the low budget build became my focus.

 

[grnhornetcustoms]

After removing the fenders and grinding the welds, the tub came off of the frame. It was not too solid, kinda like moving around a limp noodle with the floor out with the rear section gone. I tried to source a set of early CJ springs to replace the springs. All the bushings and the shackles were also beyond repair. I looked around but couldn't find replacements that fit the budget. (Free)

The frame was cleaned up and I decided to upgrade it a little by adding a piece of 2X4 steel above the axle like a M416 frame. I cut the frame gussets above the bump stops and notched them for the 2X4 and added angle iron making the frame "C" channel rather than the "L" shape. Moving the frame around I could tell it made the frame much more solid.

I had a set of 2 1/2" lift intermediate CJ springs that were a little longer and taller but were in almost new condition. I decided to modify the front spring hanger moving it further forward. I removed the rear shackle mount boxing the frame where the shackle attached. I used some bushings I had left over from another project. With some scrap 1/4 steel I build my own shackles. I have access to a plasma table so it cut 4 exactly perfect shackles. The leaf springs were wider in the front then the stock spring hanger. When I did the lay out for the ride height I needed to make the front spring hanger mount shorter and wider. I cut the stock hanger down and welded the end pieces to the outside of the mount to to accomodate the width of the new spring. About 1/2 way through a friend found a set that I could have just bolted on and been finished in stock configuration.

 

[grnhornetcustoms]

These are the pictures that go with the previous thread.

 

[4runnin']

Love to see old iron resurrected!

 

[grnhornetcustoms]

Thought it was me but somehow I have the right file name and wrong image?

 

[grnhornetcustoms]

I have the floor in the tub of the trailer. I am still welding in patches in any areas with rust holes, almost done. patching rusty metal is my least favorite thing to do. I was thinking of making tabs to bolt the tub to the frame like a M416 is mounted but now I am pretty sure I will just weld it back to the frame like it was originally. It was pretty easy to grind the welds and remove the tub anyway.
View attachment 14187

 

[grnhornetcustoms]

Still have one more piece to patch along the bottom of the tub. The weather has been really cold and wet recently so I am going to make a big push and try to get this project going so I can use it this spring/early summer. I put the tub on so I could see what it's stance was going to look like. The new springs and hangers are done and the suspension appears to be right. It is still spring under but it sits up pretty tall.

I am not sure if the fenders look too high? I went with a tire that is not as tall as the BFG's but they are close and are great tires (free). Maybe I should trim the bottoms off the fenders a little and lower them. Not sure but ran out of time so I will get back to it hopefully tomorrow.

 

[Mark Harley]

Looks great! I like the fenders mounted higher, gives an off road look.
Plenty of clearance and room for the tire to roam.

 

[grnhornetcustoms]

I haven't posted on this in a while but I have been working when time permits. After getting the body panels pounded out and welding it to the frame I cut off the round tubing rail and welded on 1" square in its place. I have made it about as square as I could get it to be. I am finding spots to weld and it seems endless in this phase of the build. This trailer was in pretty rough shape. I am starting to prep for some OD paint. This is where I was on it a few days ago.