 | Home > Off Topic > Harvey Frost mods |
 
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| munch90 Member Since: 26 Oct 2013 Location: guildford Posts: 3558  
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Bit hard to visualise what you mean
got a pic of it as it is now ? |
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30th Apr 2015 8:50pm |
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| excossack Member Since: 22 Feb 2012 Location: North West Posts: 5870  
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When I first got it. Its now blue and a bit tidier.
 Click image to enlarge 1999 Defender TD5 110 Regards John M0VAZ Econet Station 48 no clock |
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30th Apr 2015 9:01pm |
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| munch90 Member Since: 26 Oct 2013 Location: guildford Posts: 3558
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Ah ok not seen one of those for a while
eBay Item No. 201330733930 Think i would be tempted to start with axle like above with built in suspension , brakes , and cross beam then maybe build up from there axle only to give you idea , dont know what weight axle you need sometimes you get axles off the towable road compressors , normally quite heavy duty and not very wide |
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30th Apr 2015 9:17pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17513 
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Out of interest, why are you doing this?
Given that it is now virtually impossible to use one of those and remain legal, it has little functional value. It is however an interesting collectible antique, but only if it remains substantially unaltered. What you propose would make it no more legal but would destroy its originality. It would be a shame in my opinion! |
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30th Apr 2015 9:24pm |
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| munch90 Member Since: 26 Oct 2013 Location: guildford Posts: 3558
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Not quite sure what the law says about these sort of things now , its braked so ok there i guess
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30th Apr 2015 9:27pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17513
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No, not ok at all, it cannot possibly meet the current braking performance requirements (which inter alia require all wheels to be braked, so the wheels of the towed vehicle would also have to be braked). Therein lies the first and principal of many problems.
You are now more or less restricted to using a flatbed for the kind of job the "Towboy' was designed to do. "A" frames and spectacle-type dollies are now also similarly unusable (which is not to say that you don't see them in use, but it is very, very doubtful that they are remotely legal). We have barmy Brussels to thank, as usual. It is a major can of worms. |
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30th Apr 2015 9:54pm |
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| munch90 Member Since: 26 Oct 2013 Location: guildford Posts: 3558
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Most trailer regulations cover trailers from a certain date , if the trailer was built before then its not necessarily illegal to use , just not to current regs , but you still needs brakes etc over a certain weight (750kgs ) etc
i know some spec style car movers were always technically illegal, but you could use them in a emergency to move car to place of safety but like you say its a very gray area and a very big can of worms |
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30th Apr 2015 10:10pm |
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| SailingTom Member Since: 19 Nov 2013 Location: ESSEX Posts: 1722
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If I remember correctly. I read before you use it for recovery on private rallies wasnt it?
Your plan certainly looks a lot more stable for towing it there when empty as can imagine it must get a bit tipsy on corners. Looks a good plan to me  |
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1st May 2015 5:53am |
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| munch90 Member Since: 26 Oct 2013 Location: guildford Posts: 3558
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I see on his old post your not using on a public highway
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1st May 2015 6:40am |
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| excossack Member Since: 22 Feb 2012 Location: North West Posts: 5870
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I am doing this to make it more stable. At the mo its a got a tendancy to want to tip if hitting ruts in the forest. AKFAIK currently mine is legal. Is me making the mods any different to someone modding a Series I into a trialer? 1999 Defender TD5 110 Regards John M0VAZ Econet Station 48 no clock |
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1st May 2015 7:10am |
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| excossack Member Since: 22 Feb 2012 Location: North West Posts: 5870
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The Harvey is currently braked, although no auto-reverse brakes - this is another reason why I want to replace the axle
I dont use this on public roads for the recovery of broken down vehicles, its only used on private grounds, i.e race circuits, forests, closed roads. Yes it is a bits tipsy and has been rolled twice and fair few almosts! The new axle will be at least 50" wide between the spring turrets, have auto reverse brakes, 5 stud (instead of 3 stud wheels) and 13" wheels rather than 8" 1999 Defender TD5 110 Regards John M0VAZ Econet Station 48 no clock |
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1st May 2015 7:16am |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17513
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OK, I'd forgotten what you said you used it for!
Just remember that the Road Traffic Acts now generally apply to places to which the public has access, so many things that are illegal on the road are now also illegal on private land such as car parks and rally sites etc. Not trying to be killjoy but it is sensible to be careful. As far as age regs are concerned, don't forget that if you use a 1950 towboy to move a broken down 2010 vehicle, the "trailer" is 2010! There are things that you can do with a registered recovery vehicle that you can't do with anything else, and there is also a difference between recoveing a broken down vehicle in an emergency (when you can, for example, use a rope or towboy, but only to the "nearest place of safety") that you can't do otherwise. It is very, very complex. Returning to the OP, the mods you propose looks satisfactory and will undoubtedly improve stability. Edit - another thing that would improve stability (especially if combined with a wider axle) would be to add ballast as low down as possible to the axle. For example, if you can get hold of something like a metre length of old railway rail (which would weigh a bit under a hundredweight) and bolt it to or underneath the axle. I imagine that the device has a fairly high CoG at the moment. |
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1st May 2015 7:24am |
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| excossack Member Since: 22 Feb 2012 Location: North West Posts: 5870
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When it goes wider I am planning on storing some wooden ramps underneath these are 9" wide, 4ft long and about 1" 1/2 thick so this will help and also a fire exitiguisher either side.
The other job is to make it longer. Long enough I can open the back door on the Landy without fouling on the winch on the crane. 1999 Defender TD5 110 Regards John M0VAZ Econet Station 48 no clock |
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1st May 2015 10:15am |
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| Cupboard Member Since: 21 Mar 2014 Location: Suffolk Posts: 2971 
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Given as it's pretty grey legally and an original Tow Boy is interesting, but not just start from scratch with some new parts?
Legally still the same, historically not butchering something, practically it should be easier to do and could work better. Just a thought? |
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1st May 2015 11:47am |
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