COE Has anyone done a tilt cab?

I have been working on the DT putting a water pump and carb on it and I must say that it is getting harder everytime to work on the engine. I will live with it on this truck, but it really has me rethinking the plan on the 41 Dodge. For the end result I have in mind I want to keep it under the cab, don't want the engine in the bed if at all possible. It is a 5.9 ***mins and I am keeping it on the original frame. I have been toying with the idea of making the cab tilt so that anything more than changing oil etc I can tilt the cab and access what I need to. One of the first guys I worked for had a coe Freightliner and it had a hydraulic hand pump and rams to lift the cab and it made working on it a breeze.
I think making the thing hinge would be the easy part, it is the brake and clutch pedals and steering that I think would be a pain. It has been 20 years since I messed with that Freightliner so I can't remember how they addressed those issues.
I'll admit, I haven't taken the time to look yet, so there may be lots of pics and info on doing it, I just don't seem to recall running across it.

Jason

 

I'm doing my Autocar as a tilt cab. Mine is an automatic so I don't have to deal with the clutch issue, but a hydraulic master/slave with a flexible line at the hinge point would solve that problem. The brakes would be the same, flexible line at the hinge point. Steering might get more tricky, but every tilt cab I've ever seen used u-joints and a slip joint in the shaft. The closer you can get your hinge point to the top of the steering box, the less movement you will have to contend with. I toyed with the idea of a quick disconnect in the steering shaft, rather than a lot of monkey motion with u-joints, but it wasn't necessary. Hinge points as low and far forward is a good place to start
I plan to be able to check oil and coolant without tilting the cab and my alternator, air compressor and several other things are on the back of my engine so they are accessible with out lifting the cab. I have a air/manual cab jack coming and I will source cylinders after I get a few more things in place.

 

I am considering going with a tilt for most of the same reasons dealing with engine access. I am on the same page as Wolfcreek as far as flexible lines for the brakes at the hinge, automatic transmission, or do the clutch the same way if going with a manual transmission.

With a buggy I built a few years ago I handled the steering by having the steering column and ***ociated bracing part of the body that did not tilt. Essentially everything tilted around it. Sort of like the old COE semis have the shifter stay stationary while the cab tilts over it. I am not sure such a system would work with a COE though. Also the engine was farther back on the buggy so it did not need to tilt over 20 degrees or so.

 

Rick (wetskier2000) is building a tilt cab with his '41 Ford

 

I had forgotten or missed that Rick's is tilt cab, I'll have to go back and check it out again. I did recall that the shifter and stayed put on that Freightliner, I figure that it will be the same on mine, it will be hard enough to get the linkage all figured out for the 9spd, I don't need to try and tilt it with the cab.
I wonder if I could/should use the stock pedals, they swing down into the floor, and make that ***embly and the section of floor directly around it stationary like the shifter, then it would just be the steering.
I didn't think about the angle, it shouldn't have to tilt as far since it is staying a reg cab, no sleeper etc. The main thing will be access to the front accessories and such.

 

Hey Victorsam, if your still planning on having a front engine mount your cab would have to tilt like 90 degrees to do any good. As I'm sure you know, the Chevys have a large removable floor sections for engine maintenance, definitely more practical then a tilt cab for front engine access.

Rob

 

One thing that you will have to deal with that I didn't is radiator placement. Mine is mounted to the frame under the sleeper where most are mounted to the front sheetmetal. I don't know how one would route hoses so it could tip with the cab.

 

Fasttoys,
Looking at your pic that looks like a ton of room above and to the sides of the motor. I have not pulled my floor out yet, I did not realize the access was that extensive. Looks to be as wide as the frame rails, no?