If there was one really big automotive take-away from my time spent in Iraq, it was that if you had a medium-duty truck of just about any type, you had the ability to work. Flatbed, dump, stakebed, fifth-wheel, all kinds were present and even more amazing from Western eyes was that all years seemed to be present too. Short-bonnet Mercedes Benz models and Aksam-produced Dodges and DeSotos, Ford Cargos and other, even more obscure trucks like Hinos and Nissan UDs were everywhere, kicking up dust while moaning out under their own ponderous bulk, nevermind what they were hauling. Prized for their durability and worked much harder than even the manufacturers probably expected them to be worked, they were moving when most road-going cars were somewhere between dying and death.
Looking at some of the rigs I saw, it was a wonder how any of them were still in one piece. Even if it was just a couple of years old each truck looked like they had been beaten and abused at some granite mine for decades. You had to wonder how the maintenance for these beasts was actually completed. Well, wonder no more. Here you will see the process that is used for fixing the broken wheel hub fitting for a dump truck (looks like a Hino from what I can see) and it will be done in a manner that would give an OSHA inspector a coronary. The work is excellent, but this isn’t precision country. This is hammers and presses, in-the-dirt work that is designed to make things move again. Check it out:
Thoroughly enjoyable video. The Iraqis were pretty industrious. We should have paid some to come to Afghanistan to train them. Though in fairness the Afghans can build just about any building out of dirt.
Not Impressed, Tony Stark was able to make more with less and in a cave.
Not bad, not bad at all.
Impressive… Meticulous and resourceful in “crude” conditions.
Just like Abom79 😀
That’s not the first time that ol’ boy has done that.
Really nice work. Lathe is a bit scary though…!
impressive craftsmanship
Got to admire them.
I can do thath ,that’s whath I do with more tooling but is the same
Victor, you should learn how to spell first.
It’s thpell ya athhole.
Nice Welds Looks like a decent repair.
A good honest bit of graft,by someone who knows their biscuits,a real pleasure to watch!!
Did this for decades…..with a roller rest though. Never underestimate the creativity of a human with a few tools. This is the first evidence of what I knew had to be happening elsewhere in the world.
This job is actually being done in Pakistan, not in Iraq.
I don’t give a Fuck where it’s done. Awesome. Get it done boys. I would Hire any of you. Good mechanic don’t know color or ethnicity.
Good weld job..I particularly like the torque wrench work!
To Hell with politics,,,,, just Git Er Done!
Not too bad, actually pretty ingenious if you ask me. Besides, hey it works!!!
This was awesome to watch these guys would be hired by a any shop and that shop would have the best crew around , they are amazing
I would want these guys as crew if I was on a trip in the boonies. That looks like they did quality work with improvised tools. Hoisting that heavy third member like that is genius.
I also was pretty impressed by this