Hi All,
Just started the Italeri M977 truck. What I'd like to know is if I stuff the back with supplies and oil drums and crud like that should I adjust the suspension to simulate the load and, if so by how much?
Tom

A HEMTT has a 10 ton capacity. A mediocre load like that wouldn't even show in the suspension. In the old days, we'd put two M151A2 Jeeps in the bed to transport them from Mannheim to Grafenwohr. We even use them to tow disabled Bradleys on the battlefield.

Thanks Sabot.
I've decided not to anyway. I've had a look at the instructions and would have to find a way of compressing the leaf springs.
Still, Thanks again.
Tom

Sabot's got it right. Oddly enough, in a previous assignment here at my daytime job, I was a suspension design engineer, and actually did designs for truck leaf springs. The large multi leaf springs on trucks like that have rates when installed on the order of 2000 lbs per inch, and since there are two on the vehicle, the total deflection of the "loadbed" with a 4000 lb payload would be one inch. These vehicles are designed to intentionally have a limited amount of ride height difference between unloaded and loaded, thus the relatively high rate. And of course the trade-off is the bone jarring ride. You might see some flattening of the tires, but even that would be hard to notice, particularly in a static situation.

Tom Hathaway