1968 Kaiser M-715 - The Evil Truck Revisited, Part II

Beachwood Canvas Works makes top-quality stuff. Treated with cosmoline for weather resistance and superbly stitched, the top offers the look, feel, and smell of vintage military gear. The top is stenciled on the inside and features all of the tensioning straps already sewn on.

The snaps come uninstalled to account for any variation in the bows or tweaking of the chassis that may have occurred over time. We test fit our top and marked where the snaps needed to go. Then we punched a hole through each mark with an awl so the brass snaps could pass through the canvas.

Beachwood included a few snap-installation tools with our top, which are actually pretty fun to use. Assemble the two-piece snaps together, sandwiching the canvas, lay the snap button in the nylon die, and give the tool a few light taps with a hammer. The brass snaps will be solidly held together.

In addition to our top, we also ordered some reproduction straps for our pioneer tools, cab bow storage, windshield strap, and side windows. The heavy canvas webbing is treated like the top for weather resistance and features spring-loaded clasps.

For no-holds-barred traction, we pulled the Dana 70 apart and installed a Detroit Locker by Eaton. Perhaps the easiest locker install ever, we simply pulled the shafts, popped off the diff cover, and pried out the carrier assembly. After removing the eight bolts holding the case halves together, the stock four-pinion spider gear assembly is replaced with the Detroit Locker. Once the case halves are bolted back together, the wing nut holding the Detroit together is removed and the axle is reassembled.

Prior to using the Beachwood Canvas straps, any method we used to secure the side windows in their storage spot behind the seats resulted in rattling and potential damage of the hard-to-find glass parts. The reproduction straps hold the windows safely and securely. Besides the better function, they have the correct look if we ever try to pull off a 100-point restoration.

The factory brake-light switch is actuated via an inline hydraulic switch. The switch is sort of hard to find because of its military-type connectors. When ours went out, we simply moved the wiring into the cab and welded a tab to the steering column that holds a '82 CJ brake-light switch.

Check out the awesome flex from the stock 1 1/4-ton spring packs. Here's one reason why it's a good idea to put a Detroit in the rear of one of these trucks. You'll nearly always be lifting a tire off-road. Unlike a short-wheelbase vehicle, the Detroit in the rear of our M-715 is mild-mannered and hardly ever makes itself known, yet the off-road traction is awesome.