M151 Question

[MikeOneSix]

Ok Dodge guys I've got a question for you. Sorry this isn't Dodge related but I know some of you are Service Vets and that's why I'm posting. Did anyone on here ever have any service experience with the G838 M151/ M151A1/M151A2 1/4 ton trucks?
Matt

[Paul in Kempner, TX]

Yes.

First one I drove was a Ford in October 1963. I also drove the A1 over the following years up to January 1982 when I retired. There may have been some A2's in there as well. The M151 was a lot of fun to drive. I was able to apply my experience racing dirt bikes and doing "power on" to successfully drive through situations where others flipped M151's. Here was a case where the Army issued an OD sports car to guys that could not handle their mother's Yugo.

I also had an assigned "additional duty" as Unit Maintenance Officer. Most "additional duties" are those where you do not have certified formal training but are the only one available who knows not to mix the M151 magnesium wheels with the M151A1 steel wheels. Another way you can end up with an "additional duty" is to have someone catch you reading a technical manual instead of "winging it" - like some folks on these Forums.

One of the first things I learned was about the good and bad of the M38A1 / M151 front wheel bearing "quick fix" swap.

There's a lot of stuff to know about them and it's readily available on the M151 sites.

[MikeOneSix]

Paul
Yes there are some very good sites dedicated to the M151 and I've owned (to date) three of those trucks (one A1 and two A2s -in case you were wondering).
Matt

[MSeriesRebuild]

Ok Dodge guys I've got a question for you. Sorry this isn't Dodge related but I know some of you are Service Vets and that's why I'm posting. Did anyone on here ever have any service experience with the G838 M151/ M151A1/M151A2 1/4 ton trucks?
Matt

We perform service work on M151's occassionally. Building a head off an engine now.

[Paul in Kempner, TX]

There is a lot of discussion on this Forum - and others - about having people refer to the M37 as a "nice jeep". There are others who refer to the M151 as a "jeep". This includes John Wayne in the movie "In Harms Way". Now the “jeep” - M151 topic is M37 related.

The M151 story is one of those ugly stories of political manipulation by corporate America - ugly that is if you choose to see some relationship between facts that seem reasonable when looked at separately.

Robert S. McNamara was an Army officer in WWII. He joined Ford motor Company in 1946. McNamara was one of ten former World War II officers known within Ford as the "Whiz Kids" who helped the company to stop its losses and administrative chaos by implementing modern planning, organization and management control systems. Starting as manager of planning and financial analysis, he advanced rapidly through a series of top-level management positions. On November 9, 1960, McNamara became the first president of Ford from outside the family of Henry Ford. He received substantial credit for Ford's expansion and success in the postwar period.

Soon after JFK became President of the USA, McNamara was offered the Secretary of the Treasury or the Secretary of Defense cabinet post less than five weeks after McNamara had become president at Ford. McNamara immediately rejected the Treasury position but eventually accepted Kennedy's invitation to serve as Secretary of Defense.

Okay, so now McNamara is Secretary of Defense. Maybe this was just a coincidence, but the Defense Department decided that technology of the “Jeep” M38A1 was out of date. So one day, the Department of Defense or the Department of the Army or who ever announced a competition for a vehicle to replace the M38A1. Surprise, surprise… Ford had a vehicle ready to compete while the folks in Toledo were just getting the news.

I guess the Toledo folks were able to polish up the M38A1 technology but the best they could was put a new shine on old stuff.

To be sure there was no confusing the new Ford with the old “Jeep” the new vehicle was referred to by Ford as the Military Utility Truck, Tactical or MUTT.

So that is one more thing that is NOT A JEEP.

And if Charles works on them, I know I'm not wrong.

[MikeOneSix]

Ok Dodge guys I've got a question for you. Sorry this isn't Dodge related but I know some of you are Service Vets and that's why I'm posting. Did anyone on here ever have any service experience with the G838 M151/ M151A1/M151A2 1/4 ton trucks?
Matt

We perform service work on M151's occassionally. Building a head off an engine now.

Charles
Thanks for the heads up on your being able to work on M151s but by "service experience" I ment did anyone ever drive,ride or otherwise have any contact with M151s while in the military.
Matt

[MSeriesRebuild]

Ok Dodge guys I've got a question for you. Sorry this isn't Dodge related but I know some of you are Service Vets and that's why I'm posting. Did anyone on here ever have any service experience with the G838 M151/ M151A1/M151A2 1/4 ton trucks?
Matt

We perform service work on M151's occassionally. Building a head off an engine now.

Charles
Thanks for the heads up on your being able to work on M151s but by "service experience" I ment did anyone ever drive,ride or otherwise have any contact with M151s while in the military.
Matt

Yes to that also, they were front line vehicles when I was there.

[Lifer]

Yes. I first encountered one in Korea, back in '73. It was assigned to the chaplain, but he'd let anyone use it who had a "valid" reason. We had several of them in my TAC squadron back in '79 and '80. I loved the little beasts. Unfortunately, we also had a couple of CJ-7 Jeeps that were being evaluated as a replacement for the MUTT. Every driver in my unit preferred the M151.

[Cal_Gary]

(Hand raised): Remember it well! I drove an A2 at Ft Ord in '77-'78 for A Co, 707th Maint.-put about 3,000 miles on it and was an MOS 63H so I did all the light and heavy maintenance on it, too. We also had an A1 in our inventory, (and an M201 contact truck as well).

Did you have some specific questions I might answer? Glad to help!
Gary