4 Door Concept

Discuss fixes, upgrades and modifications to your M37

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k8icu
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Re: 4 Door Concept

Post by k8icu »

Anything is possible... All you need is time, money and skill or the money to hire the skill. I thought about using a HMMWV frame for your truck, but didn't say anything because I thought it might just muddy up the works. But an independant suspension of the HMMWV would make an interesting truck. But understand you're going to put more weight on that suspension than it was originally designed for. When they started up armorning hummers a friend of mine was the lead engineer on the suspension modification because the original suspension couldn't take the weight of the up armor and was failing. M37 parts are heavy! Big fendors, all steel cab which your going to double, all steel bed etc. The HMMWV body as you know is aluminum and therefore a lot lighter than the M37. So yes it can be done, but you may need to do some suspension modification to make it workable.

I still think you'll be a head of the game money wise if you use a stock 3/4-1 ton 4x4 truck frame.
M37s are HMMWV in my world!
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spookymyo
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Re: 4 Door Concept

Post by spookymyo »

k8icu wrote:Anything is possible... All you need is time, money and skill or the money to hire the skill. I thought about using a HMMWV frame for your truck, but didn't say anything because I thought it might just muddy up the works. But an independant suspension of the HMMWV would make an interesting truck. But understand you're going to put more weight on that suspension than it was originally designed for. When they started up armorning hummers a friend of mine was the lead engineer on the suspension modification because the original suspension couldn't take the weight of the up armor and was failing. M37 parts are heavy! Big fendors, all steel cab which your going to double, all steel bed etc. The HMMWV body as you know is aluminum and therefore a lot lighter than the M37. So yes it can be done, but you may need to do some suspension modification to make it workable.

I still think you'll be a head of the game money wise if you use a stock 3/4-1 ton 4x4 truck frame.
You may be right about the 4x4 truck frame but one of the main reasons that I might want to get the humvee shell is for the portal axles and other suspension parts. I agree that I'll have to beef it up to handle the weight of the M37 though. I think it would be cool to have an independent suspension for the M37.
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k8icu
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Re: 4 Door Concept

Post by k8icu »

I actually thought about that for my project. I was going to use Hummer parts, but I decided that the concept behind my truck is that it would have stayed with straight axles. So I went that course instead.
M37s are HMMWV in my world!
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spookymyo
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Re: 4 Door Concept

Post by spookymyo »

All right then, you guys have me thinking.
I think i'm going to go with the 4 door, short bed version. And i think i'm going to ditch the portal axles because of their expense and maintenance difficulties.
I'm going to pass on getting the Humvee shell and go with straight axles instead.
Through my uncles junk yard I can get my hands on a Dana super 60, a Dana 70HD, a Dana 70U, and a Sterling 10.5; what do you gents think i should go with for the front and rear axles?
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The Americaon Legion
NRA, 1999 (#:39234404)
MVPA (#: 34922)
----------------------------
M-37 x 2
M151-A2
Harley Davidson WLA with sidecar
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Re: 4 Door Concept

Post by Wayne64 »

Tom @ Snake River wrote:Friends not let friends use Handy-man jacks.

Image

How about a suicide door.

Tom, I actually saw something similar on the road. Sometime between 76-81as I remember the nuke job I was welding at. Pretty sure it was a two headed 49 Studebaker. Talk about a head twister.
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spookymyo
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Re: 4 Door Concept

Post by spookymyo »

I'm going to have to put the build on hold.

I'm in the process of getting medically retired from the military and i won't be going back to Tn until later this year.

Once i get back i'll start on the build and post my progress with lots of pics.
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Eric
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The Americaon Legion
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MVPA (#: 34922)
----------------------------
M-37 x 2
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Harley Davidson WLA with sidecar
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m-37Bruce
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Re: 4 Door Concept

Post by m-37Bruce »

Hey Eric, Is this a surprise or were you sort of expecting it?
Keep us in the loop buddy!
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spookymyo
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Re: 4 Door Concept

Post by spookymyo »

m-37Bruce wrote:Hey Eric, Is this a surprise or were you sort of expecting it?
Keep us in the loop buddy!
I was sort of expecting it, but not until much later. I was initially expecting some time late next year but the findings came back as pretty clear so they're expediting things.

I should be back in TN before Thanksgiving this year.

I will definitly keep you guys in the loop!
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Eric
----------------------------
The Americaon Legion
NRA, 1999 (#:39234404)
MVPA (#: 34922)
----------------------------
M-37 x 2
M151-A2
Harley Davidson WLA with sidecar
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Re: 4 Door Concept

Post by camoyj7 »

Crew cab is possible if you have time and the will to build it.
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JimC
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Re: 4 Door Concept

Post by JimC »

Eric, what part of TN?
I'm near Memphis.

I've always thought it would be fun to do a Command Car based on an M37.
52 M-42
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Re: 4 Door Concept

Post by 52 M-42 »

There is a Command Truck Kit for the M-37 that turns it into a M-42 Command Truck. :wink:
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Re: 4 Door Concept

Post by RMS »

like this?
Image
Image
.............................. use it ...............
52 M-42
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Re: 4 Door Concept

Post by 52 M-42 »

Well, a U.S. a M-42 Command Truck looks like this:

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Is the vehicle you have pictured a hybrid or custom build? Maybe a foreign produced one? If it is a U.S. military one, what was its designation? M-?

I'd like it better with a winch, but I like it.

:D
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Re: 4 Door Concept

Post by k8icu »

RMS wrote:like this?
Image
That's just wrong! :mrgreen:
M37s are HMMWV in my world!
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RMS
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Re: 4 Door Concept

Post by RMS »

ya its wrong but done in good taste. in that it looks correct with proper proportions. i believe its a custom and it would have been a lot of work to join a m series nose onto a wc body. it looks like a m cowl and a widened a command car body. I like that he used the m37 box fender even though the command car rear fender matches the m37 front fender better having the same lip. it looks tubbed to fit the narrower m37 axles and running the stock seats. he could have gotten away with using the wc running boards but he built/extended m37 style boards Image
Image
after seeing this side shot of a cc side panel it might not have been that hard. wish I had more pics of the m37cc. I saw it online for sale in Ontario for 15k ten years ago
Image
.............................. use it ...............
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