A few years ago INDOT cut down a tree along the county road near my house. It was a big, maple that was beginning to hollow out and die. When these trees start to get hollow, they get dangerous so they cut it down to keep it from falling over onto the road or, God forbid, a person. I was working outside when a fellow in a dump truck drove up and asked me if I burned wood in the winter and if I wanted the wood. I answered in the affirmative and 4 dump truck loads later I had the remnants of this tree in my driveway.
I got a few years of wood out of the branches and smaller trunk bits, but I was left with 4 huge, 5 foot diameter (at the biggest) trunk pieces that I had a neighbor move out of the way with his tractor. My wife wants to expand our chicken run so I had to move the trunk pieces out of the way. A couple lengths of chain, an M37 and 4-Low later, mission accomplished.
Love to hear of a M37 used as a working truck. I don't suppose you got any pictures of the truck in action?
I use mine in the woods regularly, and it will go back there again as soon as the repairs from an accident last fall are completed. I have never tackled anything that big, however. (I have towed a log forwarding trailer with a load of hardwood logs - estimated 4000-5000#, and a couple loaded small dump trailers loads of gravel and topsoil. Both made me glad I had upgraded to front disk brakes. The truck is also wired to control electric trailer brakes forwarding trailer also has electric brakes, which is handy on our hills.)
Part of the deal of buying this truck was to use it around "the farm." I've used it to haul mulch, wood for burning, and pull up stumps and bushes. I've even had other people want me to come over and pull things around for them. So far my most ambitious project was hauling wood out of a friend's property through his hills and mud. The truck tackles it no problem and now that I have an original winch for it I won't be quite as nervous getting stuck (as long as there are trees around).
I've posted on this forum with some of the other things I've done with the truck.
Today was another work day with the truck. I took it out to my buddy's place because he had cut down some more trees and I burn wood in the winter. His property is all woods and hilly with nice sandy soil; good for really digging in and getting your grip. The utility of this truck always surprises me. All the little things that I wouldn't do in my modern truck, this thing does happily and driving it is a real treat. There's nothing like cruising down the county road at 40mph, pulling in to a lot, throwing it into 4-wheel drive and just getting it done.
In 4-low, first gear, even with a full load of wood the truck ate it up, never slipped, and performed like a real champ, even up steep grades.
Made it home with my load and I'll be ready for splitting when the weather cools down a little.
They are so capable in stock form. I can't imagine "upgrading" mine. Every modified M37 I've driven has been faster and easier to steer. But much less capable off road.
just me wrote: ↑Fri Jul 08, 2022 5:19 pm
They are so capable in stock form. I can't imagine "upgrading" mine. Every modified M37 I've driven has been faster and easier to steer. But much less capable off road.
Mine close to tock speed and performance wise: I did add front disk brakes, and swapped in a rebuilt 251 for the 230 that was originally in there. It had power steering when I bought it. If my goal was to go fast, I would have bought a different truck.
I'm curious, however: How does modifying one of these trucks to make it faster and easier to steer hurt its off-road capability?
just me wrote: ↑Fri Jul 08, 2022 5:19 pm
They are so capable in stock form. I can't imagine "upgrading" mine. Every modified M37 I've driven has been faster and easier to steer. But much less capable off road.
Mine close to tock speed and performance wise: I did add front disk brakes, and swapped in a rebuilt 251 for the 230 that was originally in there. It had power steering when I bought it. If my goal was to go fast, I would have bought a different truck.
I'm curious, however: How does modifying one of these trucks to make it faster and easier to steer hurt its off-road capability?
The ones I have driven lost large amounts of articulation because of obstructions in the drive train.
And the lower numerically gears in the replacement axles take away from the ability to crawl over obstacles. They don't make the low end torque so the combination of high RPM and gearing ends up with tire spinning and loss of traction.
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