![1960DodgeM-37-34Ton](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/1960DodgeM-37-34Ton.jpg)
The Dodge M37 -ton
4x4
Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case ...
truck
(G741) was
Dodge's follow-up to their successful
WC Series from
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Introduced in 1951, it was used extensively by the United States armed forces during the
Korean war
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
. In the 1970s, they were replaced by the
Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) based -ton trucks
Kaiser M715 (late 1960s), and
Dodge's M880/M890 series (1970s).
History
Six prototypes of the vehicle were produced in early-to-mid 1950 based on the
WC series Dodge vehicles used in World War II, with the first pre-production pilot vehicle rolling off the assembly line on 14 December 1950. Many of the components on the M37 are similar or identical to the World War II vehicle and many deficiencies of the previous series were corrected in the M37. Notably, a conventional pickup truck style bed replaced the platform on the World War II vehicle, simplifying production. There was significant drivetrain and powerplant commonality with the WDX series civilian
Power Wagons. The M37 shared no sheet metal with the WDX Power Wagon.
Production of the M37 began in earnest in January 1951, with approximately 11,000 vehicles made by the end of that year. By mid-1954 63,000 of the vehicles had been produced. In 1958 a number of modifications to the design resulted in the new vehicles being designated as M37B1. From mid-1958 until the end of production 47,600 M37B1 vehicles were produced. Approximately 4,500 Canadian M37CDNs were also produced between 1951 and 1955. These vehicles continued in service worldwide in the Israeli and Greek militaries.
In total, between 1951 and 1968, some 115,000 Dodge M37s were produced. From 1968 onwards, the U.S. military replaced them with the M-715 family of vehicles, which saw service in the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
. Although these were higher (1 or five-quarter ton) rated, they were militarized "
commercial off-the-shelf
Commercial off-the-shelf or commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) products are packaged or canned (ready-made) hardware or software, which are adapted aftermarket to the needs of the purchasing organization, rather than the commissioning of ...
" (or 'COTS') trucks – and the
Kaiser Jeep M715
The G-890 Truck, -ton, 4×4, Kaiser Jeep M715, sometimes called the "Five quarter (ton)", for its ton payload rating, is an American light military truck, based on the civilian Jeep Gladiator (SJ). Design and development for the M715 began in 19 ...
s were considered underpowered and fragile, compared to the purpose-built Dodge M37 tactical trucks they were built to replace.
[M-715 Kaiser 5/4 Jeep – Olive-Drab]
/ref> Starting 1976, the U.S. military went back to Dodges, when the M715s were replaced by the Dodge M880 series, again a -ton militarized COTS truck.
It was common in the 1970 and 1980s to encounter these vehicles in government auctions. Many of the vehicles were transferred to civilian agencies and some are still in use today in rural areas. They were out of significant military service by the late 1970s, replaced by the M715
The G-890 Truck, -ton, 4×4, Kaiser Jeep M715, sometimes called the "Five quarter (ton)", for its ton payload rating, is an American light military truck, based on the civilian Jeep Gladiator (SJ). Design and development for the M715 began in 19 ...
and M880 series.
Variants
* M42 command truck
* M43 ambulance
An ambulance is a medically equipped vehicle which transports patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. Typically, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient during the transport.
Ambulances are used to respond to medi ...
* M53 cab-chassis
* M56 tool truck, has a bumper-mounted winch
** MB2 Fire and Rescue Truck (M56 with Gichner body)
** R2 air field rescue truck (w/winch)
* M152 modified enclosed utility truck, Canadian variant
* M201 / V41 telephone maintenance vehicle
* M283 Long Wheel Base (LWB) Cargo Truck
* M506 truck, hydrogen peroxide servicer, PGM-11 Redstone
The PGM-11 Redstone was the first large American ballistic missile. A short-range ballistic missile (SRBM), it was in active service with the United States Army in West Germany from June 1958 to June 1964 as part of NATO's Cold War defense of W ...
* V126 truck – for AN/MPX-7 radar
experimental:
* XM142 experimental bomb service truck
* XM152 experimental enclosed utility truck used in small numbers by the USAF
* XM195 experimental lighter, compact version of M37
* XM708 experimental dump truck used mostly by airborne units
* XM711 experimental wrecker truck
Specifications
Engine
The powerplant was identical to the World War II era WC vehicles line, as was most of the drivetrain. The Chrysler Straight-6 cylinder engine was derived from a 1930s era passenger vehicle engine that was widely produced. This was in line with a long-standing military procurement strategy that attempted to use commercially produced vehicle variants in military service.
Many deficiencies with aging design became apparent in the 1960s, including a tendency of the connecting rods to fail at high rpms due to the long cylinder stroke of the engine. As the average speed of the vehicles in the military increased, these engine failures became commonplace due to the low gear ratio of the vehicle, which was originally designed as a multipurpose vehicle capable of transporting heavy loads of ammunition.
*Model: T245 Dodge
*Type: "L" Head, 6 cylinder
*Power: at 3200 rpm
*Displacement: (Canadian version used the larger engine)
*Bore: , Stroke:
*Oil capacity:
*Radiator capacity:
*Carter carburetor Model ETW-1 downdraft
Driveline
Clutch
*Borg & Beck Model 11828 single plate dry disc (Borg & Beck 11 inch clutch on Canadian version.)
Transmission
*New Process Model 88950 (or NP420)(Acme Model T-98 on Canadian version)
*4-speed, Synchro-Shift in 3rd and 4th gear
Transfer Case
*New Process 88845 (or NP200)
*Ratio: High 1:1, low 1.96:1
*Twin lever operation, one for 4×4 or 4×2 selection, one for hi or low range
Drive Shaft
*MFG Universal Products
Axles
*Dodge Full Floating (hypoid), ratio 5.83:1
*Front Universal Drive New Process (Tracta
Tracta was a French car maker based in Asnières, Seine, that was active between 1926 and 1934. They were pioneers of front-wheel-drive vehicles.
The business
The business was directed and cars were designed by the engineer Jean-Albert Grégoire ...
joint)
Chassis
Fuel tank
* tank (vented through engine air intake for fording purposes)
Electrical
*Ignition, starting, lights, 24 volts
Brakes
*Wagner hydraulic drum
*Parking—external contracting band, 48 square inches (310 cm2)
Steering
*Gemmer Model B-60, worm and sector type
Wheelbase
*Cargo Model M37 and Command Model M42:
*Ambulance Model M43 and Tele. Maint. Model V41:
Weight
*M37 without winch: , M37 with winch
Tire Size
*9.00 × 16 - 8 ply non-directional military
Winch
*Braden LU-4, PTO operated, capacity (250’ of 7/16" wire rope 5 m by 11 mm– 10’ mchain with hook)
Replacement program
During the late 1960s a competition was initiated by the Army, which requested the leading U.S. automotive companies to submit proposals as a replacement for the M37. Several prototype vehicles passed through the preliminary examination, eventually leading the military to accept General Motors XM705 1-ton Truck and derivative XM737 Ambulance, which were supposed to replace the M37, instead of the militarized COTS M715 series of trucks. However, Congress cut funds for the program, and the XM705 never reached the assembly line.
Below table lists the comparative specifications of the vehicles involved.
Gallery
File:1953 Dodge M37 Display.jpg, 1953 M37 and 1953 M101 trailer
File:1953 M37 engine.jpg, 1953 straight six
File:1953 M37 front.jpg, 1953 M37
File:1953 M37 interior.jpg, Interior of 1953 M37
File:Side view M37.JPG, M37 in front of B17[Reinemann, Carl http://dodgem37.com/ ]
See also
* Dodge WC series
The Dodge WC series, sometimes nicknamed 'Beeps', were a prolific range of light 4WD and medium 6WD military utility trucks, produced by Dodge / Fargo during World . Together with the -ton jeeps produced by Willys and Ford, the Dodge to ...
* G-numbers
This is the Group G series List of the United States military vehicles by (Ordnance) supply catalog designation, — ''one'' of the alpha-numeric "Standard Nomenclature Lists" (SNL) that were part of the overall List of the United States Army w ...
* List of Dodge automobiles
The following is a list of current and past production automobiles (including pickup trucks, SUVs, and vans) carrying the Dodge brand name.
Current production models
*Note: The Charger and Challenger models will be discontinued in 2023.
...
* List of U.S. military vehicles by model number
The following is a (partial) listing of vehicle model numbers or M-numbers assigned by the United States Army. Some of these designations are also used by other agencies, services, and nationalities, although these various end users usually assig ...
* Weapons of the Salvadoran Civil War
The Salvadoran Civil War was a military conflict that pitted the guerrilla forces of the left-wing Marxist-oriented Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) against the armed and security forces loyal to the military-led conservative govern ...
References
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Dodge M37 Resource - Reinemann, Carl
Dodge M37 Registry
{{Post-WWII US Soft Vehicles
M37
Military trucks of the United States
Pickup trucks
Military vehicles introduced in the 1950s