Question for the M1081 owners on here

[L1A1]

How quiet is the interior of one while underway? ' been in an M35A2 and you have to shout to be heard by the guy sitting next to you. From the pics I've seen, it looks like the (whole?) top of the cab is removable on the M1081 is it? I haven't seen a pic with one topless save for images of the SoCom warpigs. Are those m1081s or M1078s or something completely different? Thanks.


Regards,
Matt

 

[DanM7890]

The roof comes off and the sides fold down on the M1081 but I've never done it. The cab noise isn't that bad. When cruising to Lumberton at 60mph with the windows down I had music playing on a wireless Bluetooth speaker and I could hear it.

 

[jjb]

How quiet is the interior of one while underway? ' been in an M35A2 and you have to shout to be heard by the guy sitting next to you. From the pics I've seen, it looks like the (whole?) top of the cab is removable on the M1081 is it? I haven't seen a pic with one topless save for images of the SoCom warpigs. Are those m1081s or M1078s or something completely different? Thanks.


Regards,
Matt

Its quieter than an M35 but its not Cadillac . You can carry on a conversation but you have to talk loudly. You are sitting on top of the engine.

The roof comes off but its not a quick procedure. You use the spare tire carrier and the davit stored on the back of the cab to lift the roof off and place it and the tire in the bed. Looks way too involved for me to try and play around with it.

 

[L1A1]

Ok guys thanks for the answers. I guess the roof,w/s & door(tops?) come off as part of the process for prepping for an airdrop?

On another note; are body parts readily available for them? passively looking at one that is missing the tail gate & bed sides & top bows.

Matt

 

[603hellmutt]

The bed parts seem to be easy enough to come by. Cab parts, doors, glass are hard to get and are very pricey. I have a 94 m1081

 

[mkcoen]

On another note; are body parts readily available for them? passively looking at one that is missing the tail gate & bed sides & top bows.

Good luck on the tail gate. I actually bought a M1082 trailer with the idea of taking the tail gate for my truck when a friend just happened on a gate at a recycling center. Other than that I haven't seen any for sale.

 

[L1A1]

Good luck on the tail gate. I actually bought a M1082 trailer with the idea of taking the tail gate for my truck

Will that work? Will the tail gate off of an M1082 trailer fit the bed of an M1078 (or M1081 as the case may be)?
Matt

 

[L1A1]

The bed parts seem to be easy enough to come by. Cab parts, doors, glass are hard to get and are very pricey. I have a 94 m1081

That's good to know. The unit I've been considering is missing among other things passenger side door glass and I think the door latch mech on that side is also messed up.

Matt

 

[Suprman]

Little parts like door glass and any door components like handles latches etc are hard to find and can be pricey. The window is a pain to swap the doors are riveted together.

 

[NDT]

The window is a pain to swap the doors are riveted together.

Ah but not on the airdrop. You fold over the window frame, drop the glass down the channels in the door, and attach to the regulator with a pair of metric cap screws. Easy peasy.

Ebay vendor equipmentpartssales had one for me. Maybe they have more.

 

[mkcoen]

Will that work? Will the tail gate off of an M1082 trailer fit the bed of an M1078 (or M1081 as the case may be)?
Matt

Yes.

 

[Suprman]

Didn't think about that with the airdrop door. I haven't had any of those trucks. In time parts will be more plentiful though. Units are having the trucks they are keeping uparmored so once that's completed they won't need as much of the soft side spare parts and the stuff will eventually make it to auction.

 

[sjohn116]

I was recently looking for drivers side door glass and that is very hard to find and extremely expensive. In my search, Eastern Surplus in Philly stated that they had several brand new passenger side door glass in stock. Give them a shout. They are a vendor on the site. (I am in no way associated with the vendor) just passing along some info that is helpful, we all try to minimize duplication of efforts. Great group of people on the site.

 

[L1A1]

Alright I'm setting up an appointment with a seller to look at an M1081. Any tips on what I should pay attention to/look for?

Matt

 

[FloridaAKM]

How about a source for the turrent covers that don't cost half the price of the truck! Not to mention the Drivers door glass & regulator system.

 

[DanM7890]

Just make one. I did for my truck.

 

[FloridaAKM]

You got a picture of it handy pray tell?

Just make one. I did for my truck.

 

[Suprman]

You want to drive the truck. Push arrow up and arrow down on the trans comp see if any error codes. You can download the allison diag guide in advance. Look under for leaks. Check for drivetrain play. Get some gloves and a piece of cardboard and grab each driveshaft and shake. Any play is bad but it can be addressed. Check the fan blade for flex at the clutch. Check the oil make sure it looks ok, coolant res behind cab has a sight glass, look at the blowby tube make sure not too much. All Cats seem to have a little though. Make the cab go up and down, same with spare tire. Look at the air/hyd pump make sure its not puffing out fluid when operating. Look for rust underneath, especially in the cab under the floor mats. Look at the breaker relay panel for corrosion. I hear alot of complaints about sluggish lmtvs. My 1994 1078's turbo spools right up when I mash the pedal. Some trucks take 5 seconds to spool which is a really long time. Put the truck in mode and arrow down to 1 which is low range. Check tires for wear, especially uneven wear. Check date codes. Batts will be date coded. Make sure both doors open and latch closed properly and the windows go up and down. Some stuff can be adjusted but small door parts can get expensive and can be hard to find.

 

[Sapphire]

To add to an already excellent list by Suprman, check that the cab latch, which holds the cab in the down position, engages properly. The red button should extend beyond the latch housing by at least 3/16" or the cab is not actually latched down.

Check all the lights in all positions.

Make sure the brakes engage AND release properly.

Once the system reaches full air pressure check that the CTIS light stops flashing and turns solid red.

After the test drive feel each wheel hub. They should be, at best, only warm to the touch.

Set the parking brake (lower white knob pulled out) and, with the truck in gear, apply some throttle and ensure the brakes still hold.

Hope this helps,