AM General M934 How difficult is it to find repairs & how much will they set me back?

[someoldmoose]

Alice, any updates ? Saw ad for a nice one in U.K. I know, I know, but they ARE out there. Maybe a little experi armus is called for.

Blow 'em outta the hands that hold them.

 

[Tinstar]

What's up with GovPlanet?

There are still a LOT of 5 tons sitting on bases, but the auctions have all but dried up.
Just a few here and there.
Yes, a lot are junk, but also a lot are nice.

Anyone know what determines when these will be auctioned?

I know several people, along with Alice, who are wanting one.

 

[porkysplace]

What's up with GovPlanet?

Thwre are still a LOT of 5 tons sitting on bases, but the auctions have all but dried up.
Just a few here and there.
Yes, a lot are junk, but also a lot are nice.

Anyone know what determines when these will be auctioned?

I know several people, along with Alice, who are wanting one.

GovPlanet can't sell them till the government releases them to GovPlanet . There are still deuces trickling out that for some reason the government decided to keep .

 

[therooster2001]

Rancher's Supply (perhaps some of our CO members can chime in here) seems to me to be a business that wants a quick flip of a truck for a healthy profit. I stopped in there some time ago, and after quick glances at their MVs most were in need of some good maintenance....while some had at least fluid/filter changes, I saw a lot of cracked/dry-rotted tires & fuel lines and tons of little maintenance issues that add up over time. Just my observations; it shouldn't take long for someone to come along and tell me how wrong I am.

Ok, Colorado member sounding off. Never been there, but the educated guess is that all of these came from Carson or Ft Riley. My truck is a Riley truck, and love it, I bought it from a private seller who just flipped it. I paid double the auction. It's not the price, it's the condition, which is sometimes hard to assess, particularly from pictures. Ranchers looks like a pull it from GP and flip it. People need to make money somehow. I've been in and out of tons of Riley trucks from the KS salvage yard, some are great, some are horrible. All of our trucks needed something. Best way is to go check it out with a buddy, and then see if you can get specific info on it, then drive and review the truck inside and out. Check all the fluids (detailed) like the radiator not just the overflow. Mine was great, 80% of the members have brown crud. Not a 5 min grinning like an idiot because it's a 5 ton either, real hard inspection. You probably won't know your truck until 3 months in when the bugs are out of it. Assume any truck off GP will take $1000 just to get it in running condition, and that's just fluids and fixing the small obvious things like bulbs and wiring, let alone the cool ideas you have to make it your own style. Ramblings aside, if you are serious about the Ranchers one, I could make a side trip with you to check it out. It's 3+ hours away from me.

So, GP auction will be cheaper, but the recovery can sometimes set you back and most people have no idea what they are buying, that's the thrill of the auction and the surprise. How many people actually get to inspect their truck beyond pictures from a laptop afar. One member got 1 block before his engine blew from the GP lot. No warrantee, no feeling bad from GP, he got boned. A private seller can allow you to inspect and probably can tell you what is wrong with it so far, and remember just because they are listing it, doesn't mean they won't negotiate prices. Try that with GP. They might even do some sort of warrantee if you ask.

Good luck, you'll find it though.

 

[wreckerman893]

There are still a LOT of 5 tons sitting on bases, but the auctions have all but dried up.
Just a few here and there.

GovPlanet can't sell them till the government releases them to GovPlanet . There are still deuces trickling out that for some reason the government decided to keep .


One of the things that drives turn ins is equipment replacement and money available to do turn ins.

Some units are authorized new vehicles but can't get them because of no funds or no vehicles being available in the system.

This is also driven by the priority the unit has for funding. Combat ready, deployable units have more priority that units that do rear echelon missions.

When I was at Benning in 2007 going through my medical retirement I found vehicles all over base that were being used as static training vehicles. They never moved and soldiers practiced tactical battle drills. For all I know they are still sitting there.

The government moves in mysterious ways.

 

[Mos68x]

This is also driven by the priority the unit has for funding. Combat ready, deployable units have more priority that units that do rear echelon missions.
The government moves in mysterious ways.

This is true, on both accounts. I was part of the 101st and we almost always had priority to get parts and tools and equipment. When we were on combat duty it was even worse. We could joke around that we needed a some strippers for morale and they would send them out without even asking questions. If a unit, or division, can't maintain its mobility or combat readiness why bother sending it new equipment? And of course, using these vehicles as static training pieces is actually good considering most of the third world countries that we'd end up fighting will probably be using these old vehicles anyways.

 

[Alice]

What's up with GovPlanet?

I was thinking about this too. It seems by the recent pattern GP has a m934 up for auction every month or so. So im hoping to snoop oune out in the next few.

For all I know they are still sitting there.
The government moves in mysterious ways.

Sooooooo whats stopping me from saaaaay showing up to a base (other than security) known to have the trucks im looking for and asking around if they have anything decommissioned and set to be removed soon? HYPOTHETICALLY Im canadian, were a threat to no one.

Any chance i can skip the middle man of GP or private seller then and go straight to the source?

 

[Alice]

Ok, Colorado member sounding off. Never been there, but the educated guess is that all of these came from Carson or Ft Riley. My truck is a Riley truck, and love it, I bought it from a private seller who just flipped it. I paid double the auction. It's not the price, it's the condition, which is sometimes hard to assess, particularly from pictures. Ranchers looks like a pull it from GP and flip it. People need to make money somehow. I've been in and out of tons of Riley trucks from the KS salvage yard, some are great, some are horrible. All of our trucks needed something. Best way is to go check it out with a buddy, and then see if you can get specific info on it, then drive and review the truck inside and out. Check all the fluids (detailed) like the radiator not just the overflow. Mine was great, 80% of the members have brown crud. Not a 5 min grinning like an idiot because it's a 5 ton either, real hard inspection. You probably won't know your truck until 3 months in when the bugs are out of it. Assume any truck off GP will take $1000 just to get it in running condition, and that's just fluids and fixing the small obvious things like bulbs and wiring, let alone the cool ideas you have to make it your own style. Ramblings aside, if you are serious about the Ranchers one, I could make a side trip with you to check it out. It's 3+ hours away from me.

So, GP auction will be cheaper, but the recovery can sometimes set you back and most people have no idea what they are buying, that's the thrill of the auction and the surprise. How many people actually get to inspect their truck beyond pictures from a laptop afar. One member got 1 block before his engine blew from the GP lot. No warrantee, no feeling bad from GP, he got boned. A private seller can allow you to inspect and probably can tell you what is wrong with it so far, and remember just because they are listing it, doesn't mean they won't negotiate prices. Try that with GP. They might even do some sort of warrantee if you ask.

Good luck, you'll find it though.

Yuuussss thank you for the insight! Honestly i share your attitude about flips. I dont really mind because its not really like i have better skills of finding these things so if it wasnt for the private seller i might not even have a chance at buying it, i dont get fussed over how much someone else paid for something else, as long as i find the current price fair.

I do like the one they have up but i havent been able to get in touch for some reason. I did call from a weird UK number from a canadian location so maybe thats why but will try again during the week to see if its the one im searching for.

So far i think ive identified that im looking for a 1986 or newer M934A1/A2 with super singles, turbo 6ct 8.3L with or without CTIS (still undecided). I guess. yes? i dont know xD Im getting there.

So private seller or not im happy with just finding the bad boy.

Thank you for the advice on the 1K to put away, thats good to note when im factoring in how much to spend. I always try to negotiate a price

FUUUUUUUK youd go with me!? :O That would be amazingly kind of you, id definitely cover your costs AT THE LEAST. Im still waiting for some more to pop up on GP or sites (seems about time they do, i feel like its about once a month they get a good m934) But otherwise ill have to make a trip to Colorado. I dont imagine it will be until July but if you're still up to go i would be honoured to have your support by my side. Everyone is welcome to come if they wish to contribute to my crazy little adventure!

 

[red]

Kind of a basic breakdown of the different m939 generations:
M939: NHC250 engine, auto trans, 11x20" tires. No CTIS
M939a1: NHC250 engine, auto trans, 14x20" tires. No CTIS
M939a2: 8.3 liter turbo engine, auto trans, 14x20" tires. With CTIS

There are other small differences but that's the big ones.

Lots of different opinions on which is better. NHC250 makes consistent torque from idle on up to max RPM but it has a low RPM redline and fuel economy plummets above 2000RPM. 8.3L has no power until the turbo spools up but pulls well after that and has a higher RPM redline. More fuel efficient when empty, loaded fuel economy is about the same between both engines.

CTIS is great when it works but requires extra maintenance to keep it working. Their particular hub bearings are much more expensive so keep them greased.

11x20"s limit the top speed due to their smaller size and don't have as good of performance offroad. Longer lifespan on pavement, more stable, and lighter.

14"s are well known on here to have sidewall issues. If you look through the threads here 9/10 times that people have a blowout while driving a 5 ton the tire was a 14". Partly because of vehicle age, driving speed, and the truck sat with flat tires for a long time while in the military. Offroad traction with any of the super single sizes (395, 14, 16) is better than with 11"s.

 

[Alice]

Kind of a basic breakdown of the different m939 generations:
M939: NHC250 engine, auto trans, 11x20" tires. No CTIS
M939a1: NHC250 engine, auto trans, 14x20" tires. No CTIS
M939a2: 8.3 liter turbo engine, auto trans, 14x20" tires. With CTIS
There are other small differences but that's the big ones.

I like that straight forward breakdown, thank you. Didnt some A1s have their engine updated? (Maybe i saw it wrong though).

With the CTIS, it seems like its either love it or hate it, great when it works but ****ed when it doesnt, so i guess its a matter or personal preference ill later have. I wouldnt pass up a truck just because it didnt come with it though.

 

[TechnoWeenie]

I like that straight forward breakdown, thank you. Didnt some A1s have their engine updated? (Maybe i saw it wrong though).

With the CTIS, it seems like its either love it or hate it, great when it works but ****ed when it doesnt, so i guess its a matter or personal preference ill later have. I wouldnt pass up a truck just because it didnt come with it though.

With each revision, complexity is added.... Keep that in mind...

I would search the site for people who have had issues with CTIS....

You can always air down, and air up with a glad hand adapter....

 

[someoldmoose]

I prefer it manual. One less thing to go wrong and letcha sittin'. That is also why I wanna go singles though, 4 fewer tires to adjust.

 

[Coffey1]

Ctis is great you just have to understand it it's not that many parts.
Ecu =brain controller
Pcu= controls air
Transducer= talks between ecu and pcu
pressure switch= won't let ecu talk to anything until air pressure is right
Overspeed unit= tells ecu the dummy behind wheel is going to fast for current tire setting and will automatically change settings if dummy doesn't in certain time frame.


In all the trucks I've had it's the pcu that's the problem either a solenoid goes bad or it gets clogged with trash.
Easy to repair.

 

[someoldmoose]

I agree it's "nice" , absolutely. But then I was "that guy" that got angry when I couldn't buy a vehicle with manual crank windows anymore. D***ed electrical crap. Gremlins loooooove electrical stuff. hahahahaha But seriously, I am trying to make my rig as "bulletproof " as possible. Anything that can be manual or mechanical, will be. Not picking on the new stuff, just not my cup o' tea as it were.

 

[Coffey1]

Yes that's fine but I sure do hate getting out and airing down 6 big a ss tires when it's super hot or extremely cold. When then the machine can do it.

 

[someoldmoose]

Hahahaha, true, but I will be an old retiree. Climbing around my big girl will probably the closest I get to PT. It's good for you, it's good for me. I do' know but I been told, Mexican babes don't mind 'em old. As long as they're fit and have dinero. And fit is optional if there's enuff dinero.

 

[Tinstar]

Delete

 

[red]

I like that straight forward breakdown, thank you. Didnt some A1s have their engine updated? (Maybe i saw it wrong though).

With the CTIS, it seems like its either love it or hate it, great when it works but ****ed when it doesnt, so i guess its a matter or personal preference ill later have. I wouldnt pass up a truck just because it didnt come with it though.

From the military no, the a1's only had the nhc250.

Both engines are good and their performance from the military varies depending on what the mechanics did with it (adjusting the fuel). For example there is a part of the highway near me that is somewhat steep going around the point of the mountain. Driving up that grade in my m816 wrecker on 395's and it will hold 40-45mph with my eye on the EGT's. There is a company that has a m936 wrecker on 11x20"s and going up the same hill it is maxed at 30mph. Same engine, same weight, my manual transmission efficiency is offset by their smaller tires, fuel adjustment is the likely difference.

 

[red]

I agree it's "nice" , absolutely. But then I was "that guy" that got angry when I couldn't buy a vehicle with manual crank windows anymore. D***ed electrical crap. Gremlins loooooove electrical stuff. hahahahaha But seriously, I am trying to make my rig as "bulletproof " as possible. Anything that can be manual or mechanical, will be. Not picking on the new stuff, just not my cup o' tea as it were.

I know the feeling haha. My current motorcycle is a BMW F800GS, beautiful bike and easily the most refined one I've ever had. But I prefer the old Kawasaki KLX650 I had before (not KLR, KLX model). It was a 650cc street legal dirtbike that weighed 330 pounds with a headlight, tail light, and 1 flimsy mirror. That was one angry bike, always pulled a wheelie when shifting hahaha.

 

[Mos68x]

Something I just thought of... Alice has motorcycles, granted they're more like scooters , had to give ya crap Alice lol, does anyone know what the max localized weight would be on that floor? If she doesn't find one that has the rear hydraulic loading ramp then she'll have to put in a mini crane if she wants to load it in the truck to go with her. I know my 927/928 bed flexed considerably when I put the weight of the stump on it. There is no way I will trust my Harley on that crane until it's mounted better.