1954 M56 Dodge M2B Navy crash truck

[Oldfart]

Seeking information on the Navy M2B crash/rescue truck. We have recovered one in need of many parts and lots of work. In particular, we need information on the Transmission and Power Take Off set up. Would like to find the manufacturer of the foam spray nozzle.

 

[m1010plowboy]

When I was hunting P-4 info I'd search through 'images' then follow the 'visit page' option if I found something.

That's going to be tough with yours but I searched "M56 rescue truck" and found some info on the 54'......200 made and unknown if any survived.
Searching "crash truck" is just a fun waste of time.

http://vintagemilitaryvehicles.com/2014/10/super-rare-navy-mb-2-crash-rescue-truck-2/

Wish I could help more but the only thing I know about that crash truck is it will look nice next to Warwagon and an M37! Nice project!

Here's a short link to images. http://tinyurl.com/ohqgwvv

 

[Oldfart]

Plowboy, If you dig a little further, the 200 made mention in the ad for the one that sold around Grand Junction, turns out to be 130 of the M2B's and 312 or 308 depending on the source for the R2 Air Force truck. Jollyroger is just back in country and we are getting things rolling again. I have calls in to the original body manufacturer, but I am encountering somewhat of a blank wall there. I need to get beyond the electronic press one for English and then press 5 for customer support and then the extension I want. The photos of the Grand Junction unit at least let us know pretty much how it was originally set up. Our recovered unit was in this salvage yard for better than 20 years and was in a salvage yard near the Pueblo Ordinance Depot years before that. It was originally painted bright yellow. My search of PTO manufacturers has been better in that some old timers at the Muncie factory are interested in finding out what the set up was like. No answers yet, but they are looking. We picked up two more M37's and a couple of WW2 winches in the process of getting the M2B. We have purchased a drive train and we will pick that up this weekend.

 

[FrankUSMC]

Very rare truck, I have only seen one in over 40 years of military vehicle collecting. I will see if I have any thing on them. I drove the MB5 crash trucks while in the Marines.
One of the few, Frank USMC RET

 

[SteveKuhn]

From http://www.2040-cars.com/Dodge/Power-Wagon/1953-dodge-m37-m56-military-4x4-fire-power-wagon-736409/

"...Back of truck is completely open with none of the original tanks, pump, or any special equipment other than the Tangent PTO..."

maybe that'll help some.

I notice yours doesn't have the vertical open doors.

Steve

 

[Oldfart]

Steve, This helps some as there is a better view of the top mounted PTO. I had found the old ad, but not the extra pictures. I notice there is a tank in one of the photos. I suppose those get pulled as they are probably aluminum. I wonder if the single doors on ours was a later change between '53 and '54. Our doors are a mix of aluminum and steel and appear to be original to the truck. They are front mounted with a piano style hinge and the door windows are not edged with a metal channel. The door glass looks to be slightly thicker than normal side glass and is laminated. I have found some photos of R2's without the double doors, but they do not appear to be the same door as on our M2B. Notice the stiffen roll just below the top of the window opening. We are missing the drive train on ours, but there is a transmission floor pan still in the truck that has no provision for the topcover mount PTO. It could have been swapped over from something else, but the paint seems to match.~~~~~~~~~~Thanks for the find.

 

[Oldfart]

I did some overnight research on Tangen Power Take Off's. Anthony Tangen patent was around 1936 with improvement patents for several years. There is an eBay listed sales flyer for the
Tangen Power Drive dated 1951a that shows it as a top mounted unit bolting on in place of the shifter cover. Now I know what its called, I guess the next trick is to find one. There were two different gear ratios and I guess I need to figure out which ratio as well.

 

[SteveKuhn]

In one of the links I found, it said that 'M56' referred to the base chassis, and that was sent to various manufacturers for the purpose-built boxes on top. That would account for the variations in appearance that I saw in images. I got the distinct impression that much of it was basic G741/M37 and parts were changed or modified depending on the purpose and body mounted. Might be wrong about that.

Steve

 

[Oldfart]

Steve, You are correct in your thinking. The M56 is essentially a foot longer wheelbase with a fishplate added to the frame. AND as I discovered late in my life, a frame that was manufactured out of slightly thicker steel. As I recall it was either 1/64 or 1/32 of an inch thicker. There is an M53 based on the M37 that was the same wheelbase with the M56 fishplate. Don't know if the frame steel was thicker as well. That version (M53) was used for the wrecker and some other heavy duty variants.

 

[hndrsonj]

I just saw that CL ad and was getting excited until I realized this was the same truck! You didn't happen to get a spare good outer windshield frame (M37) did you?

 

[Oldfart]

I just saw that CL ad and was getting excited until I realized this was the same truck! You didn't happen to get a spare good outer windshield frame (M37) did you?

I think both the M37's will be runners rather than parts. We had a good windshield frame that we traded 70 Deuce for a spare snatch block out of his wrecker. Check the club as I think there is an M37 project truck that is available. I bought the hard cab.

 

[Oldfart]

Picked up an engine from an R2 I hope to use in the M2B.

 

[SteveKuhn]

Speaking of R2s, one just popped up here along with what appears to be an M38:

http://barnfinds.com/dodge-r2-and-jeep-cj-bramble-vans/

 

[Oldfart]

Thanks for the post Steve. I am still chasing after parts. I find something, but hit walls of silence while people try to figure out what the part is worth and how they can make a buck because they know where it is and I don't. I thought this would be hard, and it clearly is going to take a while. That R2 looks pretty complete from the outside. It should make someone a decent restoration project.

 

[citizensoldier]

Have you asked around on the G741 site? A few years back there was a gal out east restoring one of these. It seems like she had a couple more for parts. I will see what I can dig up.