found a m37 dont know nothing aout them but you guys do

[XanRa]

found this m37 while trolling craigslist in my area looksgreat but i dont know anything about them but you guys do so input much appreciated
http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/cto/1983306678.html

 

[98taco3]

looks like a nice truck but it would really depend on how well the engine swap job was done. 6K seems quite steep to me. Even with all the work into it.

 

[jollyroger]

Just my humble opinion without seeing the truck in person.

The 6.9 is a good motor but a tad on the non powerful side. Which is good because the M-37 rear axles are weak. They were made with a "grey" iron cast iron. The 6.9's like the 6.2 GM's have glow plugs and have problems starting if the glow plugs don't work. That is where most of the maintenance lies with these motors. Glow plugs, glow plug wiring and the glow plug solenoids. They DO NOT like to start when they are cold, like 20 degrees and colder. They need to be plugged in for cold weather starting.

C-6 tranny. No problems. Tough as nails.

Like Taco said it ALL depends on the instalation of the repower. If it was cobbled in I would say don't do it. If the instal looks clean and sturdy then they took their time and probably did it right. Don't be afraid to ask a lot of questions.

I don't like the high back bucket seats. I think lowbacks would look better. Just my opinion.

Ask for a ride and more importantly A ride at highway speed. They proly did the repower to get more highway speed but without an overdrive it probably goes 50-55 like the original flathead six.

I think the truck is more expensive than you can find a stock M-37. The truck looks real clean and is painted nice but it is not stock.

So then you need to ask yourself if you want a stock truck to drive in parades or if you just want a stock daily driver or if you really like the repower. You should be able to buy two stock trucks for the price of that one. If you ride in it and the repower was a clean install and makes the truck go 65 then it may be worthwhile. And 65 mph sounds cool but then you gotta be able to stop. The factory brakes work good when they are all dialed in but not so much otherwise. They do not self adjust like modern brakes.

 

[m376x6]

The M37/M43 rear axles are not weak! They were never made with grey cast iron! People are often clueless when it comes to the problems that have plaqued a few M37 axles.

I've seen a lot of conversions, engine and otherwise, that were so bad you wonder just what the **** these people were thinking. The high bucket seats are fine if that is what you think is cool. I think they suck! Body wise it appears in pretty good shape.

I've run stock M37 axles for over 20 years and have even lit up 42 inch tall custom 20 inch Firestone Super Traction tires on pavement with the axles and a V8 and no problems. I have yet to break any part of either a front or rear axle while abusing the living **** out of them. I have fragmented numerous locking hubs though. I'm having better luck with Selectro, Superwinch at the end turned into junk. I've pulled loads of lumber out of mountain valleys with no roads with logs stacked up over the cab top with stock axles with no problems. I use to pull out 8 to 10 cords a year. I get an enormous laugh and sense of pity for these folks who think sticking a set of axles from an M880 or Toyota are the thing to do. For all the basic technology of these 60+ year old axles they are too complicated for most folks to understand. I'll climb down off my soap box and stop being a bitch now.

 

[crasheej]

 

[jollyroger]

The M37/M43 rear axles are not weak! They were never made with grey cast iron! People are often clueless when it comes to the problems that have plaqued a few M37 axles.

I've seen a lot of conversions, engine and otherwise, that were so bad you wonder just what the **** these people were thinking. The high bucket seats are fine if that is what you think is cool. I think they suck! Body wise it appears in pretty good shape.

I've run stock M37 axles for over 20 years and have even lit up 42 inch tall custom 20 inch Firestone Super Traction tires on pavement with the axles and a V8 and no problems. I have yet to break any part of either a front or rear axle while abusing the living **** out of them. I have fragmented numerous locking hubs though. I'm having better luck with Selectro, Superwinch at the end turned into junk. I've pulled loads of lumber out of mountain valleys with no roads with logs stacked up over the cab top with stock axles with no problems. I use to pull out 8 to 10 cords a year. I get an enormous laugh and sense of pity for these folks who think sticking a set of axles from an M880 or Toyota are the thing to do. For all the basic technology of these 60+ year old axles they are too complicated for most folks to understand. I'll climb down off my soap box and stop being a bitch now.

Dude......Good for you not breaking any axle ever out of an M-37.

I'm telling you that the axle shafts WERE made with grey iron. They were not made with ductile iron. Ductile iron is higher in nickle content and therefore much stronger. Most modern, post 1970 cast iron pieces are made with ductile iron.

I personally have 3 broken long sides and 1 broken short side rear axle. All with stock flathead six. My Dad has been beating the crap out of his M-37 since 1962 and has I don't know how many broken axle shafts front and rear. My Uncle has had his M-37 since 1965 and has broken shafts. The long side rear axle is the part we run out of and have to replace by getting more trucks for parts.

The axles as a whole are good pieces. They just have "weak" shafts. I'm just sayin' this from generations of experience and what guys who have had similar problems have researched. There have been guys that have made forged axles because of this problem and they are the ones that told me about the grey iron issue.

 

[CHRIS UNGER]

I have heard of people driving down the road and snap an axle. Personally, I owned an M37 for 12 or so years and I was hard on it to say the least. I was trying to climb a rock slab and had the tires bouncing off the rock a foot high to the floor. NO PROBLEMS!

 

[popacom]

I ran into a guy many years ago that ran an M-37 as a mud truck,he said he was always breaking axles. So he talked with a friend that was into metallurgy and he said he knew a way to solve his
problems. He told him to take his axles ,find a wooden crate they would fit in ,pack it with dry ice
nail the lid on it and walk away and let the dry ice melt away. When it was all said and done the guy had a set of Chryo-treated axles (RED NECK STYLE) but the guy did it and .........no more axle failure!!! The guy explained that it lined the molecules up in the metal which keeps them from fracturing. Just goes to show where there's a will ,there's a way.

popacom /BILL in Ky.

 

[jamieboy]

Sold my m-37 several years ago and wish I had it back. I to was the victim of a broken axle.
Was helping a friend pull a burned out, stolen car out of a small ravine, and guess I was snagging a little to hard and POP!!! Mine was all original with the flat 6 cyl. but this diesel conversion looks nice. I have seen a lot of small block Chevy conversions, but have not had the
pleasure to view a diesel one. Good luck if you decide to get it or another. I think you will like it??

 

[Oldfart]

Dude......Good for you not breaking any axle ever out of an M-37.

I'm telling you that the axle shafts WERE made with grey iron. They were not made with ductile iron. Ductile iron is higher in nickle content and therefore much stronger. Most modern, post 1970 cast iron pieces are made with ductile iron.

I personally have 3 broken long sides and 1 broken short side rear axle. All with stock flathead six. My Dad has been beating the crap out of his M-37 since 1962 and has I don't know how many broken axle shafts front and rear. My Uncle has had his M-37 since 1965 and has broken shafts. The long side rear axle is the part we run out of and have to replace by getting more trucks for parts.

The axles as a whole are good pieces. They just have "weak" shafts. I'm just sayin' this from generations of experience and what guys who have had similar problems have researched. There have been guys that have made forged axles because of this problem and they are the ones that told me about the grey iron issue.

I am that old man that has had his M37 all over the Colorado Rockies since 1963 and I have snapped my share of axles. I got fairly skilled at coming home in front wheel drive. The M37 is a great truck that could climb a telephone pole if you could figure out how to hold it to the pole. I have traversed across skree slopes by belaying from uphill trees and boulders. I shamed a Toyota salesman up above Caribou when his brand new demo machine would not climb a tailing dump that my M37 did with ease. And the M37 has a comfortable ride with remarkable axle articulation in its factory configuration. I think the M37 is probably one of the best trucks our military ever had in its fleet. That said, the long side rear axle has a tendancy to snap when a spinning tire finds traction. I considered a set of custom MW forged axles and decided it was cheaper to buy parts trucks for the spare axle shafts. ~~~ The current crop of front free wheeling hubs are junk compared to the old Warn hubs that were available in the early 60's. I suppose that is not all bad as now the hubs tend to get ripped up rather than one of the front knuckles.

 

[jollyroger]

That's what I'm sayin'. It's not like I'm makin' it up about the axles.

I love my M-37 and I would never sell it. I might even get burried in it. Who knows. But I bet when we get put in the ground it will have a broken rear longside axle.

Oh yeah and I agree. The superwinch hubs break pretty easy. I just put my drive flanges back on cause I broke a hub crushing a car. Dad's old ass Warn hubs are still going strong. Wish I could find some like them.

 

[m376x6]

The axle shafts are not, never were, ductile, grey or any other form of cast iron! If you think they are, you're clueless as to metallurgy! If you're breaking axles you either don't know how to drive! Or you're slapping a questionable used axle back in without finding out what is wrong. In most cases, it's because people don't know how to 4 wheel drive! When a spinning tire finds traction? another example of not knowing how to 4 wheel drive. I've heard all the stories, it's the long side that breaks, it's the short side that breaks because it has less length to flex. On and on, and all the time when one finger is pointing at an axle, the other three are pointing at the real culprit. DUDE!

 

[jollyroger]

The axle shafts are not, never were, ductile, grey or any other form of cast iron! If you think they are, you're clueless as to metallurgy! If you're breaking axles you either don't know how to drive! Or you're slapping a questionable used axle back in without finding out what is wrong. In most cases, it's because people don't know how to 4 wheel drive! When a spinning tire finds traction? another example of not knowing how to 4 wheel drive. I've heard all the stories, it's the long side that breaks, it's the short side that breaks because it has less length to flex. On and on, and all the time when one finger is pointing at an axle, the other three are pointing at the real culprit. DUDE!

WOW!!!!!! I don't know who peed in your Wheaties.

First you wanna say your roasting the tires with 42's and now people can't 4 wheel when they are spinning a tire. Interesting.

So then other than pilot error what would be breaking the axles on several different trucks over several different decades?

So if the axles were not made with ANY type of cast iron what were they created with?

Inquiering minds want to know.

And BTW what does any of this have to do with the original post? This thread has been totally hijacked by you taking huge issue with something I have said. Good job.

 

[Oldfart]

The axle shafts are not, never were, ductile, grey or any other form of cast iron! If you think they are, you're clueless as to metallurgy! If you're breaking axles you either don't know how to drive! Or you're slapping a questionable used axle back in without finding out what is wrong. In most cases, it's because people don't know how to 4 wheel drive! When a spinning tire finds traction? another example of not knowing how to 4 wheel drive. I've heard all the stories, it's the long side that breaks, it's the short side that breaks because it has less length to flex. On and on, and all the time when one finger is pointing at an axle, the other three are pointing at the real culprit. DUDE!

First, your avitar shows a really cool conversion. Neat looking rig. I see your running boards are nice and straight. Somehow I keep rolling mne up on the rocks.
Second, I never said I was not at the ragged edge of my trucks abilities. I too have heard the short side no flex versus long side flex discussions. Then there is the 4.89 to 5.83 differential discussion and the old military NDT tire versus newer types that have better traction and how all that relates to axle shaft problems. I won't bore you with all the metalurgy discussion I had with Mark Williams years ago about nickle in the cast or nitride treatmens versus the forged axles he would make for me. ~~ Let's follow your assumption that I am a boob and don't know how to drive like so many others. Then I should have broken axles in my chevy 3/4 ton 4x4 or my diesel Ford F350 crew cab dually or any other of the previous 4x4's I have owned over the last 45 years. This is not the case and while I will not sacrifice my Ford to the trails that I would attempt with my M37 it does get off road and hauls at its maxium CGVRW.
I regret even responding to this thread. The poor guy who had questions about a prospect vehicle has been treated to more than he needs in order to make a decision about a purchase. I am out of here!!!!

 

[jollyroger]

The differential itself is very strong, but the axle shafts are 16 spl and they have a 1.37" dia . The shafts are not big and they are made out of crappy material. You are only able to get 2 axle ratios, and one locker that is worth nothing (lock right). I made a prototype locker for my M37 , and had build custom front and rear shafts to make them strong. The axle is a well designed unit (not the axle shafts) I think they take more payload than a D60 but , you will break axle shafts and maybe the pinion shaft way before a stock D60 will break. It is an good axle in an M37 but not realy worth to swap those axles in somting else (lack of custom made parts-lockers).
If you want more informations about M37 axles , feel free to call me !

Daniel T
www.killeraxles.com
801 334 7737
801 644 5404

Found one of the old posts I read on Pirate.

 

[jollyroger]

Thread: Re: [MV] Broken M37 Axle shaft

Re: [MV] Broken M37 Axle shaft

1. when I used to service trucks that were frequently off
   road, ie. garbage trucks, dump trucks, etc., we used
   to pull the axles and mill a relief cut into the shaft
   just inside the hub, that way if the axle broke, which
   was infrequent, all you had to do was remove the hub
   and pull the axle...it worked very well for us, low
   down time...Wilf
   --- chance wolf <chance_wolf@shaw.ca> wrote:
   
   >
   > ----- Original Message -----
   > From: "Bob Ternes" <racecadet@yahoo.com>
   > To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List"
   > <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
   > Sent: Thursday, December 16, 2004 8:01 AM
   > Subject: Re: [MV] Broken M37 Axle shaft
   >
   >
   > > Hi Jim,
   > >
   > > Ahh, good times, good times. Nothing like the fun
   > > of removing broken axle shafts.
   >
   > The long-side shaft pretty much always seems to
   > break on the M37. Once I
   > successfully pushed an Allied Van Lines moving truck
   > out of a ditch with my
   > own M37 shortly after I bought it, only to snap the
   > axle shaft the day after
   > as I was on my way to work. My neighbour used to
   > repair those trucks in the
   > Canadian Army and told me how much fun it was to get
   > the stub out, and also
   > said that one of the tricks they used to use was to
   > take an arc welder, hook
   > the business-end up to a long rod completely
   > insulated except for the very
   > tip, ground the ground clamp to the frame - then
   > slide the works down the
   > axle tube until making contact with the stub. After
   > a brief Zap, your
   > insulated rod should have welded itself to the
   > broken stub. Anyway, or so
   > the theory goes. I didn't have an arc-welder handy
   > at the time so I had to
   > do it the old-fashioned way and pull the diff. And
   > swear alot.
   >
   > Yes...there was much swearing.
   >
   >
   >
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[jollyroger]

The axle shafts are made of Carbon Molybdenum steel, shot peened.

I was incorrect about them being cast iron. They are cast steel. You are right about that.

I will try and find where I read about them being a grey iron.

 

[jollyroger]

I'm .This thread really is not the place for this.