M880 Series Questions

[AZDeuce]

Gentelmen:

I bought and drug home a running, drivable, and in good condition M880 Monday, while reaing the data plate, I foun I had in fact bought a M884 which according to the O-D site, is a shelter carrier of some sort.

I had ASSumed that this had a Dana 60 axle up front, and a Dana 70 in the rear, but according to info on the O-D site, it has a Dana 44 up front, and a Dana 60 in the rear.

So I was hoping some of you could confirm, what axles my M884 has.

I've wanted a M880 since I saw them coming out in my last year in the Marine Corps, it took 30 years but I finally got one!

 

[NDT]

Correct, 44 in front and 60 in the rear. The shelter carrier has the overload springs and the tail rides high unloaded. You can put ungodly loads on that truck and just go. I had 2 cubic yards of crushed concrete in mine and that made it ride level. M884 should have a 100 amp kit. Congrats on your purchase, a very usable truck!

 

[nattieleather]

To be more specific in my research the front is a Dana 44F which gets refered to by many as a Dana 44HD (or Heavy duty) From what I can tell it is the Dana 44 diff inside a Dana 60 axle housing with the 60 axle shafts. A stout axle to say the least.

Also in my research the 44F was used from 1968-1990 but only the years 1974-79 used the axle with out external locking hubs. According to what I found in theory one could find a 1980-84 truck and swap everything from the nuckle out to have lock out hubs.

In my mind it would be less work to just swap the axle....

 

[MWMULES]

Correct, 44 in front and 60 in the rear. The shelter carrier has the overload springs and the tail rides high unloaded. You can put ungodly loads on that truck and just go. I had 2 cubic yards of crushed concrete in mine and that made it ride level. M884 should have a 100 amp kit. Congrats on your purchase, a very usable truck!

What NDC said is correct. I have the M885 shelter truck, It just came with standard 12V system, does your M884 still have the 24V 100 amp system? Most have been removed.

 

[AZDeuce]

Unfortunately (?), my 100 amp set up has been removed.....assuming this would be an auxilary generator/alternator. Mine just has the small Chrysler type alternator.

I'm not into radios, but I do have a line on a slide in shelter (s-250?) that's gutted, but in nice shape. I smell a possible camper conversion in my future.

 

[MWMULES]

The resources section of the site has a TM SB 11-640 that has the plans for a wooden framework that you need to build for the 250 to fit . It keeps the shelter from riding on the sides of the bed and takes up the slack between the wheel wells. I used deck screws instead of nails. Unless you have mil radios THE 100 AMP IS MORE TROUBLE than is is worth plus saves buying 2 more batteries. This is a pic of mine before I put the frame in. Dave