Surprise while driving HMMWV back from DLA

[187]

This is a HMMWV obtained through the DLA Law Enforcement program that I was driving back yesterday. This particular HMMWV received a complete overhaul including new paint, new soft top/doors, motor overhaul, and many suspension parts in 7/2010. The rebuilder riveted a plate on it indicating the vehicle was delivered back to the Army in 2010 and has the milegae stamped on it that the rebuild was done at. This is roughtly the same mileage when we signed for it yesterday (23,XXX).

There was either a failure of the parts or human error from not correctly bending the locktabs on the lockwasher into the slots on the retaining nut for the geared hub spindle.

I think everything is OK and only a new output seal and one outer bearing spacer will be needed for repair, as well as the lockwasher and maybe the retaining nut. I haven't had a chance to inspect the internals but from what I can see they may be OK.

I started to hear/feel a very slight noise/shimmy while driving on 71 near Mansfield, OH. Pulled off to check everything and plop....tire fell off.

 

[187]

Pictures:

 

[187]

Pictures of the HMMWV minus front right wheel

 

[srodocker]

that happened to my deuce...my bearings grenaded in the hub. glad you were able to pull over. I was lucky as well.

 

[jw4x4]

That was a very wise move to pull over and check the vehicle when you felt something out of the ordinary. "You picked a fine time to leave me, loose wheel." Definitely a human error in the re-assembly.

 

[readyman]

HMMWV forums are gettin' busy with LE guys and the new toys.

 

[Bob H]

Our local Sheriff dept had the good sense to have the trucks they received through this program shipped to their maintenance facility and had them gone over before attempting to drive them.

 

[Stalwart]

VERY typical for early HMMWV's with the older style hubs, the first few civilian ones in 1992-93 had this occur at speeds over 60 mph. The civilian ones all got new upgraded hubs after that. They couldn't upgrade the mil-spec. units right away as the new hubs weren't built to the specification in the contract.

 

[bikeman]

That's not only an issue with the old ones. There was a Safety Of Use Message (SOUM) published in 2008 or 2009 that deal with up-armored M1151/M1152s that were assembled with faulty Geared Wheeled Hub Assembly, there was a very large set of serial numbers that were affected. When we got a new set of 4 in while in Korea I had to go through with a mechanic and replace it in all 4 of them. I still have the old ones rattling around in a bag somewhere I think. The "symptoms" were drivers having to watch their wheel roll down the road while on a convoy in Iraq.

OP, glad you caught it, make sure you get the other side taken care of too.

 

[jw4x4]

Wow. That is simply amazing to me. And downright scary and dangerous, especially considering how high-dollar those vehicles are. Imagine having to be concerned about watching your tire and wheel roll down the road even if you didn't encounter an IED.

 

[emmado22]

The SOU messages are nothing new. In 1999/2000ish every HMMWV Army wide was deadlined due to a batch of bad spindle nuts/washers that got out there... For days, all mechanics did was check the hardware.

 

[187]

I wouldn't have tried to drive it but the fact that it was all rebuilt was too tempting. I've had others hauled back, but thought I could save the money on this one. Lesson learned......and to make it worse....I had this happen to me when I while in the service.....should have known better.

I brought one of our mechanics with me for the last one that I drove back. I was stupid this time.

 

[187]

Finally got the hub apart and inspected everything. There was minor damage to the inner and outer spindle spacer and the splines inside the lower gear. Parts are on the way to get this backs rolling again.

Definately human error when the hub was assembled. The lock washer showed no sign of being installed correctly (tabs not bent into the nut that retains the spindle).

The other hubs will be checked soon to be sure they are OK.

 

[TedG]

Please document this with pictures and post so that other LEO/FD learn and can fix theirs.

 

[Flyingvan911]

Glad it ended without injury. It's a nice looking humvee.