Whats the best to buy M931/915/916/920

[jarokoro]

I am looking to buy a generally reliable truck to use part time to haul an equipment trailer and dump trailer. I was looking at a regular truck and started to find most are beat to death in my price range but the suplus trucks dont seem to be. I am not talking about surplus reliable but once I get it and make required repairs.

While in the Army I drove all of them but not like a civilian truck, I ended up with more than 250000 miles in a M931 but it had its share of troubles to get there most were tires/t-rods/and front axle related a few of my peers cracked transfer cases when backing under loaded trailers and of course the windshield/cab mounts were always cracked and straps went over the top to keep it together.

The 915 mostly electrical and tranmission (air shift sticking) same with the 916/920s I would change the fifth wheel unless I stumbled across an old m870 or 25 ton in decent shape.

Thanks

 

[hndrsonj]

I'd call Glenn in Salina KS and get a flawless M923.

 

[quickfarms]

For commercial work on the road I would stay away from a m931.

For commercial work in general weight is a major issue.

How heavy of an equipment trailer do you plan to haul?

 

[jarokoro]

a 923 is a cargo not what I need

30 ton trailer and a 20 foot dump

 

[quickfarms]

30 ton trailer and a 20 foot dump

For that I would look at the 915, 916 or even a 920. They cost a lot more than the 931 but they are better suited for commercial highway work.

The cat trans has better top end gear ratios than the Allison used in the early models but you can have shifting issues with the cat.

 

[jarokoro]

I am surprised that these trucks are not used for commercial work hrer in the US I drove a 931 from east to west coast for 18 months in the early 90s hauling material for the border and in europe and middle east we trucked everywhere in 931s and 915s and FMTVs the 5 tons where slow on the hills but I have seen some civilian trucks dogging hills to.

Can you get parts for the cat transmisson?

 

[quickfarms]

One of the issues with the 931 in commercial service is the wedge air brakes. In order to correctly rebuild wedge brakes you have to replace everything and that is costly. The trucks are an old design but they are used in the construction industry.

The issue with the cat trans is finding some one who can work on them, they are quite complex and have many O rings in them that affect the shifting.