Which rear axle likes to break ?

[Eric's hifim37]

Hello everyone,

I have heard over the years from my Vet friends that the M37's like to break axles, well I am asking you fellow M37 owners if you have ever had a axle break on you ? I have been told it was the long one, if so. Do you concur with the long one breaking ?

I have a very good running 318 in my M37 and also run 44" tires, after several years of driving no broken axle yet, also I have owned and 4X4'ed the heck out of 4 other M37's and never a axle breakage so I am finding doubt in the axle breaking fable unless it was due to popping the clutch or abusive driving.

I am traveling a 800 mile trip soon and I will be loaded up & pulling a trailer so I am considering packing a spare axle for the "just in case" ploy, or maybe peace of mind ....

Eric..

 

[pwrwagonfire]

I have been told by my bosses at work (30 years of experience with these trucks) that on powerwagons (and m-37s) the LONG side of the rear axle is more prone to breaking. Putting the truck in 4WD is supposed to prevent such breakage, our rules are if you're going off road...just put in the 4WD just in case.

Easy to do with a lot of weight in the bed (water in our case), and when starting on hills, or on soft ground. Says you twist the axles right out, and both of our trucks have had it done to them multiple times...I'd be aware of it if I were you, but if you haven't ever had any problems keep doing what you're doing I guess!

 

[pwrwagonfire]

PS- The first M-37 I looked at was used by a fire department, and had recently had the rear axle broken

 

[dcbrown]

The only rear axle I have broken, was the rear right (short). I usually start out in 2nd. But I was in first gear, making a 90 degree right turn, starting from a stop sign, which was on a slight incline. It was right when I first got the truck so maybe it was stressed already. Other than that, no problems. I did discover that the sort ones seem to be a little harder to find. The long ones seem plentiful.
Chris

 

[Eric's hifim37]

Well with only 2 replies I guess I have nothing to worry about

I'm still going to pack the long axle with me, I have a 800 mile journey fully loaded with my radio shelter & pulling a M101 full of goodies here in 5 weeks. I should by next year have my center diff rear installed then I can do away with the AUX drive on the transfer case too !

Like I stated in the first post, I have owned 5 of these great trucks and subjected a couple to some serious V8 burnouts ( 9.00 x 16's smoke pretty good ) and 4X4ing and never a axle break so we'll see what the future brings..

Later, Eric..

 

[Bill W]

I have no personal experence as my 37 was a trailer queen
But everything I've read on this in the last 12 years is that the short shaft breaks easier then the long one as the long shaft has more give ( being longer it has more of a flex) to where the short has more shear force on it being its stiffer

 

[emr]

I am no m37 expert for sure , but the first i have heard of such a problem, all trucks can break an axle. But then again i 35 years of 4 by 4ing,the only axle i ever broke was in a dodge truck... just sayin..

 

[FrankUSMC]

I have owned several M37s and never broke an axle.
On the replies from pwrwagonfire, I can see a firedepartment M37 snapping axles. The heavy load of water and a driver who might be under trained in driving a M37 in the woods. Some of the young firefighters only know what they have been told by us old firefighters "it can knock down trees!, it can jump ditches, it can take care of anything including nagging mother in laws.
Great trucks.
Bill W, is that the famous M37 with the "Big Gulp Holder" option?
One of the few, Frank USMC RET

 

[Bill W]

"Bill W, is that the famous M37 with the "Big Gulp Holder" option"

Thats her
I should have bought 2 of those binocular case holders from you

 

[jmassenga]

I've broken 3 long, 1 short. 2 longs and a short were due to a locker that decided to impersonate a spool. Last one was probably a pre-existing fault in the shaft and the -45 degree temps that day (spider webbed the door window shutting it that morning, and threw the belt on the way home from work too... not a good day for the truck). Spare shafts fit great across the passenger seat box, just below the backrest.