| Dodge M37 | |
|---|---|
M37 cargo truck
| |
| Type | 3⁄4-ton 4x4 truck |
| Place of origin | Warren Truck Assembly, Michigan, United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1951 until varying per country |
| Wars | Korean War Vietnam War Laotian Civil War Cambodian Civil War Nicaraguan Revolution Salvadoran Civil War Guatemalan Civil War |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Dodge |
| Produced | 1951–1968 |
| No. built | 115,838 – across: — M37: ~63,000 units (1951–1954) — M37B1: 47,600 units (from 1958) — M37CDN: 4,500 Canadian (1951–1955) |
| Specifications (with winch[1]) | |
| Mass | 5,917 lb (2,684 kg) (empty) |
| Length | 15 ft 10 in (4.83 m) |
| Width | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Height | 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m) |
| Engine | Dodge T-245 78 hp (58 kW) |
| Transmission | 4 speed X 2 range |
| Suspension | Live beam axles on leaf springs |
Operational | 225 mi (362 km) |
| Maximum speed | 55 mph (89 km/h) |
The Dodge M37 was a 3⁄4-ton 4x4 truck developed for service in the United States military as a successor to the widely used Dodge-built WC Series introduced during World War II. Put into service in 1951, it served in a variety of configurations in frontline duty in the Korean War and War in Vietnam before being replaced by two commercial off the shelf (COTS) based 1+1⁄4-ton trucks: the Kaiser M715 (introduced in 1967 and supplied through 1969) and the Dodge M880/M890 series (in the 1970s).
It bore the designation (G741), and after its military phase-out was both put into domestic Federal government agency use and auctioned to civilians in the U.S., and adopted by foreign militaries.
Many of the components on the M37 are similar or identical to the Dodge-built World War II WC series vehicles, and many deficiencies of the WC series were corrected in the M37. Notably, a conventional pickup truck style bed replaced the platform on the World War II vehicle, simplifying production. There was significant drivetrain and powerplant commonality with the immediate postwar WDX series civilian Power Wagons, but no sheet metal was shared. Six WC-based prototype W37s were produced in early-to-mid 1950, with the first pre-production pilot vehicle rolling off the assembly line on 14 December 1950.[2]
In total some 115,000 Dodge M37s were produced between 1951 and 1968. Manufacture of the M37 began in earnest in January 1951, with approximately 11,000 vehicles made by the end of that year. By mid-1954 63,000 of the vehicles had been produced. In 1958 a number of modifications to the design resulted in the new vehicles being designated as M37B1. From mid-1958 until the end of production 47,600 M37B1 vehicles were produced. Approximately 4,500 Canadian M37CDNs were also produced between 1951 and 1955. M37s continued in service worldwide in the Israeli and Greek militaries.
From 1968 onwards, the U.S. military replaced the M37 with the heavier-rated 1+1⁄4 (or five-quarter) ton Kaiser Jeep manufactured M715 family of vehicles. Rather than purpose-built tactical vehicles, these "militarized" commercial off-the-shelf ('COTS') trucks were considered underpowered and fragile compared to the M37.[3] After seeing service in the Vietnam War the M715 was replaced in 1976 by the similarly rated Dodge-built COTS M880 series.
In addition to those M37s that were sold or offered as military aid to allied foreign countries, many were transferred to civilian agencies or sold domestically at government auctions, becoming a not uncommon sight in government and private use in the 1970s and '80s; some are still seen today in rural areas.
experimental:
The M37's flathead Chrysler Straight-6 engine was carried over from the World War II-era WC vehicle line, as was most of the drivetrain. Using an engine and drivetrain derived from a widely-produced 1930s era passenger vehicle was in line with a long-standing military procurement strategy that attempted to use commercially produced vehicle variants in military service.[citation needed]
Many deficiencies with aging design became apparent in the 1960s, including a tendency of the engine's connecting rods to fail at high rpms due to the long cylinder stroke of the undersquare engine. As the average speed of the vehicles in the military increased (overwhelmingly during peacetime, on sound roads) these engine failures became commonplace due to the low gear ratio of the vehicle, which was suited for a multipurpose vehicle capable of transporting heavy loads in rough terrain.
Clutch
Transmission
Transfer Case
Drive Shaft
Axles
Fuel tank
Electrical
Brakes
Steering
Wheelbase
Weight
Tire Size
Winch
During the late 1960s a competition was initiated by the Army, which requested the leading U.S. automotive companies to submit proposals as a replacement for the M37. Several prototype vehicles passed through the preliminary examination, eventually leading the military to accept General Motors XM70511⁄4-ton Truck and derivative XM737 Ambulance, which were supposed to replace the M37, instead of the militarized COTS M715 series of trucks. However, Congress cut funds for the program, and the XM705 never reached the assembly line.[4]
Below table lists the comparative specifications of the vehicles involved.[5]
| Vehicle | XM705 | M715 | M37 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | Chevrolet 8-307 | Kaiser Jeep 6-230 | Chrysler T-245 | ||
| Maximum horsepower | 200 at 4,600 rpm | 132.5 at 4,600 rpm | 94 at 3,400 rpm | ||
| Net brake horsepower | 140 at 4.000 rpm | 116 at 4,000 rpm | 79 at 3,400 rpm | ||
| Speed (miles per hour) on 31⁄2 percent slope with towed load in 4th gear | 41 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Cruising range (miles) | 300 | 225 | 122 | ||
| Weight distribution (percent) | Front | 44 | 36 | 42 | |
| Rear | 56 | 64 | 58 | ||
| Ground pressure (maximum) | 128 | 16.1 | 12.75 | ||
| Ground clearance under axles (inches) | 11.8 | 10 | 10.75 | ||
| Angle (degrees) of | Approach | With winch | 61 | 33 | 38 |
| Without winch | 61 | 45 | 44 | ||
| Departure | 45 | 25 | 32 | ||
![1953 M37 and 1953 M101 trailer[6]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1953_Dodge_M37_Display.jpg)
![M37 in front of a B-17G operated by the Experimental Aircraft Association.[7]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Side_view_M37.JPG)
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US military soft-skinned vehicles introduced after 1945
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| 1⁄4–1⁄2 ton vehicles |
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| 3⁄4–13⁄4 ton vehicles |
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| 21⁄2–7 ton trucks |
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| 8–16.5 ton trucks |
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| Tank transporters |
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