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Hey military personnel

DieselBurb

1/2 ton status
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Oct 8, 2002
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Mt. Vernon, Missouri
Just curious...who gets to drive these:
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How do you like them?
 
I do. Personally, they're way to electronically dependent, when you crash them, you end up on the street after going through the windshield, and finally, they have less room in them for gear than a hatchback humvee!!!!! Other than the high risk of danger with your forehead being a foot from the windshield, hydrolic dependent hood opening, and overall poor design, I think they're great!
 
I have driven them. There pretty nice, they are a push button tranny and the tcase self engages on its own. Other than that there pretty fun to drive.
 
A 63B's (army "mechanic") worst nightmare /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif Electronically controlled transmission/transfer case: no low range, engages first (granny) only "mode", 30/70 (fr/rr) torque split normal operation, 50/50 lock in mode. The A2 variants went with electronic fuel managed CAT. Add that to the PITA CTIS(wait 'til they add ABS!!!) and you got one big headache.

I'm not afraid of electronics in a wheeled vehicle, but I've got alot more (civilian) experience and training than the average uniformed knuckle buster. The Army hasn't trained, nor equipped , it's mechanics to be able diagnose rolling problems like these. The DOD buys alot of "Gee-Whiz" crap, this is one of them /forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif
 
Thats the cool thing about not having to work on them. I can drive them and if it brakes someone else fixes it. /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif But I do everything I can for when I drive them not to brake it. But I totally agree with DieselDan they are a headache even for the driver.
When you get past all that they are fun to try to get stuck LOL.
 
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A 63B's (army "mechanic") worst nightmare Electronically controlled transmission/transfer case: no low range, engages first (granny) only "mode", 30/70 (fr/rr) torque split normal operation, 50/50 lock in mode. The A2 variants went with electronic fuel managed CAT. Add that to the PITA CTIS(wait 'til they add ABS!!!) and you got one big headache.

I'm not afraid of electronics in a wheeled vehicle, but I've got alot more (civilian) experience and training than the average uniformed knuckle buster. The Army hasn't trained, nor equipped , it's mechanics to be able diagnose rolling problems like these. The DOD buys alot of "Gee-Whiz" crap, this is one of them



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Couldn't of said it better!!!!!!

By the way, the 1078 MTVs already have the ABS! Ours go out all the time!
I'm with you bro, I'm a 63S and I always end up being the only person in the shop that can fix these! The Army isn't ready for this! They're combining all the MOSs but they don't have time to retrain on the equipment?? what happens when they ain't got guys like us with previous experiance? I've got E6/E7 that can't diagnose fuel issues on a humvee(M998)!!!!! Where is this political Army going? /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif
 
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they have less room in them for gear than a hatchback humvee!!!!!

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I was on those in Hawaii and doing a full-on deployment with a three man crew in one of those plain sucked...
 
I got to drive them a bit when I was in. As everyone else mentioned.... they could be fun (like driving up 30 degree washed out hills) but overall they sucked (especially going down 30 degree washed out hills...feels like you're going to get crushed between the truck and ground face first /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif).

A lot of different MOS's drive them. I was in Signal and some of our shelters were on them. Just about every unit I can remember has at least a couple.

BTW the one in the front in your pic is a 5 ton and the second one is a 2.5 ton. Notice the dual rear axles on the first one.
 
As a former 63Boo getting ready to go back in next month....these were never in any unit i was in...but dealing with ABS be it rockwell (meritor-bendix-eaton-etc.) thanx to my army training and years of working on over the road trucks at the dealership level since 96 these problems really aren't that bad to fix once you do it every day...i specialize in electronics and a/c...and i can't wait to put the uniform back on next month...gotta loose 20 pounds first to get down to 200...and i'm an instant e-4 again asa 63B10H8.

DW
 
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Anyone ever drive one of these? I want one of these mothers! They look awesome! We have about six of them at the reserve base down the street. I keep asking if I could drive one but they always tell me to join.
Cool Ass Toy

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...but dealing with ABS be it rockwell (meritor-bendix-eaton-etc.) thanx to my army training and years of working on over the road trucks at the dealership level since 96 these problems really aren't that bad to fix once you do it every day...

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Ya but the Army is retrofitting ABS to trucks! A factory truck is nothing like one that Depot has cobbed together /forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif I've got two M931A1 tractors that just came back from "rebuild" (glorified paint job) both now have ABS, one works (sorta) the other doesn't.

The what tools to you have to diagnose problems at your (civilian) shop? Remember the garbage the tools sets the Army used to buy? The quality has gotten better but they still buy a lot of useless crap and not the stuff you really need. /forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif Instead of a simple ECU scanner like SnapOn Prolink, the DOD wastes thousands of dollars on CTS, SPORTS, SPORTS-2, etc.
Then there's the (lack of) training....
I'll get off my soapbox now. /forums/images/graemlins/ignore.gif
 
Ya the SEE (small emplacement excavator) are nice if you're an "off-roader" like us /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

Engineers don't like them cause they replaced the old John Deere back hoe (can't remember the model; I was in the heavy engineers maanny years ago). The front bucket is too small for real work and the high center of gravity on coil springs is cause for serious concern /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Most 62 series don't even know they're based on a Unimog (or what a 'mog is) chassis.

The good news is the Army is looking for a replacement soon.. time to start watching the DRMOs /forums/images/graemlins/ears.gif
 
finally got to get upclose to one of those this year while i was in Ark on annual training. they were neat. interesting seating. but i agree with all the electrical stuff i wouldnt want to work on them.
 
Aw come on, they can't be all that bad if the Army just renewed the production contract for another 5+ years...of course I might be a little biased since I help engineer and design them. We have heard nothing but good reports from Iraq and Afghanistan...
 
Not to start a flame war, but there is way to much politics involved in Army procurement. And the people that do the purchasing aren't the ones working on them or driving them. Case in point: Ever wonder why the Army doesn't use a PTC (positive temperature control) glow plug in the HMMWV, even though the civilian 6.5 have used them for almost 10 years? Because it would bring glow plug failures down to about zero - no profit in that /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Have you ever read the Army's "Logistitian" magizine? This pas year a COL wrote that the new electronic systems made the job of the mechanic easier /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif You had to scrape me off the ceiling after reading that /forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif "Gee Sir, Just how much wrench time do ya got workin' on this stuff?" /forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif
 
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but there is way to much politics involved in Army procurement.

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Ain't getting no argument from me. I saw a letter one time from some goofball with stars saying his scouts were staying on Bradleys cause he couldn't get armored HMMWVs................
 
I agree the SEE(unimog) is pretty cool. It has more ground clearance than anything I have ever seen. One problem though, nobody over here knows how to work on them and ours has been deadlined for 30 of the last 36 months. Bad hydraulics, bad transmisssion, blown up clutch, bad power steering. The list goes on and on. I would definitely like to find one of these at a surplus auction though.
 
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