M715 "weaker" than the M37?

[chicklin]

I have seen it noted several places that the M715 was considered "weaker" than than it's predecessor, the M37 and that was part of the reason for the short production run. My understanding is that the M37 is a 3/4 ton truck while the M715 is a 5/4 ton truck.

So, what about the M715 made troops consider it weaker?

[Barrman]

Beast and Sermis can chime in since they have owned both. But, for me since I have worked on both here is my thought.

If nobody had told me what the rating of either vehicle was and told me to go pick the most "rugged" of the two. I would pick the M37. We all know the Duece and the 5-ton are super rugged. Well, the M37 has the same windshield, almost the same doors, same steering wheel and same basic "feel" getting in and out and raising the hood. Those doors are so darn heavy on the M37 that you "know" it is a tough truck just because those doors feel lead plated.

By comparison, you get into a M715 and the top of the door flexes, it moves easily, the hood cracks in the middle and there isn't all that window hinge, linkage in the way when you look forward. What kind of tough truck has a one piece windshield?

But, after driving both under load, I would go with the M715. But, that is only after driving both. How many veterans in the US military got to drive one? Then compare that to all the people that got to drive the M37 and all the varients and predecesors of that model?

[Tomahawk715]

Both look pretty tough just standing still however-I remember when the fire dept my uncle is the chief at got theirs-I wanted one immediately.

[randyscycle]

I think they both have their strengths and weakesses, and it would really depend on what you were using them for.

The biggest complaint I have ever had with the M37 is cramming two people into the tiny cab. They are small in comparison to the M715.

The longer wheelbase can be an advantage with the M715 in some cases, and a detriment in others. They will high center fairly easy. The wide track is better though for sidehill stability.

The sheetmetal on an M37 is definitely heavier and stronger. The 715 feels a bit tinny in comparison.

The pretty heavy boxed frame on the 715 is a strength in my opinion.

They were all built for the military though and compared to anything civvy they are both far stronger than what was on the road at the time.

[wolf.dose]

Hey guys,
the bad tellings of the M715 are from the U.S.Army in Germany, where these trucks mainly where stored in depots. For fun the soldiers selected one and raced it throughout the depot forward in first gear and in reverse. Therefore the reliability was not very good. This is in could condition no good for any vehicle!
Second (and I'm telling no lies):The production quality was that poor, that the government cancelled the order. On my truck about 4 feet of the frame welding was up to 1/2 inch out of the location where it should have been, so I rewelded it myself.
Third: Conservation was done on a label, but not on the vehicle (I found no wax or other conservation on my truck in 1981!). By that time the side members of the cab were rotten away already, so I had to built them new!
Forth: During these years the qualification of the standard soldier was not very hight (Just changed to the voluntary army.). So the drivers were.
Fifth: The inertia mass of the flywheel is a little to low for the weight of the vehicle. So driving is a little inconvenient for an unexperienced driver.
Sixth: Compared with the MUTT the M715 was not comfortable to drive and overloading was punished with bad performance. The Reo's by that time were most preferred by the drivers.

[white433]

The M715 with a 300 gallon tank and brush pump handled great. The M37 with the exact same tank and pump was overloaded, it sagged in the back and took a while to get there, that is what you would expect with the load ratings. Its been 20 years but I still remember the 37 with an empty tank going strong going back to get water, they were good trucks.

[moosejr]

I really think that it amounted to the fact that the M37 was powered similar to most vehicles of it's time. The M715, on the other hand, was a LOT heavier than its civilian counterpart, with a less powerful engine, ..and other vehicles with a lot more powerful engines were available on the civilian market.. . .So it really amounts to comparing apples and oranges. . ..

[randyscycle]

I still cannot figure why the government didn't specify a Diesel engine for the M715. If they had done that these trucks would have been around much longer I think.....

[glenn]

I own both vehicles and would have to agree on the engine in the M715 being its weak link. I'm 6'6'' so the 715 cab is much nicer for me. I think if Jeep would have put a better engine in the 715 the contract would have been renewed.

[george walker]

The truck was built to the specs the gov't required, it wasnt up to Jeep to design it. And for power a 715 can run circles around any m-37 any day,(I've had both too) it was more powerful than any truck that preceded it (in its own size class). These purpose built trucks, although seeming very crude by todays standard, were expensive for the army to purchase with the specs they required. The movement to reduce cost was beginning, the 715 was the first attempt to accomplish that an the next trucks would meet the desire,the dodge M-880 was a standard production truck, although it benefited from its v-8 engine, made possible by the cost cutting of using an off the line vehicle. But this proved a bit of a disappointment and some specialization was reintroduced in the next contract m-1009 series.I have never read or found any info that even suggested the govt cancelled the 715 contract.