From: chance wolf (chance_wolf@shaw.ca)
Date: Thu Mar 17 2005 - 10:41:13 PST
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sean Nichols" <Sean.Nichols@xilinx.com>
To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2005 9:48 AM
Subject: [MV] Mutt Buyer Assistance
> Greetings List,
>
> I'm going to take a look at a M151A2 for purchase, and was wondring if
> you knowledgable types out there might have a few pointers or even a
> list of Mutt-specific things to check for that could/should make or
> break the deal. I know the usual 'used vehicle' stuff to check for, and
> I know about the cut vs. uncut stuff too. So building on that, what
> should I be looking for?
Have a very, very, very thorough look underneath - and pay particular
attention to rust in the main structural components of body which support
the weight of the vehicle and/or retain the rear suspension components.
Some stuff you can get in the 'rust out kit', and some stuff you can't; one
of the major 'can't' parts being the cross-member which runs the width of
the vehicle just in front of the rear wheels. Be wary of fresh undercoating
applied all over this area and other key areas, especially if you see rust
on other parts of the vehicle. Also take a look at the mounting of the rear
differential assembly, because the front-most pad affixed to the body likes
to break off on some of the AMG bodies, leaving you with a fun welding job
or a search for the appropriate modification kit. If the vehicle is a
cut-in-half reweld, take a very good, long, hard look at how the vehicle was
rewelded, and look in places where the "beauty coat" of body filler won't be
masking the welding job.
If you can, jack up the back wheels, grab a good hold of each wheel, and try
to wiggle it fore and aft. If there's considerable movement that isn't
wheel-bearing related, chances are pretty good that the a-frame bushings are
shot. It's not a big deal to change the bushings, but not much fun at all
if the bolt-holes in the mounting plates themselves have elongated through
long neglect of the bushing problem.
Anyhow, the body and related are the key things on the M151, as there are
still plenty of T/O engines, transmissions and drivetrain items available,
so I'd concentrate my appraisals there if I were you. Seen lots of ugly
ones. And a couple of dangerous ones.
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