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M151 MUTT
- Thread starter MrT
- Start date
Didn't these have a roll over problem because of the all wheel independent suspension?
Yep...
Problems
Unlike other military transports, such as the WWII and Korean War Jeeps and Dodge and Chevrolet transport trucks, the M151 was never widely released into the civilian market. This was partly because it did not meet federal highway safety standards for civilian vehicles, and also because of a series of early rollover accidents. While these were often blamed on the independent suspension (which played no small part), they were also due to driver errors, with operators unprepared for the increased performance compared to the Jeeps which it replaced. The swing axle rear suspension design was prone to radical camber changes when subjected to abrupt shifts in lateral loads, resulting in catastrophic oversteer, which often led in turn to a vehicle rollover. Sudden and excessive steering input, as commonly found in a high-speed emergency avoidance maneuvers, was a recipe for disaster, as was heavy braking mid-turn. The vehicle's tendency to lose control was reduced when there was weight in the rear, so drivers would often place an ammunition box filled with sand under the rear seat when no other load was being carried. The box could simply be emptied or abandoned when the extra weight was not needed. Recoilless rifle carrier models were especially prone to rollover accidents due to their stiffer rear springs and were typically subjected to severe speed restrictions any time the gun was not aboard.
The handling issues were eventually resolved by a redesign of the rear suspension, introduced in the M151A2 model. However, due to liability concerns, the U.S. Department of Defense deemed all M151 series vehicles "unsafe for public highway use", limiting their public use. Continuing problems with vehicle roll-overs into the 1980s led the US military to retrofit many M151 series vehicles with the "Roll over protection structure" (ROPS), a roll cage intended to protect both front and rear seat passengers.
B)
centaur567
Well-known member
Maybe that's what we rolled over in thinking it was a Jeep. I was riding shot gun in the CO's "Jeep", when the driver, who was fooling around in the ammo pit, lost control and flipped it onto it's roof. nobody really hurt though. Thanks for the insight. Good luck with the build. Gary
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Skinny_Mike
Well-known member
iambrb
Well-known member
Neat subject and Mr.T got the rollover issues just right. I actually knew a Civvie who had one of these in the 70's woodland camo with correct little trailer, and I almost bought it! Me and car engines are not a match though, & I did not want to buy something with parts that are not readily available to a civilian like me. I knew the independent suspension issue, but I did not drive it in the rough & thought that it rode really well. Going to be neat to watch!