FMTV Highway Speed

Looks like we are about to see lots of these on the market. I have zero exposure to these trucks except for touring the S&S plant back in the 90's. My question is: New member "ragingbear" reports that his M1078 seems to max out at 50 mph, with comfortable cruising speed of 45. Do other owners/former or active 88Ms share this view?

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55 to 58 thats it with mine.

All of the LMTV's that I have driven in the Army are governed at 58 MPH

Yep governed but will hit about 58. Computer can increase that but if you have an accident in one at about 70 mph, not sure how that will look.

CARNAC said:

Yep governed but will hit about 58. Computer can increase that but if you have an accident in one at about 70 mph, not sure how that will look.

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The computer cannot increase it. It is a rev limiter that controls it. I have re geared mine and it will do 74 with the 1st gear and the other lower gears staying about the same but the higher gears stretching it out to active the higher top speed. The rev limiter is limiting it at the 74 mph but I can and do drive at 65 with much better fuel consumtion.

Can someone share the regear option. Axletech ??? from which MRAP?

From the Meritor RF-611 (front) cutsheets (attached from their website, I don't see a copyright notice on them), the available axle ratios are 6.14, 7.10 and 7.80. According the to TM9-2320-365-10 (M1078 LMTV operator), the MTVs use the 7.80 ratio. With the 2 to 1 bevel gears in the hubs, the stock gearset is 3.90, so we would be looking for a 3.07 or 3.55 set. In the copy of the Meritor Drive Axle Parts Catalog I could find online, the only gearset listed is the stock 3.90 set (part number A-41102-1).
Anyone have a good relationship with a Meritor parts dealer ?
(Note that there are a couple of online reports from people building expedition campers that the gearsets are about $1000 per axle.)

I just drove mine back from Atlanta yesterday. Mine maxed out at 50mph while towing an M1101 behind it. I don't think the trailer slowed it down any either. That was 2250rpm, and speed reading was from my GPS. The speedometer on the dash was reading about 2-2.5mph slower than actual speed. I did hit 53mph once while on a downward grade. Uphill grades it would slow down, sometimes to 45mph.

Hi I was wondering where you got the gear change set?
thanks

The A0 variant of these trucks like I just got, use Rockwell axles. The data plate I found on mine lists a 3.90 ratio for the center section.

I hit 55MPH this morning. That was turning 2500 RPM. I tried to grease the throttle pedal linkages so that it would operate a little easier and bent the pedal back flat. Now I can give it just a little more pedal and it will hit that 2500RPM mark easier. That also seems to be the shift point. Especially when it is cold it won't shift up very well at all unless it hits that 2500RPM mark.

Has anyone tried fitting 14r20 tires on their LMTV instead of a gear change? I ran them on my MAN L90 4x4 without much issue. I figure it will drop the RPM by about 250RPM AT 55mph. Just wondering about clearance.

I think the gear change option is Caiman axles. There are 1000's available at the moment at Premier Metal Buyers, Brenham, TX.

NDT said:

I think the gear change option is Caiman axles. There are 1000's available at the moment at Premier Metal Buyers, Brenham, TX.

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I wonder if they still have some

Reworked LMTV said:

I wonder if they still have some

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They did when I was there last May.

They had 1000's 2 1/2 years ago, i heard a couple of months ago they were down to nothing.

wb1895 said:

All of the LMTV's that I have driven in the Army are governed at 58 MPH

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Yep same here on the M1088 but I drive 45/50 mph and stay off Interstates if I can.

steve6x6x6 said:

They had 1000's 2 1/2 years ago, i heard a couple of months ago they were down to nothing. They scrapped all of them.

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When I was there in May Mike said they were pulling the gear sets and scrapping the axles. Best bet would be for someone to give them a call and see if any are left.

mkcoen said:

When I was there in May Mike said they were pulling the gear sets and scrapping the axles. Best bet would be for someone to give them a call and see if any are left.

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I called Mike about 45 days ago and talked over the phone. At that time he said he still had them in stock, $550 per pumpkin, and he would put it on a pallet. Even recommended a shipping company that he deals with often. Called the shipping company, they have me an estimate of $330 to ship the pallet from TX to MD.

There are two Mikes at the business, so if you ask to speak to Mike, they'll ask which one. I told them "the guy in charge of the caiman axles," and the nice lady said "oh yes, mike (insert last name here)." I've since forgotten the last name, but it was something close to Bennett or ..?

I didn't buy them yet. Thinking Bryce's whole axles are only a little more money and Lots of spare planetary parts.