Leaning toward buying M885, a few questions from a rookie...

Hi everyone. I'm new to the boards (been looking around for a couple weeks or so) and I've been trying my best to read up on the old military trucks as I'm considering buying one for a daily driver since I truly despise cars. At first I was leaning toward buying a CUCV, but I can't seem to find a nice one for a decent price, so I'm now looking at an M885 since I've found one I like in great shape for much cheaper than the CUCV's.

Anyway, on to the questions...

1. There's something I'm confused on: is the M880 series a 1 1/4 ton, 1 ton, or 3/4 ton? According Alfa Heaven here in Wisconsin, all of the M880's are listed 5/4 tons, but I've seen a few people on here say they're not really that heavy.

2. I just realized today (took me long enough) that the M880 series is full-time 4wd. With that being the case, do these trucks make decent daily drivers, not taking gas mileage into account? The question was asked in another thread but I didn't see a clear answer.

3. Since full-time 4wd is completely unnecessary for a daily driver, how difficult is it to finda and swap in an NP205 transfer case (or something comparable)? Again, I saw it mentioned in another thread but I didn't see anything mentioned about difficulty finding and installing a new transfer case.

I tried to search as thoroughly as I could, but I just recently started looking at the M880 series and may have missed a few things. I decided to go ahead and ask the questions since I need to find something soon, and one that I really like has just come up for sale so I want to be able to make an educated decision as soon as possible. Thanks in advance for any help/advice you guys have!

-Jason

RE: Leaning toward buying M885, a few questions from a rooki

Jason, the M880 is, with but a few small exceptions, identical to the W-200. The same basic truck is a 3/4 in the civilian world and a 5/4 in the military world. Perhaps it was for emission reasons like the M1009 blazer. Still a fairly heavy truck none the less. The full time isn't really an issued as long as you have a supply of fuel. Proper lubing of the front end helps everything last longer. Double check axle joints and wheel bearings if you can. Swapping in a 205 is doable but I'm not sure what adapters would be needed to mate it to the 727. You could always buy a doubler kit which mates the 205 to the back of the 203 reduction box giving you a whole bunch of low range. The other way to go is buying a part time kit for the 203. Milemarker makes 2 of them and the more expensive one is a better design. The next consideration is fron lockouts. Again doable but expensive as all getout with new parts. One could switch all the outer components from the balljoints out with stuff from a 73-87 Chevrolet Dana 44 or Corporate 10 bolt as long as its 8 lug. I suppose one could always install a part time kit and leave the front axle as is but you won't experience the fuel savings as you would with the hubs. Lots of MV enthusiasts frown at the M880 but I really like them. A great driver with parts available at the corner auto parts store. Start looking for a 77/78 W100 0r W200 to abscond the power steering from.
Hope this helps!

RE: Leaning toward buying M885, a few questions from a rooki

Thanks for the info! =^) I actually was reading a bit on another Dodge forum last night before I went to bed and a question that was asked was whether or not having full-time 4wd is really a disadvantage over part time, and the overwhelming opinion seemed to be that 4wd is no worse, and in many cases is actually better and more desirable, so if I buy the M885 I'm looking at I'll probably leave the full-time 4wd and save myself some work. Another good thing about the truck is it already has power steering, so that's one less thing I'd have to add. It's actually a civilian version of the M885 which I believe is why it already has the power steering. I've never owned a Dodge before but I really like the look of the M880's. Some people say they're no good, while others say they're great. The impression I get is that the people who say they're no good are biased toward another brand and/or have never actually owned the M880. I think it looks/sounds like a great truck aside from the gas mileage, but even with that taken into consideration it'll still cost much less than owning one of these brand new electronics and computer infested vehicles. The ONLY thing I don't like about the M880 is the fact that they're not diesel since I would love to run it on veggie oil, but that's easy to get over and can be changed later on down the road if I so choose. I think I might just have to go pick up that M885! =^D

Just out of curiosity Ken, what personally draws you so much to the M880 (if you don't mind me asking)? Also, what bad things have you heard from others, whether true or untrue?

Thanks again for the help Ken, and for any other advice or info you or anybody else might provide. I'll continue to read as much as I can about these trucks!

-Jason

RE: Leaning toward buying M885, a few questions from a rooki

I consider the M880s as a great compromise between a true tactical vehicle and a civilian vehicle. They are military no matter what one says and you can get parts at Walmart. They are dirver friendly especially after adding PS. The cost is very reasonable compared to other military trucks of a comparable size. Check the price difference between an M880 and M1008. Its all 12V and can be jumped with a car. The 318 is a very reliable engine as is the 727 for the most part. Dana 44 and 60 axles are durable as well. I'm pretty much a Chevrolet nut but the M880 has created a home in my heart. I love em!

Re: RE: Leaning toward buying M885, a few questions from a r

Recovry4x4 said:

.................................... I'm pretty much a Chevrolet nut but the M880 has created a home in my heart. I love em!

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Yeah, what he said!

RE: Re: RE: Leaning toward buying M885, a few questions from

I love my M880 too. It would take a lot to get me to give it up. Cummins Diesel swap is in the back of my mind down the road, but right now, I'm in the process of swapping in a newly rebuilt 440! (Had to get the 440 727 tranny too since the bell housing is larger on the big blocks.) Only down side with these trucks is fuel mileage. Got 10-12 mpg with the 318. But my opinion is that if you are that concerned about fuel mileage, you should go buy a Geo. That's not what trucks are built for. Love the FTFWD, if you live in a rural area that has harsh winters with frequent snow on the road, then there's nothing better than having a FTFWD setup. Good luck!

Do not even hesitate to make one of these trucks a daily driver. you will not regreat it,( if you can live without air, electric windows and cruse control )

The 318 and 727 are well proven, the fact that it is a full time 4wd is only an issue at the pump.... and then it isnt all that worse than a part time 4wd. I take mine on 100 mi. trips and dont even think about it. I would not even think of converting mine over to part time 4wd..... In fact, you are more likely to have an electrical problem than a drive train problem. But even then it is not a big deal..... remember, these trucks have been around a while so anything that could possiably go wrong with them somebody has already had to deal with it.

those guys over at the power wagon fourm have been a great help to me. Also, Parts are pleantyfull for these trucks. and seeing how yours already has the power steering that is an added bonus.


You will however need to :

1) make sure the front wheel bearings are greased along with the other drive train componets. ( but this is no more work than any other truck of this era)

2) Get use to stopping for a light and having the guy nex to you ask :
" Hey, does that thing have a Hemi " ?


Good luck : Nick

Thanks for the info Nick and McGuyver! I'm leaning very heavily toward buying one of these for my daily driver now. I've also been looking around for 1st generation Rams with the Cummins Turbo Diesel, but it seems to be quite hard to find one for a decent price. It's either spend $4000-$6000 on a really nice, super-low mileage M880, or spend at least $7000 (usually a lot more) for a 1st gen CTD powered Ram with close to or over 200,000 miles, which isn't a whole lot of miles for a CTD, but those miles are also on the rest of the truck and it's hard to tell if something major (or a lot of small things) other than the engine could go wrong not long after acquiring the vehicle. To top it all off, I LOVE the simplicity of the M880 (no A/C, no electric windows or locks). Those are definately options I can live without, and actually prefer not to have. I just see them as more things to eventually go wrong. Cruise control is nice, but definately not necessary.

I'll let you guys know what my decision ends up being. There's a very good chance there will be an M880 in my garage by the end of the week!

Appleton wi. ?

ever heard of a guy named Gene Krull ? just wondering...


also dont forget the picks

Nick

JTZX said:

Cruise control is nice, but definately not necessary.]

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By adding cruise control to this truck you should see on a trip an increase of 2 or 3 MPG. I used to have a 26 foot class A motor home with a 440 727 power package 4 to 5 MPG driving with my foot at 55. Turned the cruise on the next trip and averaged 10 MPG taking the same route to the same destination!!

Enjoy the truck.

Nope, never heard Gene Krull. Is he a friend of yours that lives in the area?

As for my comment about cruise control not being necessary, I meant from a convenience standpoint. I like having it, but having to hold my foot on the gas, even during an 8 hour trip (which I did in my old 73 Nova SS), doesn't bother me much. As for gas mileage however, I do know that cruise control helps, but didn't know it could increase your mileage output by 5mpg! That's pretty darn good. If I come home with an M880 this week I'll have to look at adding that. How hard is cruise control to add anyway? I have NO idea how it actually works, to me it's just a magic button you push that allows you to take your foot off the pedal and keep going.

I'd skip the cruise control. Most of the aftermarket units for older vehicles are pretty poorly made and have issues after they get a few years on them.
As for the M880 series, everyone knows I'm a Mopar nut and how much I like the older Dodge Rams, but they really are good trucks. The only poor deal with them is the comparatively weak front wheel bearing setup. They will still last a good long time with proper maintenance, just keep from putting deep dish rims or super wide tires on it. Other than that, the only bugs are the before mentions electrical issues which are easy to learn and diagnose, and the typical rust that every 30 year old truck deals with.

With the 4.10 gearing in the M880's, I don't see cruise control doing much. I've run lots of miles on my M882 both empty and fully overloaded. at 65 mph the throttle is at least 3/4( almost floored) open and the speed stays pretty level even up & down slight grades.
If you have a steady foot, you can actually get better mileage without using cruise control.

Elwenil said:

The only poor deal with them is the comparatively weak front wheel bearing setup. They will still last a good long time with proper maintenance, just keep from putting deep dish rims or super wide tires on it.

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Hmmm, the M880's I'm looking at are from Alfa Heaven here in Wisconsin, and Tom has 36 inch Humvee tires on all the M880's he has for sale. Will those tires ultimately destroy the front wheel bearings, or will they not hurt anything? He says that with those tires the trucks cruise comfortably at 70mph. I'll be heading up there tomorrow or Thursday to check out his selection, so I'll see what kind of RPM's the trucks turn at highway speeds.

I think I might actually take a hard look at one of his M1009 Blazers since he claims they get excellent fuel mileage (20 city, 27 highway) with the 3.08 geared axles, 6.2 diesel engines, and 36 inch Humvee tires. I'd much rather have a truck, but the Blazer might prove to be quite tempting, especially if it gets the fuel mileage he claims, and also because it can be converted run on veggie oil. I'm just a little skeptical about the 6.2 diesel, I haven't heard the greatest things about that engine.

I believe Alfaheaven is running humvee tires (36X12.50R16.5) on the stock M880 16.5X6.75 wheel, which in my opinion is WAY too narrow a wheel with those tires. You really ought to be running a 9.75" wide wheel with a bias ply tire that wide. Result will be that the tread will bulge out in the center real bag, and they will wear out prematurely. Of course running these tires on the M880 (regardless of which wheel used), be mindfull of the potential wheel bearing issue discussed previously...

I think Alfa-heaven has some orginal good years 16.5 tires that came on the M880..... maybe you can get them to throw in a set if you are worried about the bigger tires.

Humvee tires on a unlifted M880 Will eat up your front fenders (unless you don't turn or go over bumps.)

I wondered about that too. 36inch tires on ANY unlifted truck sound a little large. It seems like they'd rub the front fenders like crazy while turning, unless Tom at Alfa Heaven has figured out a way to fit them so this doesn't happen. I've heard he really knows what he's doing though, so we'll see what happens when I head up there Friday to take a look at his stock.

My son and I have four of the 880 series trucks. We do not modify them with big tires and other stuff, just leave them stock as the factory engineers spent a lot of time designing them to be right. One of our military ones even had power stering on it. The prices you have been quoted seem very high compared to what we have bought our trucks for. Prices for ours ranged from $350 for ones that needed some work to a really nice low mile truck for a little over $2000. All were bought off Govliquidation or GSA auctions. I suggest you look around more on internet for a truck. There is at least one really nice one on Ebay right now. The 6.2 diesel is a no go for dependability. In my opinion, it is one of GM's half-assed deals they have been famous for on diesels for cars and small trucks. Then again, the 6.2 seems to have a love/hate reputation depending on who you are talking to. The axle bearings on the front axle have grease fittings for a grease gun on then. You take the wheel off, and will see a hole in the rotor. Turn it until you can access the grease fitting through it. I have had a "deer" bar (hit 'em and keep going) on the front of my current truck, and on another truck for years with no problem. The guard weighs 300 pounds easy because it is also meant to be a push bar. I think some of the problem is some people don't know about the grease fitting for the front bearings. The 318 is a dependable motor, as is the 727 transmission.
Regards Marti Sacks

Thanks Marti. I'll keep an eye on the Govliquidation and GSA auction sites for trucks. I agree with you, the prices that I was quoted did seem a little high, but so far that's all I've had to go on. As for the 6.2, like you said people seem to love them or hate them. It seems the people who own the CUCV's say they're dependable, just underpowered. I'll actually be taking a look at an M1008 today that I stumbled upon in the paper. Other than that, I'll be keeping a closer eye on the gov't auctions.