M88's headed Home for Rebuild

[ARMYMAN30YearsPlus]

These old gals are being cleaned up and headed for re-fit. They are coming home after soldiering on for years in the land of the morning calm.

The pictures are in the maintainance area at Waegwan, not far from the famous Busan Perimeter of the Korean War.

Not that they will become available to us anytime short of a SHTF scenario where one gets abandoned by a guardsman but these are really great vehicles and the newest ones that replaced these are capable of recovering anything on the battlefield. A real testimony to the design that is pretty old in fact I think it pre-dates my time in service.

 

[gimpyrobb]

RE: M88

Damn it, add one to the list.

 

[steelsoldiers]

RE: M88

Thanks David! Those are some great pics. It is amazing that they can re-fit them over and over and put them right back in service. It is a real testament to how solidly they were built the first time. Who was the original manufacturer? BMY or United Defense?

 

[54reo]

RE: M88

Absolutely great pictures, David!

Thanks for posting them.

 

[emmado22]

Whats even more amazing is when you get the HERC's.. They look brand new, but are all on 30+ year old M88 and M88A! chassis... They do some great work at the rebuild facility.

 

[cranetruck]

Got a winch level winder for an M88, if somebody wants to start rebuilding one, it's hydraulic.

 

[halftrack]

Pusan Perimeter. Great Pics.

 

[WillWagner]

One of the guys at work was the "owner" of an M88 while in Germany. He has some great pictures of it doing what it's designed to do.

 

[citizensoldier]

Man.. Now I want one ARMYMAN ! What if my wrecker breaks down? Rubber tracks too so I could drive it in town.. LOL.. Very nice pictures and thanks for taking the time to post them. I always enjoy shots of the the land of my wifes peeps.. Her mother was very greatful to you GI's.. I know there are some seriouse mixed feelings over the US being there.. Mostly generation gap related but she was greatful.. She would call me a Pongo honcho! Proud of that..lol..

 

[emmado22]

Tracked vehicles are cool, until you need to replace a final drive, or just fill it up every other day with fuel....

 

[citizensoldier]

I will probably never own one... But a guy can dream cant he.. Too much maintenance for me and money,and time,and fuel,and and and and and ...

 

[ah1955]

Chris I know that BMY in York Pa. made alot of them can't say if they made all of them or not. Had a friend of mine from school that was a welder down there and I worked for a truckind co. that hauled them from York, Pa. to Bayon, Nj. to be shipped out of the mil. port.

 

[ARMYMAN30YearsPlus]

I am glad you enjoyed seeing these and I will try to get more pictures as they head to the port and get loaded.

 

[hippiedude]

I wabt the power washer.....makes them look brandy new......nice pics.....Tim

 

[joec]

David i want one..hmmmm have to figure out where to put in my back yard. Hauling is no problem. Good transportation can handle it.
lets see mortagage the house sell everything no college for the kids....OK...I'll take one..LOL

 

[maddawg308]

It's quite possible some of those M88s and M88A1s started life out made by Chrysler, I think they made them back in the 1960s. Guess they are going to be refitted as M88A2s. Great pictures, David!

 

[FireFighterHill]

Some pics from Iraq

 

[mudguppy]

...Guess they are going to be refitted as M88A2s. Great pictures, David!

no - just refurbed A1s. the only units [mainly] that have A2s are 1st Cav, as they are about the only units to have the 70 ton M1A2s or [very few] SEPs. basically, they won't make any more '88A2 Hercs. costs waaaayyy too much for not much gain in function/capability.

to upfit to an A2 is extreme - you have to add 2 inches of armor plating to the top half of the 88 hull. plus, new powerplant (1050hp), new drives, new suspension, new boom system, new winch (140k pound constant pull)..... it's involved. about the only thing the A1 shares with the A2 is the bottom hull, roadwheels, and track.

 

[ecupirate]

Here is a 88 in action helping do a rear wheel seal replacement on one of our MRAP's.

 

[CARNAC]

Note who originally posted this. We are shortly coming up on the one year anniversay of David's death.