Reasons to NOT get a M916?

[Hammer]

Ok, I am a guy that cannot leave something alone, I always have to make it better.
That being said, I LOVE my 818.
BUT, there is a LONG list of things that I want to do to it.
Some of which I consider a safety issue, like jake brakes.
More of them include things like 12v trailer hookups, winch, MORE POWER, etc.....

My wife wants me to keep the 818 because of it's looks. It does look very apocalyptic. And is a fun truck.
But it is only fun for short stuff, like say, under 1000 miles of driving.

The 916 seems like a MUCH better platform to start with. The big motor is already setup pretty nice, and can SAFELY take quite a bit more power (not sure what the cat tranny can take for max power though).

I know the 7155 tranny is an issue. Rare bird there, and an even rarer bird to find someone to work on it (maybe I should learn!)

But I figured that if it takes a dump, I will have room to put in a nice 13-18 speed and not worry about it.

One other thing is the height of the 5th wheel. Mine is already tall, but the 916 is even taller!
Add to that the fact I would be running super singles (395s or 14's would probably be best for power/height.)

Hard part here, I would have to SELL my 818 to be able to afford the 916.
And yes, I HAVE thought about the 920 as well, but I don't think I really need the drop axle, and the extra length and lack of turning radius is not a plus for my uses.

So, what else am I missing on the 'why shouldn't I upgrade' list?

 

[Josh]

I think the only thing that would prevent me from owning a 900 series would be cost. That said, 920s appear to go cheaper then 916s, and in the MV world there is no such thing as overkill. Id get a 911 if I had the cash.

 

[Hammer]

Cost IS a factor, but when you start thinking about getting the Jake brakes, turbo upgrade (or motor swap), and all the other stuff that the 916 already STARTS with. Then the cost difference isn't really that big anymore.

 

[kennys@wi.rr.com]

Bigger is always better.

 

[srodocker]

yea if your planning on doing that with your 818 maybe start with something that already has plus its newer. i think the power alone would be the turning point for me

 

[Hammer]

Reread the title to the thread guys, I already WANT the bigger/newer truck! lol

I am just trying to see if there is any reasons to NOT get one?
Besides the fact that I would have to sell my 818 to afford getting one in the first place.

Oh, I guess one downside is that there is nothing remotely close to here. So it will be a cross country recovery (or a big bill for a lowboy to haul it out here....)
And yes, that is part of my thinking, cost of recovery.

 

[kennys@wi.rr.com]

There is no reason not to get the truck and to keep the 818.

 

[srodocker]

dont they come in cali a bunch?

 

[Hammer]

Well, flat out, I cannot afford to buy it and do what I want to it. Let alone keeping both trucks.
Of course I keep trying to get my wife to take over the 818 and sell her deuce....
That would be a great way to go, but I doubt that will happen. She wants a 530 fire truck...

Well, that and the fact that I am kind of tired of spreading myself thin between SO MANY projects.
If I get a 916, then I can dedicate more of my time and money to it. Which I think will be the better plan in the long run.

It's just things like that tranny. If I get it and it immediately has issues with it, then I am deadlined for a while until I can either fix it, replace it, or upgrade it. None of those options will be cheap.

 

[broman78]

do you have enough discretionary income? If funds aren't right don't do it.

 

[Hammer]

To do it flat out of pocket, NO. That is why I would need to sell the 818 to make it happen.
If I can sell the 818 for a decent price, then I should be able to make it all work.
And in the end, I bet I would spend LESS money on the 916 then the 818 to get the things I want out of it. And come out with a much better truck.

 

[wreckerman893]

I will give you my input as someone who drove the M916 a lot in the Army and owned a M915.

We pulled D7 Dozers, 10K forlklifts and anything else that we could get on the lowboys we had.

The M916 has the same engine and tranny that the M915 (the ones I drove in the Army) had...that being the 15 Speed CAT.

The M915's that are being surplussed out now have the 5 speed Allisons in them...go figure.

We never had one of ours go down because of the tranny....but it was serviced regularly by our mechanics.

The big difference between the 915 and the 916/920's is the addition of a PTO, the big winch on back, the transfer case and the lower rearend gear ratio.

The longest trip I made in the M916 was from Fort Benning, GA to Fort Chaffe, AR pulling a dozer. It was a long, slow, hot bumpy trip. With the D7 on there we were grossing over 80k but we never stopped at scales.

The M916 rides like an oxcart because of the heavier suspension....if you buy one your next purchase should be a set of air ride seats out of a commercial truck.

Top speed is about 56 MPH downhill with a 45 MPH tailwind......and with a heavy load on it will drag up hills...trust me...been there, done that, got the T-shirt.

It will also suck the bottom out of the fuel tank......5 MPG loaded is an optimistic dream.

Unless you get a trailer with a flipable kingpin you will have to put a commercial fifth wheel on it (or buy a trailer with the big kingpin)...and yes it is a lot higher than a regular semi.

This never caused us any problem but your milage may vary.

You may not be able to get under some trailers because of where the 5th wheel is set. In some cases you can back under the trailer and lock the pin but you will be so close to the landing gear you will not be able to turn with out ripping them off.

If I had a definate purpose for one I would jump on it......unless you can make it pay for itself it will be a money pit.

You will need a Commercial Drivers License, a DOT number, IFTA registration (if you plan to drive it out of your state) and commercial or farm insurance.

I paid $500.00 for a Farm Plate in AL and $1200.00 for a farm insurance policy through Progressive.

I would advise doing your financial homework before you buy one....sometimes the purchase price is the bargain and the other stuff is what eats your lunch.

See AM Generals thread about the hassel he had with NC to get the M915 I sold him on the road.

Hope this helps.

 

[Hammer]

WM, I have read your posts about this topic. Good information!
That is the kind of thing I need to hear, I already have enough voices in my head telling me to GET IT!

But, a lot of your points are already a point I have with my 818.
MPG, already understand how that part works.... Never cheap to play with the big toys.
You think the 916 rides THAT much worse then the 818?
I PLAN on air ride seats, trust me there!
As for speed, that was one of the reasons for the larger super singles. I don't want a rocket, but they will allow for higher cruise speeds.
More power can easily be had from the motor, but can the tranny take the extra power?
Btw, A/C is one of my planned upgrades if I get a 915 series truck. Plus some more cab insulation, etc. I want SOME creature comforts.
Trailer clearance is already an issue with the 818 and big tires. Already have a HIGH 5th as well.
I actually have a 5th wheel from a 915 sitting. So swapping that back and forth is no big deal.
And I was planning on a lowboy with the bigger pin anyways (one that flips preferably.)
Not sure if I could pull something like a M129A2C, or other similar military van trailer. They are not nearly as tall as commercial trailers, but clearance to landing gear is an issue, and overall height is an issue.

So how DOES this compare seeing I already have the 818 with a lot of what I can see are at least similar issues?

I WOULD like to put it to a good use. Enough to at least pay for it's tags and insurance and maintenance.

Thanks for the reply, good info.

 

[NDT]

Look carefully at administative costs such as insurance, State DOT, Federal DOT, and so on. My 915 runs $200/mo and $.50 a mile to operate.

 

[BKubu]

I am not sure that the M916 is a rougher ride than the M818. I have had both and I disagree. It is far from riding like a Cadillac, that is for sure. However, I have not noticed that it rode that rough...but I like everything about these trucks. The things that turn some guys off...size, smell, noise, look...turn me on so I am probably a bad person to ask. Richard (WRECKERMAN) is a guy whose opinion I trust so take my opinion with a grain of salt. I just don't think you are going to get into an M916 and long for the ride of you M818.

 

[wreckerman893]

You think the 916 rides THAT much worse then the 818?

In my opinion it does.....even loaded, due to the heavy springs....but a lot of that is the worthless, built by the lowest bidder seat that they put in them. Riding shotgun in one is setting yourself up for hemroids that you can make washers out of.

We had 818's in that unit and if you had a load on them they rode fairly decent....ours had springer seats that actually worked as designed so that was a plus.

There is a big sale comming up on a certain gooberment surplus property auction site that is going to have a chit load of M916's and M915's on it. Prices may be too good to pass up.

I may fall off the auction wagon and scoop up another M915.

 

[Hammer]

Ah, good to hear that. I was wondering how it could be THAT much rougher of a ride?
As for costs of tags and ins, I don't see how it will be THAT much different then the 818.
I know the 916 has a higher gvwr, and I can register it for a much higher gcwr (which would cost a BIT more!)
Funny about tastes, I like the big, rough, nasty things. But I want the insides to be a bit nicer. I will either do this to my 818, or a 916. And I think fitting air ride seats in the 916 will be FAR easier then the 818!

Thanks for the replies so far guys, this is the response I was looking for.

 

[Hammer]

Ok, one big question.
WHY are they so slow? Just because of the gearing?
I mean, my stock 818 was a MAX of 52 mph at redline. 730 miles home at 50 mph was an exhausting ride!
Bigger tires sucked the power out, but let me cruise at 65 mph.
I can't see how the ntc-400 could let the truck go so slow unless it was governed or gear bound.
If it was gear bound, then slightly taller super singles would gain me speed and should still be able to pull a load with the power from that motor.
Or am I missing something here?

 

[wreckerman893]

If it was gear bound, then slightly taller super singles would gain me speed and should still be able to pull a load with the power from that motor.
Or am I missing something here?

You will get a few more MPH but you will still have to run wide open to get it.

The 400 Come-a-part can be turned up to 2300 RPM and that will get you a little more speed...again running wide azz open.

Gearbound is gearbound.....the only way around it is to put in higher geared axles.....prob not cheap and finding a live steering axle might be an issue.

There was a M915 at the 2009 MVPA convention that had nice air ride seats and AC in it.

They were pulling two armored vehicles with it.....a very nice rig.

 

[BKubu]

The Freightliners have a real air-ride Bostrom seat. Go for one of them. They are cumfy!