M54 (truck)
| M54 5-ton 6×6 Cargo truck | |
|---|---|
M54 cargo truck during Exercise Reforger, 1991
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| Type | 5-ton 6x6 truck |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Production history | |
| Designer | International Harvester |
| Manufacturer | Diamond T, International Harvester Kaiser/Kaiser-Jeep, Mack |
| Produced | 1951–1965 |
| Specifications (with winch) | |
| Weight | 19,945 lb (9,047 kg) (empty) |
| Length | 24 feet 11 inches (7.59 m) |
| Width | 8 feet 1 inch (2.46 m) |
| Height | 9 feet 8 inches (2.95 m) |
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| Engine |
Continental R6602 |
| Transmission | 5 speed X 2 range trf. case |
| Suspension | Live beam axles on leaf springs |
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Operational
range |
280 mi (450.6 km) |
| Speed | 52 mph (84 km/h) |
Continental R6602
224 hp (167 kW)
The -A1 upgrade had a Mack ENDT-673, a 673 cu in (11.0 L) turbocharged inline 6 cylinder diesel engine developing 210 hp (160 kW) at 2100 rpm.
The M54 5-ton 6×6 Cargo truck (G744) was the basic cargo model of the M39 Series truck. It was designed to transport a 10,000 lb (4,500 kg), 14 ft (4.3 m) long cargo load off-road in all weather. In on-road service the load weight was doubled.
The M54 was the primary heavy cargo truck of the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine forces during the Vietnam War, and was also used by the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and ARVN forces.
The M39 Series began to be replaced by the M939 Series in 1982, but continues to serve in other nations' armed forces around the world.
The M39 (G744) series was designed as a 5-ton (4536 kg) three axle all wheel drive off road truck to replace World War II era trucks such as 4 and 6 ton 6x6’s built by Brockway, Diamond T, Mack, and White. Rushed into production by International Harvester in 1951, soon Kaiser (renamed Kaiser-Jeep in 1963) also became a major manufacturer, with Diamond T and Mack building smaller numbers. The M39 series evolved into the M809 (G908) series in 1969, which followed, but did not replace, it. The M809 Series was then improved into the M939 series.
The M39 series were originally powered by a Continental R6602 engine, a 602 cu in (9.9 L) overhead valve inline 6 cylinder gasoline engine developing 224 hp (167 kW) at 2800 rpm. The -A1 upgrade had a Mack ENDT-673, a 673 cu in (11.0 L) turbocharged inline 6 cylinder diesel engine developing 210 hp (160 kW) at 2100 rpm. The -A2 upgrade had a Continental LDS-465-1A, a 478 cu in (7.8 L) turbocharged inline 6 cylinder developing 175 hp (130 kW) at 2100 rpm. Gas engine models have a down-swept exhaust exiting from under the body just ahead of the righthand front set of rear wheels. Diesel (-A1) and multifuel (-A2) models have a vertical exhaust stack and air cleaner on the right fender, however a very small number of the earliest -A1 models and some -A2 gas/multifuel conversions are seen with same style of downswept exhaust as on gas models. Of important note, A2's with a factory build date prior 1964 originally were gas engine models. Most of these conversions received the overdrive-5th transmission found in "pure" -A1 and "pure" -A2 models. However, some converts retained their original gas model direct-5th transmission which gave closer gear ratios but a top speed of only 45 mph with a multifuel due to the lower top rpm allowed on that engine compared to a gas engine.
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Wikipedia