[redfreedom]

“It is a shame that Ralph Nader & Disciples and their Swing Axle boogie-man killed the M-151.”

I just love that little jeep, have driven them many miles over obstacles a solid axle 4x4 would never do.

Regarding your statement, I often thougt the M151 could have been redone with a trailing arm suspension which is just as independent as the M151. We have ATV’s (CanAm) with the trailing arm, and all four wheels suspension are independent of the other.

Regarding nostalgia, I also have a few hours behind the wheel of the 1950’s gasoline engine auto trans deuce and a half made by GMC I think was the M135

[BwanaNdege]

Back in the mid 1970's I submitted and official USMC suggestion (they had a name for the program, which has slipped my mind...) the rather than scrapping the M-151 (that's right, they would not sell them surplus since they were "so dangerous") they could install a "Camber Compensator", a device to prevent the outside axle from hyper extending, tucking under and raising the CG high enough to cause roll-over.

JC Whitney, et al, sold them for $150 or less for swing axle Mercedes, older Corvairs, VWs, etc. These cured the "rollover problem".

BTW, one night in 1968 I drove a buddy from the 1st MarDiv CP area in Da Nang out to Red Beach. We had two other Marines riding shotgun and were "flying low". No problems at all with swing axles!

Empi Camber Compensator