An Overview of Military Dodges
by Dave Jensen

Dodge made four types of military-style 4X4 trucks from 1941 to 1968: The 1/2 ton WC from 1941 to 1943, the 3/4 ton WC from 1943 to 1946, the 3/4 ton M-series from 1950 to 1968, and the one-ton civilian Power Wagon from 1946 to 1968. They all look similar with headlights mounted on big curved front fenders and brush guards for grills, and they get called a lot of the same things: "Power Wagons" or "Weapons Carriers" and sometimes even "Beeps". I'm told "WC" doesn't really stand for "weapons carriers" but I've always called the WWII rigs that, and several people who served in Europe have told me about towing pieces behind both the 1/2 and 3/4 ton Dodges, and they called them "weapons carriers" too.

Within each of the four basic types there are a number of different models identified by numbers such as WC-40 (hard-cab version of the 1/2 ton WC), WC-24 (command car), WC-17 (carryall-probably what I saw that day in Portland), and WC-27 (ambulance), etc.. These WC numbers below 50 refer to 1/2 ton vehicles. WC numbers over 50 refer to the 3/4 ton rigs which have flatter sheet metal.

The M-series is all post WWII. The M-37 is the very common 3/4 ton pickup model and an M-43 is an ambulance version. They have a single-piece hood that is hinged in back, unlike the Power Wagon which kept the older-style split hood (hinges in the center) up into the 1970s.

Power Wagon model numbers changed almost at random according to year, from the WDX (1945 to 1947) to the WM300 (1960 to 1971). Some parts and running gear will interchange between these various types of Dodges, but there were a number of changes between the different models, and changes within different model classifications over the years. For instance, the Power Wagon owners manual reprinted by Vintage Power Wagons lists 16 changes to the Power Wagons over the years, such as the type of pickup bed (slanted to flat-top sides in 1956), starter (key start in 1957), and available options such as locking hubs (1962) and power steering (1956).

All engines were basically the same flathead six cylinder Dodge used in its civilian vehicles, with differing bores and with a different engine number for each usage. Canadian-made vehicles and U.S. civilian Power Wagons from 1961 used the longer 251 flathead six engine. You can tell the difference between the two engines by measuring the head. The head on the smaller 230-type block is about 23" long and a 251 has a 25" head (measure from head-bolt to head-bolt). Otherwise, they look pretty much the same.

Almost 80,000 of the 1/2 ton WCs were produced. They have a distinctive rounded front grill and sloping hood. A lot of the open cab versions were sold to farmers who put on civilian cabs, which makes for a warmer ride in the winter. It's one of the more gentle modifications you find on old Dodges. I did this to my first WC when I was in high school. It was an old orchard truck and was missing the windshield frame and hardware. A guy I knew had quite a Dodge collection back in the woods. He sold me a civilian cab for $50 and it bolted right on. An original WC is worth quite a bit now, and a stock restoration is definitely the way to go on the WWII WCs.

The 1/2 ton WCs and, as I've been told by people who should know, all the 3/4 ton WCs as well, had single speed transfer cases. But it's not unusual to find a 2 speed transfer case installed in a 3/4 ton WC. WCs and early Power Wagons and M-37s had non-synchro 4 speed transmissions. Some people call them "crash boxes". They're very strong, but you have to learn how to double-clutch or they will grind when you shift. Starting in late 1956 you could get a synchro NP 420 4 speed in a Power Wagon.

The one WWII Dodge that did come with a 2 speed transfer case was the WC-63 6X6, a long version of the WC-52 (3/4 ton) with an extra axle in back. The WCs used a centered pumpkin in the rear differential, but later M-series Dodges and Power Wagons used an offset rear differential like the middle axle on the WC-63, and the 2 speed transfer case.

I like to compare Power Wagons and M-37s since they were made for most of the same years and have a very similar drivetrain. They are just different approaches to the same idea of what a slow heavy duty truck should be. Power Wagons have long straight hoods with chrome letters that say "Dodge" and "Power Wagon". The cab is a '40s Dodge civilian cab cut short on the bottom for the fat running boards. M-37s look distinctly military with straight, practical lines. The passenger seat lifts out for access to the batteries, and the front seat is a bucket that leans forward for a toolbox underneath. In terms of comfort, the M-37 rides much smoother thanks to huge shock absorbers. The Power Wagon's ride is stiffer and rougher. The one drawback to the M-37 is that it has a shorter bed and the wheel wells stick in too far to allow a sheet of plywood to fit between them. But the M-37 has a shorter wheelbase, which has its own advantages.

Many of the 1/2 WCs ran 7.00X16 tires with duals in back and 4.89 gearing in the pumpkins. 9.00X16 wheels and tires were used on the later Dodges, but mostly with 5.83 gearing. Some people bought Power Wagons with 4.89 gears, but not many. The newer, wider rims with the 35" tires will fit on the 1/2 ton WCs and this combination makes for better road speed. WWII Veterans tell me it was a popular battlefield swap too since, in addition to speed, it provides a couple more inches of clearance. For more clearance and better road speed on the low-geared trucks, 11.00X16 tires are popular. A few years ago people were buying 38" 11.00X16 UN surplus tires, but I haven't found any with decent tread. Michelin supposedly makes an aggressive 11.00X16, but at more than $475 each from Les Schwab, I've never ordered a set. Coker Tire (1-800-251-6336 for the catalog) lists a 37.4" 10.50X16 military-type tire (item C on page 20) for about $200.

I prefer "combat-rims" which have a bolt-on ring instead of a standard split rim. Some people give up on the stock rims and make up a pattern of the 5-hole Budd centers and have them welded to "blank" rims so they can run tubeless radial tires. I'm a cheapskate and still run old non-directional military tires on my Power Wagon and old re-caps on my M-37. They're not cool, but they're cheap and they work. In snow, I have to air down to under 20 psi to get traction.

People always ask me about gas mileage. Some people who write for the four-wheel-drive magazines have made a big deal about how often Power Wagons had to fill up. Hey, they only have 18 gal. gas tanks! With Warn hubs on my Power Wagon I get around 10 to 12 mpg. Not great, but it's about normal for a 6,000 lb. truck with 5.83 gears (actually my truck scales at 5420, but I'm real fat). And any heavy-duty 4X4 is going to drink a lot of gas in four wheel drive, especially growling through the mud and snow in low range. Expect 3-5 mpg., tops. Running 7.00X16 tires, my dad and I got around 14 mpg with our 1/2 ton WCs, even pulling a heavily loaded trailer. I never could find a set of locking hubs for my WC, so for extended freeway travel (from Washington to Utah) I used a trick my dad had shown me: Pull off the hub and press in a tin can (one that fits well and won't fly off) as a dust cover. It saves a lot of front end wear and feels much better to drive. I did the same thing on long trips in a '48 WDX Power Wagon because I was too cheap to buy hubs for it.

The other big question is SPEED. Even with a 318 I drive my M-37 at 45 mph and the PW a little slower. Ads for the higher gear sets claim that with 4.89s you can go 52 mph at 2,500 rpm, and with 5.83s you travel at 43 mph. The Dodge six cylinder engines lug well, but they can't handle sustained high rpms.

Read on for a driver's and modifications guide for Military Dodges.

This page was last modified on 5 Apr 98

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