Preparing New HMMWV Owners for Humvee Maintenance
There are a lot of thoughts when it comes to maintaining a vehicle properly to keep it in great shape for use on and off road. Many people use a very stringent preventative maintenance schedule while others tend to go with the “don’t fix it unless it is broken” style of reactionary maintenance; we think the answer lies somewhere in between for the average Humvee owner. We have written this short post in the hopes of preparing new HMMWV owners for Humvee maintenance.
First, the US Military designed the HMMWV or as it is commonly called, the Humvee, with a very specific set of requirements that were both operational and durable in scope. Some of the veterans we have talked to that worked on the Humvee, have expressed the amount of maintenance that they personally performed on their assigned vehicles was a bit over the top for the average private owner (i.e. the non-combat / security / private contract owner). The common thread in their stories pointed to making sure that the vehicles in their care remained operationally sound to protect their brothers at arms. This level of maintenance may far exceed what a new owner will typically require to keep his/her warhorse rolling.
Based on the discussions here in the www.hummersurplusparts.com warehouse, our team has come to the conclusion that the first thing a new HMMWV owner should do is find a copy of a US Military maintenance manual – not so much for their maintenance schedule, but for the diagrams and part numbers. This information is almost indispensable when trying to locate a problem component. We have digital copies of a couple of the most common manuals we use and will happily provide a download with any purchase as a courtesy upon request. Yes, the manual is available for a small fee if we do not have the part you need.
ARMY TM 9-2320-280-24P-1 Technical Manual – Humvee M998 M998A1
ARMY TM 9-2320-387-24P Technical Support Manual
As for routine maintenance, as with any vehicle, the Humvee, HMMWV, and its variants should follow at least the most basic routine that all off-road / road vehicles require: Changing the oil; lubricating the joints; keeping appropriate levels of transmission, brake, and power steering fluids; keeping appropriate tire inflation, tread wear, rotations, and alignment; as well as general maintenance to the painted surfaces (yes, you should at least wash your Humvee on occasion). Beyond that, your air filtration should be checked at the minimum ever 3-6 months and more often if you operate your vehicle in dusty conditions. Of course there are more labor intensive maintenance projects, but hopefully, your new warhorse will provide you with many years of diesel powered hybrid stomping joy with minimal effort.
We encourage our readers, customers, and Humvee enthusiasts to share some of the maintenance stories, issues, and common problems that they have experienced with their work on HMMWV and its variants; often this information helps the newer, less experienced owners avoid potential problems and mis-diagnosed issues. Feel free to comment and tell us your story or provide your advice. We look forward to reading your responses.
Hey guys,
I am one of many that is looking to buy one of the demil hmmwvs that are up at auction and am excited to find your website not only as a parts supplier but as a community for support and technical knowledge. This is great write up and it helps put me at ease that the level of maintenance for basic civilian use is manageable. Does anyone have any recommendations as far as parts that frequently wear out and need rebuilding (gear hubs, axles etc)? Basically what should I expect to have to replace if/when I get one back to my garage?
Really any suggestions out there as a “buyers guide” for some one who has never owned a humvee before would be welcomed. I’m not so much concerned about the different variants (I am primarily looking at the standard M998A1) but more for any tips or advice as far as mechanical things to look out for, any upgrades that happened over the years to fix past defects etc. Any help would be welcomed!
Based on our experience, the parts that normally wear (and we typically sell a lot of), are light bulbs, brake pads, calipers, rotors, u-joints, ball joints, and drive shafts (usually the shafts that turn the individual wheels as they get a good deal of abuse off-road). Of course, how you plan on driving/using your HMMWV / M998 will determine which parts are likely to wear more quickly, as well as where you plan on patrolling in your Humvee. Most good mechanics or any military trained veteran that worked on HMMWV’s could take a quick look and see which parts might need replacing, but our theory is usually more of “if is isn’t broken, don’t fix it,” that is not to say that good preventative maintenance should be put off – each instance is a bit different.
Thanks for the reply! That’s encouraging information to read, I will plan on going through all of those items and checking them over as well as talk with some former military mechanics.
Good deal, hopefully, your Humvee will already be in tip-top shape and won’t require anything but diesel fuel and a driver.
My husband is planning on buying a Humvee. I’ll have to make sure that we change the air filtration every 3-6 months. Thanks for the advice about the type of maintenance to expect.
Hello. Just got an 87 that was part of the sale back in 2000. Drove it home 400 miles in 95 degree weather! Just wondering about road noises. I had all kinds of scary sounds from the fan, drivetrain and who knows what else but she made it just fine. I know these are not quiet but I don’t really have a baseline to tell if something’s going south or not.