How To: Restoration of Ford M8 armoured car US Ordnance number 7373

[Big D]

Hi all,

Slow progress continues with this. Along with cleaning up the brake parts I have been working on the first axle and getting it ready for blasting and paint.

After a long battle with getting the three countersunk slot screws holding the brake drum out, I now have one hub apart and stripped.

I am still working on the other one. This side had no drum and no axle fitted and has been exposed to the elements so the hub locking nut is completely frozen. It is work in progress....

I am also removing the torque rods so that I can eventually fit the new torque rod ends I have. How do you guys normally remove these torque rod ends from the pins on the axle? They are too big for any of the pullers I have so I am looking into buying a hydraulic puller of maybe 5 ton?

Does anyone have any experience with these hydraulic pullers in this application? Will 5 ton cut it?

Something I noticed today was that the two sets of turret seat mounts I have are two different lengths. One set is 3 “ shorter than the other. Was this a change made when the armoured floor was fitted?