M38 cowl bracket

[BCA]

Any ideas on the specific use of the triangular box bracket often mounted just to the left of the M38CDN cowl battery box lid?

[rob love]

That's an easy one.

That holds the small end of the hood style spare tire bracket on the ambulance and recoiless rifle variants. The wooden spare tire bracket itself looks like the end of a traffic barricade with the CJ side mount type spare tire bracket on it.

[BCA]

Thank the you Rob for your he quick reply. Has anyone ever seen a surviving example of the wood part? Did it wedge into the wooden hood blocks? I suspect it was easily remedied gable because of the way it would insert into the cowl bracket. Just the same, a spare wheel is heavy and would have be anchored firmly.

[rob love]

I had a complete one which I passed on to another collector here. I think he has sold off his M38, so the bracket may well be surplus now.

There was another without the actual spare tire bracket out at my favorite surplus store. Can't say that I have seen it in a while but then again I haven't looked.

I think there was a pair of hood latches or something similar on the grill or hood to hold the bracket. Are there any corresponding holes on either of those locations on the jeeps you have found the larger bracket on? If you save and blow up the photo I show in post two, I think you can just make out the hood latches on the grill holding the bracket. I seem to recall on the bracket I found, it had the corresponding hood latch receptacles on the ends.

Certainly it would not meet DOT standards today as it would turn into a missile in the event of a collision. It also gives the operators a reason not to do their daily checks under the hood (not that most of them needed a reason anyway).

[Wayne Hingley]

Hi Brian. I just noticed the M38 cable layer configuration has the spare mounted in a similar manner. Perhaps you have parts listings or literature on that configuration that will give you more information.

See post 64. http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...t=11960&page=3

[BCA]

A good lead Wayne but I have no details on that kit. Maybe someone has an original to measure from. I'd like to make a replica.

[David Dunlop]

How was the spare dealt with for the Ambulance conversions of the M38 CDN? Hood installation or a side mount?


David

[rob love]

Hood mount.