800 Series Grilles

[Desert Deuce]

Which grille came 1st, the welded flat steel slat type or the tubular type. I'm assuming the welded slat type.

I just changed the XM813 to the slat type, I find that it supports the hood in the propper position whereas the tubular type bends over time and lets the hood drop which causes alignment problems with the side panels.

I also like the look of the slat type on an 800.

Does anyone know why the change was made??? Cost??

I'm assuming the XM's were built with Slat Type, I'm changing my 3 XM's to slat type.

Thanks to Groundog for the 1st one. it's perfect! I've found 2 more NOS as well.

Picture isn't so great.

 

[clinto]

There is an old article in MVPA Army Motors by David Doyle that discussed this. I seem to remember one of the grilles being a USMC thing.

 

[Desert Deuce]

Thanks Clinto, I had a hunch that David would know the answer. Hopefully he'll chime-in.

 

[1958 M274]

If my understanding is correct, the tube type grill came on the early trucks from the factory. I believe that the slat type was a replacement since the early ones were kind of flimsy and prone to rust and damage. I think that the slat type may be factory original on some of the later production 809 series trucks, but I don’t know for sure. Our XM816 had a rusted out tube type and I replaced it was a slat type (Thanks Jeff and Clint!). My Dad’s USMC M813A1 had the slat type when he got it, but that truck went through overhaul in the early 1990’s.

 

[dmmay]

809 Grille

Hello ! My 1971 M813A1 has the early style tube grille and I am wanting to change it to the Flat Bar type I like the look better !!

 

[Desert Deuce]

Ahh, so I may have had it backwards. My tube types are rusting as well. I think that illustrations in the TM's show the tube type as well. Yes, I'm going slat type on all 3 for sure. I really like the look, much tougher & keeps the hood where it belongs.

 

[Jones]

A good rule-of-thumb that usually holds true about 80%+ of the time is;
The more complicated and delicate the part, the earlier it was in production.
Nothing reveals hidden design flaws like turning bunch of GIs in the field loose on a piece of equipment.

 

[DaveP]

This is our XM818.

Round tube frame.

1970

 

[Desert Deuce]

Jones, that's why it seemed like the tube type would be the replacement. Much lighter, even flimsy. Rusts easy, does not support the hood well......

The slat type look to be much more labor intensive to produce. A much better piece though IMO.

 

[steelsoldiers]

My 1970 XM818 had the tube-type. I am a big fan of the flat-bar-type myself. I also remember reading an article in Army Motors years ago where DD mentioned that the USMC requested the bar-type.

 

[Desert Deuce]

What a beauty Dave. Convoy lights on an XM818 w/w SWEET!! I'll be adding a set to my XM818 w/w as well. I'll be changing it over to the slat grille. Tube grilles do have a nice, more modern look. I just wish they were a heavier tubing.

 

[TheBuggyman]

My '77 USMC M813 has a flat bar style and my '71 M818 had the same.........

 

[DaveP]

XM818ww- XM819-M820

All the ones we have are tube style.

 

[Desert Deuce]

Dave, I like that picture alot. Little duece poking its nose out there with the big boys.

 

[DaveP]

Thanks.
the little guy allmost didnt get in the pic as the drive is only so wide.
had to shove its way in!

 

[M813rc]

The original grill was the tubular one, but it tended to hold water and rust out. With that in mind (since they have a bad habit of driving them in the sea), all Marine 800 series trucks were delivered with the slat type grill, never the tubular. I don't recall if the grill was already available, or if the Marines had it made. David D?

Cheers

 

[Army Ed]

DAMN we had at LEAST 30 flat style ones that gone thrown in the scrap metal pile..

 

[BKubu]

You can't tell the age of the truck by the grill because it could have been replaced, but the earliest grills were the tubular grills. I like the flat stock type grills better, but I just kept an M814 with the tubular grill over one with the flat stock type....it was a nicer truck.

 

[datsunaholic]

I know that the 2 M813 5Ts that we had in my reserve unit, the 1966 had the tube-frame and the 1972 had the flat bar type. I recall that while I preferred the 1966 truck (less tempermental except the gearbox which had lost all its synchros) I liked the sturdiness of the flat-bar grille. Mainly because I had to use the grille to pull myself up on the bumper to get at the engine. Ladders? We don't need no steenking ladders!

The only plus part of the early tube type was ours had expanded sheetmetal behind it. The flat-bar type had nothing, and rocks could easily go through it and hole the radiator when on the freeway. Or careless Boatswain's Mates wrenches. Not on the freeway, generally.