M342 questions

[jeli]

A few questions.
1. Do the M342 and M35A2 share the same chassis / wheel base?
2. How long is the bed?
3. Does anyone have a pic of the backend that shows the tailgate?
4. Did they come with troop seats?
5. Did they come with a tarp?

Reason I'm asking is being a Combat Engineer a dump truck is what I want. It's not military but I've found a killer deal on a dump truck with a 10' bed. It looks similar to an M342 bed but the sides are higher but not so high it looks out of place. I'm going to look at it this weekend. If the bed is in good shape plan A would be to convert my M35A2 to a dump. Since the dump has a subframe for the hinge plan B would be to strip the dump box and just make my std bed a dump.

 

[DDoyle]

A few questions.
1. Do the M342 and M35A2 share the same chassis / wheel base?

yes, 154 inches

2. How long is the bed?

about 11 feet

3. Does anyone have a pic of the backend that shows the tailgate?

Probably - the question is can I find it! It should be shown in the op manual uploaded to the TM portion of this site.

4. Did they come with troop seats?

Yes, see page 133 top of 2nd Edition Standard Catalog of US Military Vehicles.

5. Did they come with a tarp?

yes

quote]

 

[Junkyard Wars Crusher]

I've got plenty of pictures, and I can take more if you need any specific detail - . . . just tell me what you need.

 

[gene]

That's one nice rig Jeff. Sharp!!

 

[Recovry4x4]

Dang, I get aroused everytime I see that truck. I gotta get a deuce tipper.

 

[zak]

Does anybody know how many were made?

Larry Sage
Ortonville,Mi

m342a2
1953 m37cdn
1953 m43

 

[maddawg308]

Paging DDoyle....

 

[Recovry4x4]

Not sure how many were made but I'd bet most of them are gone. I was talking to someone a few years back, may have been Joe Young about deuce tractors. Seems that in the 80's and into the 90's the deuce tractor was the blacksheep at DRMO sales. Rows of them were sold for less than a few hundred dollars. They were worthless for commercial use and not a priority for collectors. I would think a similar fate would have occurred to the deuce tipper. I'd bet fire depts took a bunch and lost the bed for their tank conversions and the rest were scrapped. With that said, anyone want to trade a deuce tipper for a nice running deuce tractor? Might be able to talk me into throwing in the semi trailer too.

 

[jeli]

I see the rear cross member is set in further than on a 35. I can understand no bumpers. I suppose they wanted to be able to set the taillights in far enough to protect them.

 

[m5040]

The frame and the suspension is different on the M342A2 from the M35, It has a double frame, a much larger rear trunion and more leaf springs

 

[Stretch44875]

Nice pic of dumping at the landfill. I love the looks at the landfill when I pull in and dump the deuce, while everyone else is shoveling.

Dennis