USMC bumper mod.

[WillWagner]

I came across a 5T USMC truck in the back 40 of the museum on Sunday. It is the first and only truck I have seen intact clips on. Still need measurements? I can get them tomorrow. Pics too, if you like.

 

[txdodge43man]

Yes still need the measurements for the M35.

 

[rizzo]

Why have those when you have the lifting shackles?

x 2

 

[txdodge43man]

Quote
Originally Posted by rmgill
Why have those when you have the lifting shackles?

From what I am told the Marine crops put the "paperclips" on to use instead of lifting shackles becuase the lifting shackles would brake when lifting truck on to a ship. I want to put them on the truck not for function but for looks and historical perpose. to answer an other question on why most of the trucks u see today have the "paperclips" cut off I think it is becuase the marine corps has ships the the trucks can drive on and off of I think the days of lifting trucks by crane are over but that is just my opion.

 

[WillWagner]

Here are some pics. All but one are on a 5T truck. The ones on the deuce are the same, but, the deuce one is mounted so the bottom of the clip is at the bottom of the bumper not like the first pic of the 5T . Hope they help. I haven't figured out how to add text to the pics. The last one. #005, is from the deuce.

 

[Capt.Marion]

On several of the M37s I have seen, the paperclips were made out of bent rebar... there is no correct way to do it. The Marines are scroungers. Especially when it came to modifying their vehicles to work better.

 

[Jake0147]

Why have those when you have the lifting shackles?

There's a manual in the TM section, [URL="http://old.steelsoldiers.com/index.php?module=pagesetter&type=file&func=get&tid=1&fid=file&pid=163"] TEA Pamphlet 55-22[/url], Lifting Handbook for Marine Movements. It doesn't say in particular exactly why (although I suppose the obvious answer would be an unacceptable failure rate), but it definately shows that they didn't trust certain particular lifting points for lifting certain particular trucks.
My GUESS would be that they'd work just fine, but the safety factor is not there so they chose an alternate route.

There may be other manuals on this site that are more specific, I just happened to have looked at this one recently.

 

[rustystud]

Just came across this thread. When I was in the Corps our trucks where fully loaded with our gear when we shipped out, so the weight on the regular lift brackets was to much. The lift bars where usually made out of 1" round bar we got from the Navy. Sometimes we even asked

 

[Aerialfred]

Carry on!

 

[tcom]

OK, OK, I know this is an old thread, but for anyone wandering the halls of the thread this:

THe paper clip brackets were used for a couple of reasons. THe safety factor was one component. If it fit it went was the criterion. The second was ease of loading and unloading.

THe vehicles were usually swung using a four cable bridle or sometimes a chain bridle with open throat hooks which took more time to fit into and out of the inboard lifting shackles. Additionally moving the lifting points out made for a more stable lift. Case in point: THe Mighty Mites, which were designed to be air lifted had outboard lifting brackets.

In '65 the M37 we used for towing the water buffalo had them. After the truckmaster snagged himself a second time on one that was bent outward, a private was summoned, given a dull hacksaw and instructions to cut the *********** things off. "Torch,Torch, we don't need no stinkin' torch. We got privates, PFCs and hack saws. Maybe even one with a new blade."

They weren't very common. I don't remember seeing a lot of 35s and 54s with them. IIRC 7th Heavy Junk was at DaNang and their wrecker had them.

The brackets were handy for stowing a tow chain and hooking to when the vehicle got buried. You could get a grab hook through the opening easily, especially if the front end were buried, but they bent easily so you had to pick your spot. (see above) It was best to wrap the chain or cable through the loop and around the bumper. Similarly you could easily pass a chain through both and get a nice straight pull. No screwing around fitting a chain through the inboard brackets. Of course a winch made things even easier as long as the shear pin hadn't broken and not reported or changed, the PTO shaft was straight, still in place and the shift fork hadn't been broken by applying a two pound speed wrench to the handle. Was a time, Was a time.

 

[rflegal]

My M36 has 'em. See my signature - Bob

 

[tcom]

Hey legal eagle.

A little inboard but legit looking. Good to know somebody is following this stale thread.

Tony C.

 

[rustystud]

OK, OK, I know this is an old thread, but for anyone wandering the halls of the thread this:

THe paper clip brackets were used for a couple of reasons. THe safety factor was one component. If it fit it went was the criterion. The second was ease of loading and unloading.

THe vehicles were usually swung using a four cable bridle or sometimes a chain bridle with open throat hooks which took more time to fit into and out of the inboard lifting shackles. Additionally moving the lifting points out made for a more stable lift. Case in point: THe Mighty Mites, which were designed to be air lifted had outboard lifting brackets.

In '65 the M37 we used for towing the water buffalo had them. After the truckmaster snagged himself a second time on one that was bent outward, a private was summoned, given a dull hacksaw and instructions to cut the *********** things off. "Torch,Torch, we don't need no stinkin' torch. We got privates, PFCs and hack saws. Maybe even one with a new blade."

They weren't very common. I don't remember seeing a lot of 35s and 54s with them. IIRC 7th Heavy Junk was at DaNang and their wrecker had them.

The brackets were handy for stowing a tow chain and hooking to when the vehicle got buried. You could get a grab hook through the opening easily, especially if the front end were buried, but they bent easily so you had to pick your spot. (see above) It was best to wrap the chain or cable through the loop and around the bumper. Similarly you could easily pass a chain through both and get a nice straight pull. No screwing around fitting a chain through the inboard brackets. Of course a winch made things even easier as long as the shear pin hadn't broken and not reported or changed, the PTO shaft was straight, still in place and the shift fork hadn't been broken by applying a two pound speed wrench to the handle. Was a time, Was a time.

I was in the Corps in the early 1980's and we still used them just for the reason I stated earlier. All the deuces that I ever saw had them, but then again I was in "landing support" so we where the ones off loading at the beach head with combat loads.

 

[tcom]

I understand. When I was in the application with was pretty random. I saw a couple of Force Service Regiments' vehicles with them also. My last duty station was Lejeune at Montford Point, Motor Transport Schools Company. Some 35A1s and A2s had them as did the 54s. Was probably up to the MTO and Company Cos whether to install them or remove them.

I'm going to mount them on my M-37 since it's MC vehicle.

I saw recovery equipment and rigging at MTSC that I never saw when I was in Division. At that time the Corps was the orphan branch of the services. Replacement gear was hard to come by. As the war went on the supply train and logistics improved greatly. When I got there we were wearing the cotton utilities and full leather boondockers. Many of our vehicles were late Korean Conflict vintage, with the exception of the Mighty Mites and Mules. Though I never got green Lucky Strikes, they showed up from time to time in our C-rat packages.. If someone lit one up in your hooch you thought a pair of boots caught fire. Made the local variety downright tasty by comparison.

A bit off topic but looking for pictures of the equipment jogged my memory a little. Can't believe it been fifty years.

Tony

 

[rustystud]

A bit off topic but looking for pictures of the equipment jogged my memory a little. Can't believe it been fifty years.

Tony[/QUOTE]

I've noticed time has a way of slipping away faster as we get older !