Safety Warning for M-38A1 Owners

[rob love]

Onr of the problems I had noticed in the 80s when I worked on the Jeeps in service was that the Canadian manual covered all the Jeeps from the M38, the M38A1, and then had an added section for the M38A1Cdn2 and another for the M38A1CDN3.

If you went to the steering seciton for parts, and were not careful to look at the "used on" column, it was easy to end up with the skinny tie rods. All the Cdn2 and Cdn3 were the heavier ends. If the parts guy ordered the complete tie rod (2 ends, the tube and the clamps) as an assembly, we could put that on. But if they just ordered the skinny threaded end, we had to toss it.

Same thing would happen for the fuel tanks, and even the engines. I guess so many people ordered the wrong fuel tanks, they actually made up more M38 tanks in the 80s to fill the demands, even though they were the wrong tanks for the existing fleet. The flathead engines were still around to replace the WW2 engines in the older generator trailers.

[Clint Tauber]

I found it really odd that only one tie rod end was wrong, too. Whenever I have replaced them, I always do the whole set at the same time. Whatever the case, I have replaced the whole lot now, and threw away the hokey add on steering stabilizer.

[rob love]

We only changed what needed changing in the military. The vehicles got 4 inspections a year back then (2 majors and 2 minors) so when the next one went you would catch it soon enough. Bellcranks were always a losing proposition, followed by the center tie rod, which did the work for both wheels.

Alignments were done with a string, or if you were lucky you had the measuring rod.

Things were pretty primitive back then in the CF.

[Clint Tauber]

Things were pretty primitive back then in the CF.[/QUOTE]

I don't doubt it, the camo on my old M-37 looked like house paint applied with a whisk broom.

[Frank v R]

you have been introduced to Bubba ! a very dangerous fellow as you well know now!