willysmjeeps.com

How are the footman loops attached to your M38?

Is this a trick question? Mine are attached like the TM calls for.

Are you looking for something specific?

without looking in the ORD9, 1/4 20 X 1/2 slotted screws I believe

Slotted flat head, 10-24 x 1/2 is what the ORD9 calls for.

I think a few of mine might actually be slotted oval head 10-24 x 1/2.

And of course, a nut and split lock washer on all, except for the one that's spot welded to the top center inboard side of the windshield frame.

Do I win the prize?

No trick question. Mine (were) all mounted using weld-studs from the inside of the body. The same studs like the type used on the ignition filter mounts on the fire wall and a larger version used to hold the underhood battery box braces to the front fender. My other M38 and my friends of course use the traditional way.

I only just notice this as the footman loops had been removed decades ago. I was figuring out where to redrill holes when I discovered this.

I do not think these are bubba installations.

I'll try a picture.


Picture is upside down.

Sure fooled me! Maybe not a trick question, but it's certainly interesting! Was every footman loop location that way, or just certain ones?

I never saw that before (but I'm a M38 rookie), and am just spit-balling, perhaps you have an early or prototype M38 body or it's a MWO for some purpose? Maybe a Safari Hatari Rack?
I don't think even the MB/GPW's or any of the CJ's mounted footman loops on welded studs?

Were the free end of the studs still sticking out of the body or were they ground flat? Maybe somebody was just filling the holes in a unique way? The footman loops are dished for the flat-head screws to sit flush --- getting nuts on them from the outside would be goofy? Maybe I'm missing something.....

There have been other oddities about this body all along.

Yes, all locations have these. It could be a way the holes were filled. but the heads of those darned things have bits of the original paint on them.

They appear to be electrical welded into position. Like I said looks like the same stuff as the ones that go through the firewall for the filter.

This body never got the passenger seat latch MWO carried out on it either. Only one Ive seen like that so far.

When you get a half century old rusty jeep and try to restore the tub and half of those flat blade screw heads break off and you realize in most cases if you are not using the parts the loops retained then why not just grind them flush on the outside of the tub and fill any voids with welding rod and be done with it.

A couple or so were originally welded but all the rest were screws.

If you need hole maps for their original locations on the tub just peruse the appropriate sub-album in my Photo Album.