Maybe a clue

idiocrates · Post by **idiocrates** » Sun Sep 06, 2009 1:13 pm

I was looking around on the ring gear I just extracted from my ageless m38a-1 and found this possible clue.........

could it be this is the original ring gear from this jeep? Or is the 10-14-54 not a date stamp? Just curious....has anyone else been able to tie a data of manufacturer to the numbers stamped into their ring gear?

mdog · Post by **mdog** » Sun Sep 06, 2009 5:13 pm

I don't know anything about ring gears but I would certainly expect that to be a date. Just to give you a timeline my jeep had tires dated 9-64, fan belts dated 10-64 and the date of delivery on the data plate was 11-64. I would guess several months at least for a gear to be put in an axle and get to the assembly line.

Cacti_Ken · Post by **Cacti_Ken** » Sun Sep 06, 2009 9:21 pm

While we are on the gears in the rear end, my question is, are the M38's and M38A1 rear ends the same?

Zane · Post by **Zane** » Sun Sep 06, 2009 9:44 pm

YES, unless of course you have a late usmc m38a1 with positive traction , ive heard rumors about the possibility of 4.27 gear ratio in the late stuff but ive never actually seen one i know my november of 1962 usmc has the posi rear end but its geared 5.38

mdog · Post by **mdog** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 7:26 pm

mine is 11-1964, limited slip front and rear, and is also 5.38.