Making a mount for a spare tire mounted sing on an M38A1

[DaveM38A1]

I need information and possibly a drawing on making a support for a sign mounted on the rear spare tire on an M38A1. My father's M38A1 in Vietnam had a metal sign covering the rear spare tire that read Commanding Officer 1st Hospital Company. I need to recreate this and need information on making the mount.

Thanks,

Dave

[wesk]

They were locally devised/designed field add-ons with no two units using exactly the same drawing.

Just make a light weight round sign from aluminum that is about 1 or 2 " smaller in diameter than the tire and provide either brackets or straps that grip the tire. They must be simple to remove to access the spare.

[DaveM38A1]

Thanks, Wes, that makes sense.

Anyone out there made this kind of sign before?
Cutting the aluminum disk and painting is seems easy enough.

I'll have to do some figuring on the mounting, like you said I want to be able to remove it easily, but I don't want it to fall off.

I'll blow up the pictures of my dad's jeep and see if bolts go through.

The engine is at the machine shop.
I will rebuild the transmission and transfer case while its out.

I'm making progress toward getting it on the road again.

Thanks,

Dave

[evanso1975]

Just a thought:

Weld two threaded studs perpendicular to a piece of flat bar, keeping them the same distance apart as the unused stud holes on the spare wheel when it's mounted to the carrier. The flat bar sits on the back face of the spare wheel, and the studs will stick out the front face (through the unused stud holes), allowing you to bolt your sign in place. Alternatively, you could do away with the flat bar and bend a long threaded stud into a 'U' shape which would do the same job.

You'll probably have to leave the carrier-mounted reflector and it's retaining ring off, but once your sign's fitted who can tell?

Wbr,
Owen.

[bluewatersailor]

I am trying to add a drawing to my gallery (it has been uploading for a couple of hours) that depicts a plate mounted on the 3 spare tire studs not behind, but in front of the tire. It gives a really rugged base and does not require the removal of the reflector. Basically, the plate goes over the 3 studs and has a small hole exactly in the center of the lug bolt pattern. An elongated "connector nut" (aka tensioner nut for screen doors) is attached to the plate with a short bolt coming from the back of the plate. The circular sign (I suggest plywood for structural reasons) is attached with a long bolt throught its center that mates up with the connector nut. If the long bolt has an eye instead of a hex head, tightening and removal can be done without tools. I hope that the picture comes through. Good luck.

[DaveM38A1]

Good information,

It gets me thinking, I can make something simple just like they had in the field.

Thanks a lot.

Dave