New member here, and this is my first post. I'm working on a recently purchased 1952 M38A-1 brake system and realized that the Leaf Spring assemblies should be replaced. I noticed that I can get an entire overhaul kit for non-greasable shackles, but am not sure how to tell which type I have? Are there visual cues (please don't say one has grease and the other does not - this thing is so old there's grease, oil, and dirt everywhere) )
If mine need replacing, I will replace them. If not, no. How can I tell if the shackles or Pivot Bolts need to be replaced? They pass the visual inspection set out in Par.35 of TM9-8015-2. Par. 275 of that manual requires disassembly to determine if there is excessive wear. Is there an empirical test that does not require disassembly? Thanks. David
David Manning
1952 M38A1, 1953 M38A1, 1954 M38-A1, 1952 M100
Photos on Page 10 of Members Albums.
The spring must be unloaded to check for looseness in the shackle and pivot bushings. That means disconnected from the axle with no weight on them. Ideally you would check each end of the spring while the other end is disconnected from the frame as well. In extreme wear cases the slop can be detected by simply raising the body/frame until there's no load on the shackle.
) )
