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that holds the door in place? I just have holes, and the rod goes through them. The door is always sagging, and I have to lift it up to close it.

I don't know about the a1 but the M38 has as pocket that mounts there and puts the hinge outboard of the body. I agree, it seems there should be some kind of pocket there.

On the M38A1 there is a pocket that is welded to the tub. It is similar, but different than the one on the M38.
Kendall

Do you have a picture of that bushing or "pocket"? I only have the hole for the door rod on my A1.

This is the passenger side of my M170. The drivers side is the same; i just happened to have this one handy. They may be for sale. I have seen the M38 ones for sale that are very similar but have a flange on the top. In a pinch you could get one of those and cut the flange off. It's just a simple pocket that could easily be made. Cut out sheet metal in the form of a thick tee. Heat it up and shape it over a 3/8" rod. Bend the flanges with duct bill pliers and wala!.

I did a little research through about 30 M38A1 photo files and found only one door rod socket on a Oct 53 M38A1. All the other 52 and 53's had none. So this may only show up around 8XXXX serials which is about 3/4 way through the main bunch of M38A1 production.

Thank you both rdsar and Wes for your time. The pocket can be made on a lathe? I will make one from hard plastic, than paint it, hope it turns out good. Hardest part is the slanted top.Never seen a close up on this pocket, but I think it will have to be slanted, because the body is shaped that way at this area.

Lathe doesn't seem like the best tool to use. I would get a pair of sheet metal snips and draw out a pattern that would fold up into the correct shape. Cut it out then make the round bend against some round stock then fold the bottom under. If there is allot of pressure on the base a couple small welds would prevent it from unfolding.

I think this is what 53a1 & rdsar2k are suggesting. Here's a photo (thanks to Wes) of the M38's socket for the drop rods. You'd just need to make it a bit shorter for the A1 door pivot. And wider so the door pivots freely.

Went through this last year with our 38A1. It is/was a radio jeep, twin antenna mounts, leads, holes in body and wheel wells with sagging wheel well tops, etc. It did not have side curtain footman loops, side curtain rod sockets, top door frame sockets mounted on the windshield, common sense twist lock fasteners, or lower door frame sockets. It did however have provision for the top bows with mounts and brackets. It also had the aft footman loops to secure the canvas top straps.
I was told at the time by at least two MV suppliers that the A1 "never had lower door frame sockets." They are however available through some of the MV suppliers as separate parts that fasten with two screws and nuts like the regular footman loops use.
After I had rounded up the requisite parts and pieces to install an enclosure I saw a packaged kit on Ebay that was apparently issued with at least some canvas winter enclosures. In addition to the upper door sockets, additional footman loops, screws/nuts, black twist lock door fasteners, the kit included FOUR rod sockets/brackets which would indicate to me that the lower door sockets and curtain rod holders were intended to be installed with the door and side curtain kit at the unit level in the field The USAF might have called it a Time Compliance Tech Order (TCTO) For Issue and Use As Required.

I will attempt to email pics of the kit to Wes in case he would care to post them. As usual, I could be wrong on the foregoing but I am open to learning more.

You are correct. I have a copy somewhere of the Canadian soft top installation kit instructions that say the same thing. Go ahead and email me your sheets.

Here's Don's photos from Don's album at:
http://www.willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules. ... _album.php

I just called John at Midwest Military, and ordered a pair of the sockets for the side curtain rods, but for use on the door frame.

Wes: thank you for posting the photos. This old dog needs to learn how to do that. . . You are correct about one end of the socket being closed off with a bent over tab to restrict downward movement of the rods.

Deadguy: as shown in the pictures, the sockets for the curtain rods and door frame rods are one in the same.

Not quite what some of the common wisdom out there would indicate but I hope the existance of these kit photos will clarify that issue.

Installed one pair to secure my side curtain rods and traded one other pair to Cinnabar Sam so he could keep his curtain rods up too. One of these days I need to acquire another pair to hold up my lower door frames.