M116A3 Fix-up & Conversion Thread

[CallMeColt]

Trailer has been serving me well.

Wanted to come back to share a GREAT link I found for parts on the brake actuator system.

https://www.hawktet.com/product-category/brakeactuators/brake-actuator-parts/

 

[CallMeColt]

After thinking about it for well over a year, I made a spare tire carrier.


Made it with some 2 inch angle iron & a generic Ford Super Duty spare tire holder between the 2 rearward cross members. I'm not a great welder but it should hold up. There is enough room between the rear tool box & the frame to get an extension in there to lower or lift the tire. I plan to use the jack crank from my truck if ever needed. It just clears the metal decking that is over it.



Goes without saying that I removed the rear kickstand. It just rattled around a lot & I didn't need it. With the fuel & toolbox up front, the chances of it tipping back are very slim. Tried to make it happen & couldn't.

Very happy I finally have a spare on the trailer!

Here is what I ordered;
https://amzn.to/3eA9VcQ - Spare tire holder
https://ebay.us/vCFsoq - Angle iron

 

[j_boucher]

So hello everyone my first post and I had a quick question on how the surge brakes work specifically for the link #3 and shaft #5 on the Lunette ring, do the 4 shafts rotate within the housing when brakes are applied or do the links move on the shaft 2nd picture circled in red for the horizontal movement when brakes are applied






Just trying to see if I have corrosion and system is locked up at the shafts

Thanks

 

[Zed254]

Top 2 bolts (#5) are anchors that allow the lunette to swing in or out as you pull the trailer. Your lunette is attached by the 4 each #3 bars. Check out the attached Mendenhall Buyers Guide.

 

[Mullaney]

Top 2 bolts (#5) are anchors that allow the lunette to swing in or out as you pull the trailer. Your lunette is attached by the 4 each #3 bars. Check out the attached Mendenhall Buyers Guide.

.
Nice piece of information @Zed254 !
Thanks for sharing.

 

[CallMeColt]

Spend a little time with the trailer since I needed to work on the generator a bit.

Had one of the breaking caps that would leak grease bad. Replaced it and painted both the hubs.

https://amzn.to/3RB9gJ0

Painted some spots where the paint came off and put the updated tire pressure where it used to be on the fenders.



One of my light cans had a huge crack in it. A friend gave me some military LED ones that had issues on his truck. Installed them and they gave me the same issues on the trailer... was hoping it wouldn't! So, for the time being, I put a cheap set of civilian trailer lights on but will swap to a set of the military ones when I get a good matching pair again that are not broken.



This has been such a good trailer to me. I really beat on it taking it out to my off grid place.

 

[CallMeColt]

Was using the trailer to move fuel to my new storage tank at the house, and since it's cooled off a bit here finally, when stopping, I noticed a nasty grinding noise since my windows were down. I knew exactly what it was.

Pulled the hub off and found my brake shoes completely fallen apart, like the other side did a while back. Luckily, I got two sets of shoes because I knew this was going to happen.



Brake show kit - https://amzn.to/3FgNRB2

Took me a bit to remember where everything went, since some of it was all fallen apart, but got it all back together under flashlights. Adjusted it all well. Just need to road test it. Didn't think to snap a picture of it assembled, but I do have an old video I made that I will share again that I referenced myself showing the inside in case someone else needs to see a properly assembled one. Just reverse things a bit for the other side.

 

[Tinstar]

Nicely done!
Thanks for posting the part number.

Are you going to replace the missing shackles on the rear?
They come in handy.

 

[CallMeColt]

Nicely done!
Thanks for posting the part number.

Are you going to replace the missing shackles on the rear?
They come in handy.

No problem on the part number. I think somewhere back in this thread, I shared it as well.

I took them off and sold them. They made to much rattle when running the generator. I can put one on there if need be but in the time I have been using this trailer and almost 10,000 miles on it, I haven't had a need for them. I left them on my other trailers though.

 

[juanprado]

Make sure the hydraulics are working properly. Very unusual that happened to both sides. I would look at the master cyl and shock to make sure the brakes are not staying engaged / slightly dragging.

 

[CallMeColt]

Make sure the hydraulics are working properly. Very unusual that happened to both sides. I would look at the master cyl and shock to make sure the brakes are not staying engaged / slightly dragging.

They're not. I went through everything a while back. 100% functional. You can go back and see what I did on here.

These were probably original shoes from the manufacture date, as were the others that failed. With 10,000+ hard miles, it's no big surprise they failed. Especially not knowing how it was treated before me.

This trailer has been on my truck with a lot of butt puckering stops on the highway. So hard that I heard the tires chirp. Off road as well where the brake drags a bit.

The other side I replaced everything on is as smooth as butter still as I checked it for adjustment while I had the tools out.

 

[Sgt Jiggins]

man this is one of my favorite threads - thanks for doing this Colt.

 

[CallMeColt]

I will be doing another M116A3 thread soon, documenting my converting it so a S-788 shelter can be mounted to it. I have everything already, just trying to wrap up other projects first. I also want to gut out the S-788 first.

 

[CallMeColt]

I have not started my new thread on the second M116A3 build out, and this would be for it, but it's relevant here as well.

It's missing one wheel stud. Search quick thinking it would be a simple find. Guess it isn't.

Technical Manual has part number 12354223 as the stud. I'd guess that is a Dexter axle part number. It comes up one place as $20 each plus shipping. Would rather not pay that.

After an hour of looking, I came up with Dexter axle part 007-257-00 or 7-257. Basically the same, but 1/4in shorter. Should work. But can't 100% confirm. Anyone replace one with these? I don't want to waste money if someone has already tried and they're to short.

If not, maybe I will be the guy. But figured I would ask.

 

[juanprado]

beat the stud out and bring to an old school parts store like NAPA. With the head code marking and a couple of measurements, an experienced counterman using a buyers guide can come up with the stud not a young guy on a computer..

These are common and not military specific. Probably dexter or another civy manufacture.

1/4 will not make a difference as more than that pokes through the lug nut.

 

[Guyfang]

	THREAD CLASS	2A
	THREAD DIRECTION	RIGHT-HAND
	THREAD LENGTH	1 29/50 INCHES NOMINAL
	FASTENER LENGTH	2 9/20 INCHES NOMINAL
	HEAD STYLE	FLAT CHAMFER
	HEAD DIAMETER	0 21/25 INCHES NOMINAL
	HEAD HEIGHT	0 7/25 INCHES NOMINAL
	SHOULDER DIAMETER	0 291/500 INCHES MINIMUM FIRST SHOULDER AND 74/125 INCHES MAXIMUM FIRST SHOULDER
	SHOULDER LENGTH	0 18/25 INCHES NOMINAL FIRST SHOULDER
	NOMINAL THREAD DIAMETER	0 281/500 INCHES
	THREAD QUANTITY PER INCH	18
	SHOULDER SHAPE	RIBBED FIRST SHOULDER
	MATERIAL	STEEL COMP 1541 OVERALL
	SURFACE TREATMENT	ZINC OVERALL AND CHROMATE OVERALL
	SURFACE TREATMENT DOCUMENT AND CLASSIFICATION	ASTM B633 TY II, CLASS FE/ZN8 ASSN STD SINGLE TREATMENT RESPONSE OVERALL
	THREAD SERIES DESIGNATOR	UNF

 

[CallMeColt]

This trailer is still going strong! Beat on it plenty. I did change the lights back over to military, but an LED set that I saved from the scrap bin.

 

[CallMeColt]

Here's a picture of the lights saved from the scrap bin.

 

[CallMeColt]

A minor tweak I made to reduce rattling. I made the safety cables double ended so that they can be removed while the generator is being used.

 

[CallMeColt]

So, trailer is finally going to have some updating!

Trading out the MEP 802A to a MEP 803A. Will share more details on that later.



Also, the brackets for the fuel tank are being changed from angle iron to C channel to avoid the occasional vibration issue when they made contact with the frame.

(Will come back with pictures, issues right now)

Will need to be painted to all match again.