Bracket on headboard

[jimm1009]

What is this bracket for (see attachment)? The picture is a little hard to see. Sorry about that.
It is a bracket that receives some sort of tabbed bracket that would look similar to thin walled tubing smashed flat on the end. There is one on each side of the headboard and both are at the top. It does function as a pin of sorts for latching the side boards but it must be dual-function.
Can't seem to find this in the TMs.
I know that it is not part of the standard 5-piece bow system but is still
"knawing at me".

 

[Recovry4x4]

It's doing it's sole purpose right there in the pic Jim.

 

[FMJ]

It's doing it's sole purpose right there in the pic Jim.

 

[littlebob]

Is it supposed to be on all of them? Mine are off but I don't remember seeing those on mine.

littlebob

 

[emmado22]

It's the "lock" that help keeps the troop seats from flapping in the wind when the dropsides are up.... Only the M35A2C's have them.... Thats all it does..
On the NON dropside models (M35A2) it's a pin thru a piece of bent into a "hole" round stock.

 

[littlebob]

It's the "lock" that help keeps the troop seats from flapping in the wind when the dropsides are up.... Only the M35A2C's have them.... Thats all it does..
On the NON dropside models (M35A2) it's a pin thru a piece of bent into a "hole" round stock.

Now that you said it, I remember how they looked, I just knew they we
different than the picture.
Thanks,
littlebob

 

[Recovry4x4]

Other way around Mark. The dropside headboard has the loops with a pin, the standard ones are as pictured above. The pictured ones on a dropside require the removal of the headboard to drop a side where the other ones just have a pin to remove.

 

[gringeltaube]

Brackets

Just found out that there are at least 3 different versions out there...
Two are pictured below, back to back. To Kenny: so the one on the left belongs to a dropside bed??? Wonder how the side bracket looks like... oops maybe I should first check the TMs myself....!?
A third (oldest version?) "head pin hooked into side eye" - (sorry no pic) is what I had on mine and I always had a rope tied from side to side to reduce rattling when running topless.

G.

 

[jimm1009]

The last reply hit it on the head, I think. The truck is a drop-side, and it did have a different head board (like the one in the left side of Gringle's pic). I had a M35A2 for a short while and I switched headboards before selling it. The older truck had updated fiberglass slats on the headboard and the new truck had wooden slats in it's headboard. It did have the loops with the pin (1/2 or 9/16 diameter x 4 inches long) to pull in order to drop a side (or both) with the sideboards in place.
I shorted myself in this respect since I will have to raise the headboard up one inch in order to drop a sideboard.
Since this fiberglass slatted headboard was originally on a M35A2 it puzzles me as to it's intended function. I understand the tab slipping into the loop to hold the side but it seems like it would have been an 1/8 inch thick, solid steel tab rather than the type which appears to receive something.
As I am typing this, my thought is this; Could this be to receive an inverted "towl bar" of sorts in order to hang the folded top on while removed (or something else)?
If not, it could perform such a task in the slighty modified, vastly improved civilian world. Slightly off topic, but I often wonder why the military does not adopt some of our ideas for use. This is slightly hindsighted since they are disposing of these trucks now but surely most of our ideas have been thought of 30 or 40 years ago by some of our fathers or uncles too.
Regards,
Jim in Louisiana
PS: Thanks for really great picture Gringletaube, much better than mine