8 ball painted on the door of both of my Deuce

[robr]

ok maybe a stupid question but when I was sanding my bobbed truck there was a 8 ball under a couple layers of paint then when I was sanding the 6x6 it also had a 8 ball under the paint both on the passenger side door whats the significance
I know a 8 ball in the military stands for a screw up

 

[derby]

If it was in the upper right corner of the door it is the bridge weight. If i am correct.

 

[gunboy1656]

Your talking about the 8 in the circle? Upper corner by the exhaust

If so, that is the trucks weight classification. same as the bridge plate, but you are supposed to change the bridge plate, when towing trailers.

The 8, is for 8 tons loaded. And is painted on because the weight of the truck does not change.

 

[M1075]

8 designates the bridge classification rating (8 tons)

 

[robr]

no it was at the bottom and back of the door and Im pretty sure its not a bridge rating
and it looked exactly like this picture the 8 and white were off center just like the picture

 

[coyotegray]

 

[davidkroberts]

we used a 8-ball logo in Iraq for our platoon callsign. stood for 8th platoon. probably the same thing. If it was an army truck there is no telling what it means. the army is really fond of silly logos.

 

[robr]

Sorry I was in a hurry and didn't have my camera at the shop

 

[robr]

we used a 8-ball logo in Iraq for our platoon callsign. stood for 8th platoon. probably the same thing. If it was an army truck there is no telling what it means. the army is really fond of silly logos.

a call sign was what I was thinking

 

[swbradley1]

One of mine has the 8-ball in the upper right corner of the door on the passenger side. I always wondered what the heck it was for and now I know thanks to this site.

 

[M543A2]

My Canadian M-37 has an 8 ball in the upper right corner of the passenger door. Weight classification of 8 tons seems a bit heavy for it! There must have been several dedicated meanings depending on the unit.
Regards Marti

 

[southdave]

My dad was NMCB 8 there Id was an Eight ball with a crane shovel diging though it. doubt it was it probley just a UA id.

 

[M1075]

no it was at the bottom and back of the door and Im pretty sure its not a bridge rating
and it looked exactly like this picture the 8 and white were off center just like the picture

Here is a picture of the bridge classification on my truck. It is at the bottom and back of the door, passenger side only.

 

[91W350]

Thanks for the thread guys, I often wondered what the 3 on the door of my M1009 meant. It was Missouri National Guard, not sure where it was before that as the bumper marks have been painted over and repainted. Glen

 

[saddamsnightmare]

January 4th, 2010:

David Doyle in his book "Standard Catalog of Military Vehicles" has an excellent section in the appendixes on standard vehicle markings from WWII on, which I recommend highly to anyone wanting to know what markings should be on their truck or trailer. Admittedly different armies and different units in those armies often added markings peculiar to their needs at that time and place. The "8" in the ball bridge stencil for the M35 series was supposed to be in the top right corner of the passenger door, but as M1075's icon above shows it, they could be differently placed due to operational orders in a given unit. At one time the "8" in the circle was white on a yellow background (I belive-check D.Doyle ibid) when the trucks were semi-gloss OD.
Somehow I can see a unit using the 8 ball insignia, kinda like the character "Sgt. Oddball "played by Donald Sutherland in "Kelly's Heroes" probably marked his tank different then all the others...... "Negative Waves, Moriarty, Always with the Negative Waves"....... It did seem that unofficial names and markings proliferated in war zones, I'm sure it confused the enemy as much as it confuses us amateur historians today. Please note David Doyle seemed to have overlooked the White Scout Car in WWII in the above dictionary, or I haven't hit the page yet.... In either case, Doyle on military vehicles is like Hoyle in cards....


Cheers,

Kyle F. McGrogan