M35 Bed Spot Light

[Barrman]

Somebody asked me for more pictures of this.

 

[Elwenil]

Hmm, that's damn big for a spotlamp. I wonder if it's not part of a gun turret frame?

 

[Armada]

Are you parting that out? I would be interested in those brackets.

 

[clinto]

Is this the same spotlight bracket that I seem to remember some M123's having in the same place?

I would like to see the top as well, in detail, where the spotlight attaches.

Thanks

 

[Barrman]

I am not wanting to sell it right now.

I just ran out and took some more pictures.

 

[Recovry4x4]

My floods on the M108 are similarly mounted but the top portion is completely different. I'll scare up pics tomorrow.

 

[rdixiemiller]

You're right Clinto. I saw a M123 at Shirleys one time that had that mount. So, it is correct and military for the cab, if not necessarily for the deuce.
That mount looks like it has been bent forward to clear the rear body, the M123 wouldn't need that modifcation.

 

[rdixiemiller]

Confirmed. We saw one on AMG's M123 he picked up today.

 

[Recovry4x4]

OK, who's boning out an M123?

 

[clinto]

OK, who's boning out an M123?

ditto. I would like to have one of these for my truck. My yard is big and DARK at night. And I am a night owl

 

[mangus580]

Maybe (hint hint) someone has one to loan out... and we can get some made??

 

[Armada]

I'd be in for 1, maybe 2!

 

[Barrman]

Are you hinting at me? I pulled the entire assembly off the truck this afternoon. I really have to agree with the others that it isn't an M35 part. It was secured by the bolts that hold the grab handle on the outside and by the bolts that hold the cab corner sheet metal on down the back. The holes in the light bracket were a lot bigger than needed, so somebody probably held it up, marked them and then drilled them bigger since their marks were off some. There were also several holes that didn't go to anything.

 

[colyork]

that would be nice to have on the deuce.A light just like the one might be hard to find,but a new one would still be handy.

 

[mangus580]

A tracing of the cab plate would even work for getting more made....

 

[rdixiemiller]

Get tracings off the plates, show the bend lines. Send me the flat pattern and I'll see about getting some cut and bent.

 

[Barrman]

It is covered in ice right now. I will try to pull it out of the bed later today and let it dry.

But, the best way to fab the cab mount up is like this:
Remove the top 8 bolts that are located on the back of the cab behind the driver and the drivers side grab handle.

Tape a sheet of poster board to the corner of the cab and let it overhang the bolt holes by about an inch.

Use a small ball peen hammer and gently tap around the bolt holes with the round end. Once you feel you are in a hole, tap harder and the poster board will cut itself out. Do this for all 8 holes.

You can also just stick a pencil through the holes from the inside to mark the holes and then punch them out later. I like the ball peen hammer method better because the true hole is now there instead of just part of it marked.

Cut off the rest of the sheet at least an inch toward the door from the grab handle. Use either the ball peen methord or a pencil from the inside to mark these 4 holes.

Depending on the size of poster board you used, you will also need to trim the bottom of the sheet off about an inch below the last row of bolts on the back. It doesn't matter where, you just don't want it hanging down below the cab and you don't need it more than an inch below the last row of bolt holes.

Untape the poster board and transfer the edges and holes to a sheet of metal. Drill the holes, bolt it to the 8 holes in the rear and bend it around the cab until you can put the grab handle back on. Mine is two pieces of 3/16" or 1/4". It doesn't need to be that thick. Wrapping around and living next to the cab will make a piece of 10 or 12 gauge plenty thick for just one light on a pole. 10 or 12 gauge can be bent by hand or "helped" with a few light hammer blows while you are bending it.

Mounting the pole is going to be the head scratcher. A 4 inch x 1/4 inch strap welded vertically to the now bent sheet metal will take away any flex not already gone and give you plenty of room for the mounting system of your choice. Anything from muffler clamps to Briggs and Stratton connecting rod ends can be used to hold the pole to the 4" plate. It all depends on what you have access to and what size pole you are going to use.

Does this help any?

 

[Recovry4x4]

Here's the pics of the ones on the M108. Different top section and an adjoining bridge but same mounting plates.

 

[JCease]

When I used to be a volunteer rescue squirrel, we had lights mounted in the same fashion on our crash truck Ford F-450 with a compartment box on the back. The lights were big halogen units that were mounted to a pole, which attached to the front corner of the box. For clearance issues, they were adjustable in heigth, and you could turn them so you could place the light exactly where you wanted them. Might be something to consider if using this 'pole' type of set-up.

 

[Armada]

Kenny, are the tops of your posts hinged so that they can be pivoted and locked in an upward position in order to get a greater height on the lights? At least that's what it looks like. Neat idea.
Now that I think about it, if a guy had convoy lights on posts, he could mount spotlights either on a bar between the two posts, or on a bracket on the outward side of the posts.