M35A2 Cab Top Bow Questions

[plym49]

I'm installing a new cab soft top on an M35A2 - steel bows and all. I have parts that came from different sources. Everything is a bit bent and tweaked, as is the truck cab itself, so I need to get everything lined up properly.

Questions:

- My assumption is that the uprights at the rear of the cab (insert into a hole in the cab at the top, at the rear of the door) are supposed to be at right angles to the cab in both directions (front/rear and left/right). Is this correct?

- Similarly, I assume that the windshield frame should be at right angles to the top edge of the doors.

- The two horizontal bars that hold up the rear of the soft top are way too long. They must be for a different vehicle. However, the tube diameters are correct and the three holes in the one bar for the fore-and-aft wire supports have the same spacing as the three holes on the top of the windshield, so that also seems OK. What should the overall length of these two bars for an M35A2? (If I have this dimension spot-on it will help me line everything else up.)

Here are some photos so you can see what I am working with. It looks like the driver's side top corner of the cab (by the windshield hinge) is bent towards the front of the truck. This plus parts that might also be tweaked is throwing everything off. You can see that cab looks to be off as well as the uprights, and that the cross bars are too long. Once I cut the cross bars to the correct length I am hoping that a couple of come-alongs can help me align the rest. The cab itself might need heavy artillery, though.

 

[ZiggyO]

Those cross bar tubes are for the 900 series soft top. The good thing is that the other components readily interchange, you just have to shorten those two tubes for use on the m35/800 series trucks. The rest of your issues with alignment are likely due to the cab itself no longer being square.

Z

 

[plym49]

Those cross bar tubes are for the 900 series soft top. The good thing is that the other components readily interchange, you just have to shorten those two tubes for use on the m35/800 series trucks. The rest of your issues with alignment are likely due to the cab itself no longer being square.

Z

I need the length of the bars so I at least have one frame of reference in pulling everything back into square.

 

[plym49]

BTTT

 

[m715mike]

I plan to swing by my shop at some point this weekend and can get measurements if no one beats me to it.

 

[msgjd]

I plan to swing by my shop at some point this weekend and can get measurements if no one beats me to it.

DITTO,, in same boat as m715mike .. won't be home until sunday afternoon

 

[gringeltaube]

I need the length of the (M35) bars so I at least have one frame of reference in pulling everything back into square.

See pictures attached....: 51.50" ± .06"
Both are the same length.

FYR, the M939-series cab is exactly 10" wider than the M44 series.
EDIT: it's 12 inches, not 10!

So your tubes are probably 61.5" long (?)
EDIT: No, should be 63.5"

 

[cattlerepairman]

Also, the windshield frame may or may not be tilted far enough back. Not obvious but can give alignment issues.

 

[plym49]

I plan to swing by my shop at some point this weekend and can get measurements if no one beats me to it.

Thanks - looks like we've got it! 51.5"

 

[plym49]

See pictures attached....: 51.50" ± .06"
Both are the same length.

FYR, the M939-series cab is exactly 10" wider than the M44 series. So your tubes are probably 61.5" long (?)

Thank you! Yes, they seem 10" too long. Appreciated!!!

 

[plym49]

Also, the windshield frame may or may not be tilted far enough back. Not obvious but can give alignment issues.

Yes, it is a little bit forward on the pix. Also, the driver's side cab is racked forward. Gonna try to tweak it back a bit but is likely a long shot.

 

[plym49]

Update: I shortened both cross bows to 51.5", but I needed to remove a foot (6 inches from each end).

I used ratchet straps cross ways to seat the cross bows in the corner frames, and two more to tweak the corner frames forward to move them forward towards the top of the windshield frame.

I them connected a heavy chain from the base of the driver's side w/s frame (the heavy hinge casting) to the tailgate chain attachment point at the rear of the bed. It took two binders, but I was able to move that corner of the cab back. I first got the gap on the hood side panel even (see photo above that shows how the cab is bent forward) and then went a bit past past as I expect sme spring-back. Ran out of daylight so everything is all trussed up and waitng for me to resume work on it next Saturday.

I took photos but they are not showing up on my phone. ????

I think I will somehow bolt/bracket the upper corners of the windshield frame to the side bars. This will help keep things n alignment and so one with this vehicle that is bent in every dimension. We won't be removing the top on this vehicle, and even if we were it is no big deal to remove the few extra bolts.

 

[gringeltaube]

I shortened both cross bows to 51.5", but I needed to remove a foot (6 inches from each end).

...oops; comes out I was wrong: the difference is actually 12 inches, not 10"...! So yes, 6 inches off of each end, that makes sense.

I will edit my earlier post, regarding the M939-series cab width.

 

[plym49]

...oops; comes out I was wrong: the difference is actually 12 inches, not 10"...! So yes, 6 inches off of each end, that makes sense.

I will edit my earlier post, regarding the M939-series cab width.

No worries. I cut 5 and 5 off one tube and quickly realized it was 6 and 6. Also 51 1/2" was mentioned up above.

 

[gringeltaube]

Yeah, I should have known better, since I do have the rear panel here, cut-off of an M939 cab, to actually measure and compare the rear corner post's CC-distance, M939- vs. M44-series.


Little side story: Years ago I imported all the sections/components to build me a complete M939 cab/body and eventually replace the rotted cab of an old M54. Import of a complete cab is not allowed, so it had to be cut up in pieces. (special thanks to member Csm Davis!)

For the soft top hardware I'm planning to use everything from an M35 and extend those two bows in question (by exactly 12" as we just learned...)

This is still only a project, and it would be the first-and only one "M923-type" truck in the country, since our military never had any of those, sadly.
BTW, it all started in 2014 when GL in OH was still selling those brand-new hoods in the crate, hundreds of them! I got a lot of 3, for little under $150, fees included... (!) Good ol' days it was....