M813 Grill Differences?

[rumplecat]

This is a small difference but I wondered if it is just a in process change in the 15-20 year manufacturing run? My 813(1970) has a heavy welded flat steel grill guard while the 813 right next to it at GSA had a much lighter tubular style grill. One cheaper/better than the other or just luck of the draw?

 

[shootiniron]

My 71' has the welded flat bar grill with the wire mesh screen also.The sreen protected all of the radiator except for the bottom so I borrowed a piece from a deuce grill I have to complete it.Best of both worlds?

 

[pwrwagonfire]

I've wondered the same thing

 

[M813A1]

It has been said the the flat bar grille were meade for the marine corp and the lighter tube style grille were oredered for the army !! But i haxe sen the flat bar grille on army issued trucks

 

[rumplecat]

Do you see the same variation on the other 800 series trucks?

 

[Barneyszoo]

My '81 AMG 813 has the tube stile

 

[73m819]

My 73 M819 has the flat bar grill, I like it better then the screen, more of a MEAN military look

 

[The PIG Smith]

My 73 M819 has the flat bar grill, I like it better then the screen, more of a MEAN military look

I agree...more a aggressive and rugged than the soft round style.

However, all the 800 series 5 ton in my unit had the tubular style.

 

[LanceRobson]

If your not going to bounce the truck off trees the type of guard you want is, I guess, a matter of choice. The slat style will take a lot more abuse, though.

For deuces, the mesh guard came in two lengths. A full length one for trucks without winches and a shorty for winch trucks. I'm not sure if the M809 one came in two lengths.

Personally I'd like to have the mesh guard on all our trucks. It's cheap insurance against tree branches and tire thrown rocks. Our deuces have them but I need one for the M813A1 W/W.

Lance

 

[M813rc]

If I understand the story correctly, the tube grill was the original one, but it tended to hold water and rust out.
With this in mind the Marines, who have a tendency to drive their vehicles in the surf, specified the slat grill when they ordered their M809 series trucks.

Army/USAF trucks seem to have either, but predominantly the tube grill. In all my digging for photos, I have never seen a USMC truck with a tube grill, even ones taken over from the Army (which the Marines do a lot of).

David Doyle will, of course, have the definitive answer on this.

Cheers

 

[DaveP]

I have both. on the last project it had a tube style that was a little thin on the bottom.
i replaced it with a flat bar type and added expanded metal to the back side for road debris protection.

 

[shootiniron]

Here's a shot of mine with the bar type grill with the screen behind it.

 

[OldGoat]

Here's a shot of mine with the bar type grill with the screen behind it.

Nice Truck!

 

[shootiniron]

Thanks!

 

[M813rc]

The slat grill should have a mesh piece behind it to protect the radiator.

Cheers

.

 

[DaveP]

Thats alot like what i used for mine. I dont have the nice edges on mine tho.
my tube grill trucks have the expanded metal welded to the back of the grill.

 

[rumplecat]

I have seen both grills but wasn't sure how many of the tubular style guards were used since all three of my five tons including my M543A2 have the flat bar type guards.

 

[FormerNewMVGuy]

My 71 has the tube style, The flat bar grill is way better, Mine has cracks around some of the weld points, just seems kinda flimsy...

 

[EMD567]

My '73 M814 has the tube style grill, but does not have the front weight plate-It looks like it was never installed.

 

[MyothersanM1]

The flat bar grille says, " I am M-series...there is NO substitute!" The flat Bar grille ties the family relation of the 5-Ton and Deuce together. The tube style grille looks tacky and cheap. I have never been fond of it. That's why I bought a truck with the nicer grille.