questions about my new Deuce

[rowdyranger00]

i recently purchased a m35a2 i believe it to be a 1985 model,in the bed was a single color canvas tarp with 2 ends both having opening and one being longer than the other,can anyone tell me where i can find info on how to install this cover on my truck and how many bows it takes.Also my truck doesnt have the air locker on dash for 6x6 i was told that my truck is one of a few that has auto lock in front diff,can anyone tell me if this is correct,thanks

 

[stumps]

The first place you want to go is to the "Resources" section just below the STEEL SOLDIERS logo, and select "Technical Manuals" From there, scan through several pages of manuals until you find TM9-2320-361-10, and download it.

That is your new bedside reader. It has the answers to all of your questions and more... and tells you how to set up your cover better than we could.

If your deuce doesn't have the air shift locker for the front wheel drive, it is a much older sprag type transfer case. Probably a 1960's model.

The rule of the day with a sprag transfer case is do not allow the truck to coast in the wrong direction for the gear it is in. If you coast backwards in a forward gear, or forward in reverse gear, the sprag clutch will get wound up, and may break drive train parts.

There are only a few sprag clutch transfer cases left because they are easy to break through careless operation. The government paid to have virtually all of them replaced with the air lock transfer cases.

-Chuck

 

[greenjeepster]

i recently purchased a m35a2 i believe it to be a 1985 model,in the bed was a single color canvas tarp with 2 ends both having opening and one being longer than the other,can anyone tell me where i can find info on how to install this cover on my truck and how many bows it takes.Also my truck doesnt have the air locker on dash for 6x6 i was told that my truck is one of a few that has auto lock in front diff,can anyone tell me if this is correct,thanks

Yes it is a sprag T-case, but it is the T-case that is auto locking, not the differential. I really can't describe accurately how it works in terms that you would understand, but basically if the rear wheels start moving faster than the front wheels (rear slipping) it causes a couple of wedges to slide forward engaging the front wheel drive.

 

[rowdyranger00]

thanks‚what best way to fix t-cas if broken

 

[Divemaster920]

DITTO.....

The rule of the day with a sprag transfer case is do not allow the truck to coast in the wrong direction for the gear it is in. If you coast backwards in a forward gear, or forward in reverse gear, the sprag clutch will get wound up, and may break drive train parts
And it will make a loud bang..


What do you think is broken????

 

[rowdyranger00]

I'm not sure, seems like it isn't locking into 6 wd

 

[Angus1]

The best way to fix sprag type case, is replace it with a pnumatic type case.

 

[stumps]

The sprag clutch needs the rear wheels to be turning a bit faster than the front wheels for it to engage. Once all the wheels are back to turning the same speed, it will disengage again, and then when the rear wheels start spinning again, it will re-engage... Some find that behavior to be annoying.

As long as you don't roll back, and are on firm ground, you might never know you have a sprag.

-Chuck

 

[swbradley1]

As long as you don't roll back, and are on firm ground, you might never know you have a sprag.

-Chuck

You mean to tell me that if you have the sprag and you go out for a drive and stop at a light on a hill and the truck rolls back it is going to damage something?

I say that for people that can't drive a stick and take off from a stop on a hill....



sw

 

[Chevytruck]

If your having trouble finding the TMs

Note: those two are just one of the many ones.

take a look at my signature

to the above

 

[stumps]

You mean to tell me that if you have the sprag and you go out for a drive and stop at a light on a hill and the truck rolls back it is going to damage something?

I say that for people that can't drive a stick and take off from a stop on a hill....



sw

Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. Think about that, and I think you will quickly come to understand why Uncle paid to get rid of the sprag clutched transfer cases.

Our favorite toys are littered with ideas like the sprag clutch that seemed good on the design table, but couldn't handle being out in the light of day.

(Airplanes that can't get out of a stall, generators that burn their regulators out if ever asked to idle, sprags that break if you roll backwards, jeeps that flip if you turn and brake at the same time... oil dipsticks that don't mean what they say, gear cases that have to be filled below their fill-and-spill plugs... A quick read through PS magazine will show off many such fooboos that they tried to paper over. In most cases PS made it sound like the operator was a dufus if he ran into problems with these obvious design failures...)

-Chuck

 

[saddamsnightmare]

January 8th, 2010.

SWBradley & Co.:
As it has been said above, "Welcome to the world of the self destructing sprag clutch".
This is such a brilliant idea they either promoted the bird that came up with it AND gave he a huge pay raise, or they SHOT him!. I have driven enough old military vehicles to appreciate either the manual shifted transfer case(s) or the air shifts, and I LOVE the air shift in my M35A2 "Saddam's Nightmare" in the icon.... If you got air, your transfer case is ready to go... its even more reliable then the manual transfer case in the wife's 2006 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited and much much smooooother. It's even better sometimes then the transfer case in my Swiss 1963 Mercedes Benz S.404.114 Unimog, which usually doesn't need clutched to go into or out of the FWD position. The only thing better then an Air Shift transfer (ala M35A2) is the locking differentials on the Unimog, stock, from the factory....makes me wish Uncle had allowed for mechanically lcoking differentials on the deuce.... If you stick a Unimog, you are in a world of hurt!

They must've figured the truck drivers in WWII didn't take good enough care of the CCKW transfer cases, so they came up with the automatic sprag transfer, great Idea in a perfect universe, but in this universe it's just plain dumb.... SWITCH that baby to an Air Shift and you will never regret the change....
Just my depreciated .02 worth,

Cheers,

Kyle F. McGrogan

 

[Divemaster920]

The Sprag is always engaged in 1 and R.
You should be able to feel it in the steering.