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I discovered something when I installed my canvas top for the first time a few days ago. I started lacing up the rope through the hooks at the rear of the cab when I realized there were way too many grommets for the five hooks mounted on the cab. I looked at my parts truck and lo and behold there are nine on it's cab. I checked out some pictures I've collected online and the canvas is held down by nine hooks. I also saw a cab with only five hooks like mine. To clarify things my cab and the one in the picture are only drilled for five. I stole four hooks from my handy parts truck made templates from it and drilled and installed the additional hooks. Was there ever a canvas top that used only five hooks? My good truck is a '53 and my parts truck is a '54.

Greencom

My truck only has 5 hooks. 3 along the rear of the cab and 1 on each side. I've never heard of nine hooks. I'm pretty sure I've seen 7, but never have seen 9. I don't think the number of grommets corresponded ot the number of hooks. I would think there'd naturally be more grommets than hooks.

Hi Greencom,
I've seen 5 and 9 hooks. Mine has 5 which I don't like because the canvas corners "ride up" in the back and don't look right. Rerouting the tiedown ropes didn't look right either, so I restored it to the original weave pattern. Adding two more tiedowns will solve the problem. Other than that, my top is straight and fits well. My biggest challenge was finding the canvas top frame parts-XM708 hooked me up-thanks again Ed!
Gary

My parts truck is 100 % original so I went by it's hooks number and installation. With the nine hooks the rope works great with a pair of grommets for each hook location not including the hooks at each door where there is only one.Two of the hook locations are obvious because of the oblong indent toward each door. The other two I added are about a foot from each side of the center. Since the canvas grommet pairs line up perfectly with the hooks as per my parts truck I'm pretty sure it's correct for my restored truck. The trucks were also shipped with five it seems. The canvas top is also government issue. Thanks for the time guys.

Greencom

No problem Gary anytime.....

Ed

greencom wrote:I discovered something when I installed my canvas top for the first time a few days ago. I started lacing up the rope through the hooks at the rear of the cab when I realized there were way too many grommets for the five hooks mounted on the cab. I looked at my parts truck and lo and behold there are nine on it's cab. I checked out some pictures I've collected online and the canvas is held down by nine hooks. I also saw a cab with only five hooks like mine. To clarify things my cab and the one in the picture are only drilled for five. I stole four hooks from my handy parts truck made templates from it and drilled and installed the additional hooks. Was there ever a canvas top that used only five hooks? My good truck is a '53 and my parts truck is a '54.

Greencom

Standard equipment is 5 hooks, 3 across the back, 1 on each side. You can add as many extras as you like, as obviously someone did on your parts truck.

Thank you Charles. It looks like those oval indents near the two cab corners were provided for two additional hooks however, can't see what else they would be there for. Appreciate your input as always.

Greencom

I have a copy of a 1951 M37 manual and it shows every indent with a hook. I believe only the first run had the extra hooks. Lots of little extras were deleted after the first batch including the neat little access hole under passenger seat to adjust the emergency brake
Rick C

My truck is a '51 with an unmolested cab and it has 9 hooks, 7 on the back and two on the sides. The cab top I have is from Pizzoferrato and it has a total of 16 grommets, a pair per hook in the back and one for every side one where the rope ends.
This setup looks oem, I bet that older models used less hooks as a cost cutting measure.

Rick C wrote:I have a copy of a 1951 M37 manual and it shows every indent with a hook. I believe only the first run had the extra hooks. Lots of little extras were deleted after the first batch including the neat little access hole under passenger seat to adjust the emergency brake
Rick C

Hi Rick C,

Yes, my parts truck is a '52 , a year older than my relatively restored truck and I've noticed a few other differences between them. It isn't early enough for the e-brake adjustment hole however. Why would they omit such a useful item? Thanks for your research on the hook issue, those extra hooks sure make the top fit better.
Greencom

Guys,
In TM 9-8030 page 10 upper photo shows enough hooks to indicate nine total on the earlier trucks (you can't see the center or the side hook but they are there of course). The manual is a reprint of a 1955 edition I guess it used earlier trucks in the photos. I don't know why I didn't see it before. I guess I'm not supposed to have nine hooks on my '53 but they work great.

Greencom

greencom wrote:

Rick C wrote:I have a copy of a 1951 M37 manual and it shows every indent with a hook. I believe only the first run had the extra hooks. Lots of little extras were deleted after the first batch including the neat little access hole under passenger seat to adjust the emergency brake
Rick C

Hi Rick C,

Yes, my parts truck is a '52 , a year older than my relatively restored truck and I've noticed a few other differences between them. It isn't early enough for the e-brake adjustment hole however. Why would they omit such a useful item? Thanks for your research on the hook issue, those extra hooks sure make the top fit better.
Greencom

Any body got a pic of the e-brake adjustment access panel? I gotta agree, sounds like it should have stayed!

I'll try scanning my manual. The one I had on a parts truck was nothing more than a raised cutout with the same cover as the fording hole on the hood side.
Rick C

Thanks Rick!