g741.org

Hi, I was asking me why some M37s has the shovel and the other things in the tailgat and why others don´t? Has this kit any name?

Thank you very much

William

It's called a pioneer kit, shovel, axe and pickaxe most M37s were originally equipped with them.

Ron
1954 M37

I have the metal bracket for the tailgate, have ordered the straps from New Life, but wonder where to get the tools?? Saw some at the HD that might work or do you go to tractor supply? ?

The pioneer tool rack was installed on all 37's at the factory, the other body variants- ambulance etc, didnt get them. The actually tools, a short d-handle shovel, an axe and a pick/matock were installed by the unit assigned the truck. Often once trucks went to private hands the racks got removed.

Not all M37 had pioneer racks installed at the factory. The ones I drove in the Air Force did not have them. There weren't any mounting holes in the tailgates for them, either.

Lifer wrote:Not all M37 had pioneer racks installed at the factory. The ones I drove in the Air Force did not have them. There weren't any mounting holes in the tailgates for them, either.

I know...when the blue trucks got stuck (assuming they ever went off the road) you Zoomies always called back to the motor pool for the wrecker

Sorry Lifer I just couldn't resist...

I do remember working to get the AF GLO(Ground Liason Officer) jeep assigned to our Battalion out of the mud more than once. That poor thing was grossly overloaded with radios and I can't remember if they had a shovel on the side or not....

That's what the motor pool had a wrecker for, Paul! Those guys need to work once in a while to maintain their proficiency, ya know!

Our blue trucks did go "off-road" quite a bit, actually. Some of the access roads to our more remote communications and radar sites could only be called "roads" by loosely interpreting the Army Corps of Engineers' definition of a road. The access road to the radar site at Palgong San, in Korea, consisted of boulders dumped in a ravine with a few loads of sand on top of them. Our M37s and M35s handled them okay, but they would shake the fillings out of your teeth. Some colonel tried making it to the site in his Chevy staff car one time and tore the suspension completely out of it. Let's say he was not pleased.

Pioneer tools description/specifictions/phots can be found on my website at:
http://www.garbee.net/~cabell/photos41.htm

For those of you who want a "quick" answer without wading through the page on my website: Local procurement of these tools was allowed. Specifications for them are:

AXE: Single bit, 4 lb head weight, 4.750 inch cutting head, 31.00 inch handle length, Federal Spec GGG-A-926, type 1, class 1, design A.

MATTOCK: Pick type; without handle, 5 lb head, Federal Spec GGG-H-506, TypeII, Class F.

MATTOCK Handle, Hickory, 36.00 inch length, Federal Spec NN-H-93, type 5, Class 1, Grade B.

SHOVEL, Hand, Round point, open back construction, 12.500 inch blade length, 10.250 blade width, DF-style handle, Federal Spec GGG-S-326, Type 4, Class A, Style 1, Size 2.

I've picked up tools from various places over the years, shows and Home Depot/Lowes being my favorites...

Enjoy.