WC51 Cargo Bow sequence

Ron · Post by **Ron** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 5:45 pm

May seem like a no brainer, but I got no brain. I received the 3 bows with my truck and spent a little quality time with them this AM. They are the ones evidently furnished with the truck when rebuilt in England in 1956 for the USAF and then went to Norway. Wood has Fed Strata Blue under the present flaking OD green paint which matches the truck.
All have the straps and ridge pole support bracket, (I didn't get the ridge pole though). I bow has a ring in each side of the bow that matches the rings in the cowl for the safety straps, so I put this in the back since I figure it's for the rear cargo area troop safety strap?
Another has angle brackets that are held on by loose(pivotable) bolts, and the brackets go over the top rail of the troop seats. I tried putting this one in the front position, but there is the seat back chain support here, kind of blocking the bracket. Bracket looks like what would be on a wood cabin door that you would drop a 2x4 into to bar the door from being opened, except that the bracket used here has the opening down to fit over the wood rail, instead of like on a door facing up to accept the wood beam dropped down into it to secure the door.
Third bow has a spring toggle latch affair on the inside face of each bow to grab the under side of the bow pocket. Process of elimination ended up with this in the front bow pocket position since it didn't seem to want to fit under the seat rails in the middle position.
Are all the bows supposed to have these toggle latches on them?
All of the bows are drilled with holes that match holes in the top wood rails of the troop seat backs and have holes drilled in the bottoms that match holes in the pockets that appear to be for (?) carriage bolts (?) to firm up the whole assembly? Manual doesn't show or elaborate what goes where or what hardware (if any) is used.
I do vaguely remember seeing the latch assemblies on a WC62 at a show, but seem to remember them being on only two middle bow assemblies....?

TIA, Ron

RANGER · Post by **RANGER** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 6:07 pm

Do you have the TM9 Operators Manual? it will help you, the ORD 9 lists all the parts that make up the bows. There is a good 3/4 rear view in the ORD 9 also.

Ron · Post by **Ron** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 6:20 pm

Have a copy of TM9 808 dated JAN 1944. Only picture that I could find that showed the bows was of the front sheetmetal being removed to remove the engine and the bows just happend to be in the picture.
If you happen to have a page or illustration number of the view you are referrig to, it would be appreciated.
Ron

RANGER · Post by **RANGER** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 6:29 pm

Figure 18-3 Page 294, ORD9 SNL G502, Dated 1 May 45. It will not copy as it is too light. The 6X6 TM and SNL may shed light as it is a stretched version. I have all this stuff somewhere, but it takes time to dig it out. I just looked on my TM shelf and the 4X4 and 6X6 Dodge Manuals are not where they should be.