M3A1 Rear Bed removal

[SpencerB]

Sooooo,

I have many issues with the rear deck/storage boxes on our M3A1 (rusted out bottoms, etc).  Planning to remove the entire rear area as one piece, make repairs and then re-install.  My problem is a lack of heavy equipment to deal with the side armor.

Can I remove only the rear door/armor and slide the whole thing out the rear or do I need to remove all the side armor also?

Or if somebody has a better idea, I am all ears!

Thanks

Spencer

[brit plumber]

Are the boxes not bolted to the Vertical track armour?

[Outsider]

In an original set up there are bolts in the front going in to the rear cab supports and bulkheads, bolts into the rear armor from the back of the seat boxes, then along the track armor on both sides at the bottom into the angle piece that runs along there, plus extra at the center seat support, then bolts down through that angle down through the seat boxes and cross members into the frame mounts. Then there are bolts through the big cross member at the step into the track armor. After all that is out then you should be able to wiggle the whole seat unit out as one piece as most rear beds have most of the components welded together.

Steve

[Ma Deuce]

My HT came with no troop seats just a big piece of diamond plate. Steve V build new seat unit for me last year and it slipped in like a glove. I used a engine lift to install troop seats as one unit. Removed rear armor to make job easier. Bottom row of bolts in side armor behind tracks goes through seat boxes.

[spec4don]

Steve’s floors are spot on! Great job putting it in!

Don G.

[Cleprechaun]

For working on halftracks I found 3 tools at Harbor Freight super helpful. The engine hoist. The hand pump hydraulic ram. The cartoonishly large adjustable wrench. If you work on a dirt floor like me, it’s best to weld on the large, cheap, harbor Freight swivel wheels to the hoist. I used this hoist to pull the engine / trans, the rear axle, the cab. I even used it to pull the rims apart. The hydraulic ram tool is great for manipulating the tracks when putting them on.

[SpencerB]

Thanks for all the input.  Waiting for the weather to cool a little bit and I will get on it.  Pictures to follow.