bridge plate

jward1 · Unread post by **jward1** » March 2nd, 2008, 7:21 pm

did they use bridge plates and if so where would it mount? thanks

Spike · Unread post by **Spike** » March 2nd, 2008, 8:28 pm

I never saw a bridge plate on an M151. Never. I have seen quite a few on M151 since they released them to the public. The subdued plate are becoming popular as well as the yellow ones. When someone feels the need to bolt on some more stuff they usually install them at the passenger side grill.

According to David Doyle's Standard Catalog of US MVs, "weight classification numbers are not appropriate on jeeps and other smaller vehicles".

mrdibbles · Unread post by **mrdibbles** » March 2nd, 2008, 9:08 pm

They do look cool but you have to figure... if the bridge won't carry a 1/4 ton then it's probably not much of a bridge afterall. That said I like the yellow ones but even then I won't be adding one to my Mutt.

Ralph Fuller · Unread post by **Ralph Fuller** » March 2nd, 2008, 9:25 pm

I didn't see bride plates on Jeeps. I was a company commander of a 5 ton truck company in Vietnam, and we didn't use them. Look closely on the right front and you will see a bride plate on the bumper.

Bill, Idaho · Unread post by **Bill, Idaho** » March 2nd, 2008, 9:32 pm

I have a related question..........did/do the bigger trailers,such as the M101/M103/M015, etc, have to use bridge plates? I never paid attention. Some of those trailers could get pretty heavy, depending on what they were carrying.

Spike · Unread post by **Spike** » March 2nd, 2008, 9:59 pm

Click on this link and check out pages 7 and 8

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/index.php? ... _photo.php

Ralph Fuller · Unread post by **Ralph Fuller** » March 2nd, 2008, 10:41 pm

Rick Larsen has bridge plates and stencils at:
http://militarystencils.com/additional_items.htm

Spike · Unread post by **Spike** » March 3rd, 2008, 11:28 am

M151's, Mules, Gama Goats, M416's, never had bridge plates. I don't really care if a private owner accessorizes their vehicle with a bridge plate or other bolt-on stuff. It's yours, have fun with it. I know that a USMC museum had an M151 with a bridge plate and enough people regularly pointed out the discrepancy that they removed it for historical accuracy. I agree with the critics there; if you're going to display something as period correct you should be 100% accurate, if possible.

When I restored mine I wanted it to be the way I remembered them. Soon I compromised that by putting on ROPS for safety and putting on better tires, the canvas was always tearing or wet, so I went to vinyl. The correct gas cap torn my trousers so I put on the mouse eared one and I added the wiper washer kit. I also went to a mechanical fuel pump.

I'm sure if I went to a show, people would be quick to point out some of this stuff. Look at all the abuse Bob took over a red oil filler cap. Most of the stuff I could reverse pretty quickly. Just like a bridge plate could be removed. As long as were having fun with them and they're the way we want them, what the heck.

This may sound odd; but one thing I had remembered was that the ones I rode in always seemed to have different color bezel rings on the gauges. I was pleased to find NOS gauges in different shades of OD. I'm a detail oriented type of person and so is one of my sons. One day Daniel said "dad why don't you paint those gauges to match?" "Because that's how I remember them, son"

I'm think I'm also starting to suffer from sensory overload. I've seen so much military vehicle stuff over the last decade that I'm not sure what I remember from so many years ago anymore ~ funny how your mind works. I recently heard about an eighty-something year-old man that was a navigation officer in a B52 during WWII. He was taken up in a fully restored B52 about a year ago. It was his first time being in one since 1944. During the flight he was using all the equipment like it was just yesterday that he had been operating it. He took people around the plane describing everything in minute detail. Amazing.