M38 Seat Rebuilding Help Needed

1950 - 1952, M38, questions, discussions, regarding anything related to the M38.
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dpcd67
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M38 Seat Rebuilding Help Needed

Post by dpcd67 » Sun Aug 06, 2017 7:52 pm

Ok, I am in the process of recovering my M38 Seats. Here is what I found so far on one drivers bottom from the bottom up; It was like doing an archeological dig; Pan, springs, one OD canvas shop apron folded up, 4 layers of heavy canvas folded up, 4 scrap pieces of canvas, some disintegrated foam, a one inch thick piece of that stiff coarse matted hair, one tattered canvas seat cover, and one fairly good canvas seat cover (dry rotted a bit though).
The seat obviously has been worked on by some creative GIs in the distant past.
My question is; what is supposed to be in there and in what order? I know the shop apron probably is bogus.
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skyjeep50
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Re: M38 Seat Rebuilding Help Needed

Post by skyjeep50 » Mon Aug 07, 2017 5:51 am

My M38 still has the original, or at least very aged, seat coverings. They are pretty rotted, soiled, faded and held together with duct tape but I'm resisting replacing them because they may be what came with the jeep. I did a little archaeology - possible because there are holes galore - my seats are pan, springs, matted horse hair-type padding and canvas seat cover. There shouldn't be any foam rubber and the shop apron is definitely optional.Image

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dpcd67
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Re: M38 Seat Rebuilding Help Needed

Post by dpcd67 » Mon Aug 07, 2017 7:10 am

Thanks good info on the seat bottom.
One of my seat backs definitely has foam on top of hair pad on the springs though and it is formed to them so is not just a piece of flat foam, and has been there for a very long time.The other one has springs, hair, burlap, and canvas cover. I am guessing the foam is a later replacement. All the covers are canvas; no vinyl.
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D Pizzoferrato
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Re: M38 Seat Rebuilding Help Needed

Post by D Pizzoferrato » Tue Aug 08, 2017 4:44 am

Some of the older ORD-9s showed the order described by Skyjeep. I have had NOS assemblies here as well that match the description above. A note as to the use of burlap; the rubberized hair usually has a scrim(woven net) backing. This helps in spanning the gaps in the spring assemblies. If natural matted animal hair is used, a burlap backer would serve the purpose of the scrim.
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dpcd67
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Re: M38 Seat Rebuilding Help Needed

Post by dpcd67 » Tue Aug 08, 2017 6:45 am

Thanks; I got the covers from you at Cleveland but forgot the screws and washers for the backs.
What about the back with the foam on it? Is that original? Sure looks like it was because the foam is molded to fit it. The other back had a layer of hair, which was not as good as the one in the bottom.
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