What is this for?

M274 Mechanical Mule Wanted, For Sale (NO AUCTION or EBAY), and Knowledge Base
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Grummanflyer
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What is this for?

Post by Grummanflyer » Sun Jan 14, 2018 8:10 pm

Since it caused me so much grief when I was making the lower mounting bracket for my foot basket, can somebody tell me what this bulged part of the lower frame is for. I didn't want to grind it away but it was a pain to engineer around. (Circled in red) BTW, not my mule. I borrowed the image from the web.
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Re: What is this for?

Post by markrdje » Mon Jan 15, 2018 3:57 am

The picture is blackened out where the red circle is so can't see anything
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GUNNUT in Iowa
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Re: What is this for?

Post by GUNNUT in Iowa » Mon Jan 15, 2018 8:16 am

markrdje wrote:
Mon Jan 15, 2018 3:57 am
The picture is blackened out where the red circle is so can't see anything
I believe he is trying to show us this - but I still don't know what goes there.

TM 9-2320-246-10 shows it in two different figures (2-1 page 2-2 and 2-28 page 2-14), but it does not mention what it is for either.

On mine someone installed the push button for the electric starter there.

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This photo from Military Vehicles magazine.
1968 M274 A5 Mule
1945 Willys MB

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Re: What is this for?

Post by markrdje » Mon Jan 15, 2018 8:50 am

Thanks, now I am looking for the answer!
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Chuck W.
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Re: What is this for?

Post by Chuck W. » Mon Jan 15, 2018 9:31 am

If you search back through the forum, there is a lengthy discussion about this. General thought that it was for a headlight, only shown in photos of very early mules.
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Re: What is this for?

Post by GUNNUT in Iowa » Mon Jan 15, 2018 4:05 pm

What would power that headlight?
1968 M274 A5 Mule
1945 Willys MB

Chuck W.
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Re: What is this for?

Post by Chuck W. » Mon Jan 15, 2018 5:57 pm

I don't think we ever came up with a good answer. Obviously a battery/generator of some type. Other speculation was that it was used in the assembly jig somehow. Even the very early XM mules had a hole in this same location.
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Re: What is this for?

Post by Auto Shop teacher » Mon Jan 15, 2018 6:14 pm

Chuck, your first photo must have been an early mule as it has a sloped footbasket and no loops on the hubs, were there any early mules that had an electrical system?

I noticed that the steering on that photo has the gearbox housing, was that used to angle the steering wheel, or was it a gear reduction unit?

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Re: What is this for?

Post by Chuck W. » Mon Jan 15, 2018 7:39 pm

were there any early mules that had an electrical system?
Not that I have ever been able to determine, but obviously, the mule in the photo had something to power the light.
I noticed that the steering on that photo has the gearbox housing, was that used to angle the steering wheel, or was it a gear reduction unit?
It was strictly a gear reduction unit.

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Re: What is this for?

Post by Auto Shop teacher » Mon Jan 15, 2018 8:03 pm

Another observation I see on your photo Chuck is that the steering shaft appears more vertical and not as angled as our production mules. The steering wheel is attached at an offset to the steering shaft as well. Thoughts?

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Re: What is this for?

Post by Chuck W. » Tue Jan 16, 2018 8:00 am

There were at least two sets of pilot models submitted for testing before finally being accepted for production by AMTCT (pre TATCOM). You might find this progression interesting:
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Re: What is this for?

Post by Auto Shop teacher » Wed Jan 17, 2018 8:26 am

Interesting information there Chuck, considering that an entire new type of vehicle was being built, it is no wonder there were 'teething problems'. Were there any of the first generation production mules built with that steering gearbox? Or did they just decide that drivers could adapt to the angled wheel, (and I assume) they changed the gearing in the steering unit making that thing below the steering wheel unnecessary.

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Re: What is this for?

Post by Chuck W. » Wed Jan 17, 2018 4:54 pm

Were there any of the first generation production mules built with that steering gearbox?
NO, no production models, but the first round of test vehicles that were released to the military for testing, possibly 5 units. From what I have been told, that steering setup used a 1:1 ratio steering box with the reduction gearing mounted at the top of the column. Didn't work very well and went away pretty quickly in the evolution process. With a few more changes, the prototype XM274 in the Detroit Arsenal photo became the production M274 model. More changes took place in the M274A1. There were persistent difficulties encountered with the AO53-1 engine which led to testing of an AO42 engine in a modified M274A1. These tests resulted in a redesign of the M274A1 into what would be known as the M274A2 and an order for a quantity of AO42 retrofit kits.

The M274A2 was Type Classified as Standard A and was to be the final production model, but in 1965, a Product Improvement Program study resulted in recommendations to substitute aluminum for the magnesium bed and wheels and use a solid rear axle in lieu of a steerable axle. USATECOM testing was conducted at APG during March-May of 1966, for a total of 5,000 miles, with very satisfactory results.

A June 1965 multi-year contract for production of M274A2 vehicles was amended in August of 1966 canceling the M274A2 vehicle and substituting the M274A5 vehicle to complete the production order. Total production of the M274A5 was to end in late 1968, however a contract for an additional 874 M274A5 models was let and production finally cease in 1970.

So, now you know what I know!

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Re: What is this for?

Post by Auto Shop teacher » Wed Jan 17, 2018 5:57 pm

Great information Chuck, one last question, do any pre-production mules exist with the drop footbasket and that steering gearbox anywhere?

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Re: What is this for?

Post by Chuck W. » Wed Jan 17, 2018 6:16 pm

I have never seen any. I suspect they were modified as the design progressed. I doubt they built a completely new vehicle every time since the design kept many of the original parts.


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