Frame rail serial number stamping locations

The question often arises here about where exactly the serial numbers are stamped onto the frame rails. Well, I got to looking at what's left of Mike's parts rig out here at my place and realized we never recorded its serial number for the VIN collection. So I wire-wheeled both locations and took pictures so others might have a better idea of what to look for.

Here's where the serial numbers can be found stamped onto the M715 frame:

http://www.m715zone.com/jonmisc/vin_on_frame.jpg


Here is what the front one looks like:

http://i408.photobucket.com/albums/p...umbers001a.jpg


And here is what the rear one looks like:

http://i408.photobucket.com/albums/p...umbers003a.jpg


Not only is the front stamping usually easier to make out, it is also the easier of the two to get an eyeball on! I had to wire-wheel the rear one a LOT and can still barely make it out.

So brute4c, here's another we can add to the registry: 21852. W/O winch. No delivery date available, but likely 3/68. Current status: Mostly stripped-away parts rig.

A moment of silence, please.... :army5:

This is a sticky now...thanks TIM!!

Here is another shot of the rear one from a different truck, note not a stock axle so dont use that exactly as a guide, use the frame rail bend instead:

http://www.m715zone.com/jonmisc/vin_on_rear_frame1.jpg

http://www.m715zone.com/jonmisc/vin_on_rear_frame2.jpg

Yeah, I tried showing the round crossmember and the rivets in the picture of the rear one I took to help with location of the stamping.

I've made several posts about this in the past and never could find mine. Today I wire wheeled the frame reinforcement at the front and walla; there it is! I was looking on the frame, not the welded reinforcement. I did not check the rear as I assume it is gone from there due to rust that was blasted off and pitting.

I was concerned my serial numbers did not match, due to a reported problem with the seller of my truck, but they do match so I am relieved.

Glad this was able to help then! Cool!

Hey Tim, Ditto. Just took my frame to the blaster's and just before I did I used a wire brush and found mine too. Never thought to look on the reinforcement. DUH....

found my rear one the other day. very well stamped and clear as a bell. even matches the front frame stamping...

i checked both places as shown in the above pics.it must have been getting close to 5 o'clock and they forgot to stamp mine j/k. are there anymore places to look. i have 3 tags on the dash but none of them have any model or serial #'s just part #'s i would really like to find them because i am going to use it to tow my s-10 truggy back and forth to our orv park. i am also going to install a wrecker boom and winch on the back to do some offroad recovery. so i really need a VIN #. i have know idea who registered it to the DMV last or if its been registered at all.anyone know how to find that out. does anyones m-715 have bullet holes?my tailgate has got a few.

Do you have a title for it? I guess not....

Without a vin, I dont know how you can search the DMV for a history....

Those are the only places I have ever heard of for the vin to be stamped...

If you can't find one, see if your state will issue you a new one. In MA, for homemade vehicles, or vehicles older than a certain year or whose VIN doesn't match the requirements of the registry of motor vehicles in MA, they make you apply for a new VIN and someone comes out to inspect it to be sure it is what you say it is and do their best to verify it's not stolen. Then they issue you a new VIN number and you have to get new permanent VIN plates made and attached (they give you two little stick-on printed VIN stickers that won't last...)

I learned in this forum where the original VIN numbers should be.
However, in 1981, when I sanded down the frame of my M715 I found noting in the locations mentioned. In the diagonal cross member supporting the trailer hitch I found numbers on both sides. But they did not match the sereial number mentioned on the plate on the dash.
I know from other people in Germany that they found on the locatins mentioned some very poor stampings which for them happily matched the dash bord plates.
I stamped the serial number in the right side of the frame by myself. And it was good enough for erveryone due to the knowledge in Germany that US vehicle serial numbers are not neccessarily stamped into the parts required by German requirements. I still own that truck
Wolf

There are numbers stamped into many areas of the truck...the sides of the front frame rails by the tires has a 5 digit number stamped into it has appears to be a VIN...but it is not...it is a part number for that piece of the truck.
Numbers found in other places than listed as official vin locations are most likely part numbers, casting numbers, etc and NOT vins.

Markness showed me the number on the side of the frame...it had 2 digits above 3 digits and looked kind of like it was stamped in a circle...maybe he can post a pic or at least the number...I thought I wrote it down and I should have snapped a pic but I didnt.

Drivers side had the last digit one higher or lower than the other side...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by brute4c

Markness showed me the number on the side of the frame...it had 2 digits above 3 digits and looked kind of like it was stamped in a circle...maybe he can post a pic or at least the number...I thought I wrote it down and I should have snapped a pic but I didnt.

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These the numbers you are talking about? 2 above 3? There is weld splatter making this one hard to read. These are on the frame side, near the front passenger. There are others also.

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/1350/img0308.jpg

Those are exactly the ones I referred to!!

In the reare case you can not find a VIN or it is rusted away and your authorities give you a new number, how about ask them to allow you to stamp it into the frame on a easy to access area and get that noted into your documents. Asking sometimes helps, aspecially when these people have a heard for vintage vehicles.
To the experiance of this side of the Atlantic river, Kaiser Jeep products for the military relatively often have the problem of poor serial number stamping. Sometimes this is related to the number of depot maintenances, when the frame was sand blasted three or for times in the last 20 to 25 years in the depot.
I will not explain the "how to do" of this side of the Atlantic river for I know that our way of handeling the problem is illegal in the States.
Wolf

still cannot find vin # anywhere i took the front clip off for a engine swap.the metal was very smooth and not pitted or anything on the place on front of the frame.i took a wire brush and went over the area then sprayed paint on it and removed paint and nothing was there.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chadriley5

still cannot find vin # anywhere i took the front clip off for a engine swap.the metal was very smooth and not pitted or anything on the place on front of the frame.i took a wire brush and went over the area then sprayed paint on it and removed paint and nothing was there.

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My parts truck has the same issue but it has the correct # stamped on the rear location. Both of my other trucks have the # in both places.

Thanks for this post ,checked my truck and the number are there and clear to see, and match the dash plate!!!!ya

Meanwhile I found the number in the indicated location, when I had the engine out for an other reason. It is there, however stamping is very very poor.
Wolf

The look and allignment of the VIN stamping makes me cringe, the 'Vehicle Identification Inspector' for my neck of the woods here in Idaho is an annoying government stickler and would balk when he saw the missaligned stamping and accuse me of stamping it myself. Its not the first time he's done that to me or my car buddies, which is why I resisted the urge to clean the area up.

I believe the technical manuals call out the location of the serial number stamps, don't they, brute? You could show the inspector the manual (or this thread, for that matter) for assurance that your number stamp is legit.

Here is something interesting.

I can't look at the rear frame rail because a 5th wheel setup is welded to the frame there. (Holes cut in the bed for the mounting) I sanded the front location of the frame and it is totally clean. No numbers or evidence whatsoever of stampings:

The Title lists the number 10467.

The dash has a button for a Mico Type brake hold. There is a solenoid in the rear brake line near the gas tank (which will be removed).

There is a data plate for the "Welder"

There was some kind of mechanical governor (that I removed) that had a speedometer type cable that went to the rear of the vehicle but not connected in the rear. There was a connection from the governor to the carburetor linkage.

There was no data plate on the dash board with the rest of the data plates.

So, what is it, M726 with an M715 bed on it?

Sure does seem to be adding up to that. Better watch the auction in FL so you can get a bed to match your truck.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Barrman

Sure does seem to be adding up to that. Better watch the auction in FL so you can get a bed to match your truck.

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That would be nice. But I am not in a position to do that right now. For that matter, where I am moving to will be a neighborhood that does NOT allow any vehicles sitting around. I will be keeping the M715 in the garage because I don't want the canvas to get wet and I am sure some of the neighbors would be "offended". It is a golf course community. No, I don't golf but the house was a steal and I just couldn't resist.

Here are the plates on the dash. Certainly was not originally an M715. And since the title is for 1969, the serial number (10467) doesn't fit in with the M715 series for the year 1969, more like 4/67?

http://antiqueradios.com/gallery/d/144439-2/Welder.jpg

Here is the massive frame attachment for the 5th wheel on the top of the frame:

http://antiqueradios.com/gallery/d/1.../RearFrame.jpg


And an attempt to show you the front frame. What appears to be a number is actually some welding spatter.

http://antiqueradios.com/gallery/d/144444-2/SN.jpg

Do you for sure have a NP200 tcase or maybe the 205?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Barrman

Do you for sure have a NP200 tcase or maybe the 205?

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Don't know the difference. Is there something that makes it obvious... something that is different? It does have the winch lever in the correct location even though my truck has a duce and half winch :mad:

NP205 has a pto port on the drivers side. NP200 has no pto port.

NP205 has the rear drive shaft output in line with the input from the transmission. NP200 has two rear outputs with the drive shaft supposed to be on the passenger side and not on the brake output.

You have a M724. You should also have a slot on the drivers side of the tranny tunnel where the rear axle disconnect for the welder/generator was connected.

Interestingly, your serial number would be the highest registered M724 serial number in the registry.

The M724 had the gas tank in the rear between the frame rails (where the spare goes on the M715). I assume your gas tank was located in the usual M715 location?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kwai

The M724 had the gas tank in the rear between the frame rails (where the spare goes on the M715). I assume your gas tank was located in the usual M715 location?

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Tank was a conventional M715 type. But I can tell it had been down. And no ground wire on the sending unit. Shouldn't there be one?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kwai

You have a M724. You should also have a slot on the drivers side of the tranny tunnel where the rear axle disconnect for the welder/generator was connected.

Interestingly, your serial number would be the highest registered M724 serial number in the registry.

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There is a plate albeit home made on the tunnel. I will post a picture...

Thanks for this. Helped me a lot today with the VIN inspector getting mine ready to get tags.

Couldn't find the front one (POR-15 + some grinding when we redid the front end).

The rear one was found with just a bit of wire wheeling right over the rear axle on the M725.

Thanks.. saved the day for the most part.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Binford

I believe the technical manuals call out the location of the serial number stamps, don't they, brute? You could show the inspector the manual (or this thread, for that matter) for assurance that your number stamp is legit.

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Can you tell me which manual has this info? We have looked through the following manuals and are unable to find it:
TM 9-2320-244-20
TM 9-2320-244-20P
TM 9-2320-244-34

Does this answer it or did you already find the info? Not sure if you want to actually see in writing in the TMs...

http://www.m715zone.com/vb/showthread.php?t=12404

Sorry I wasn`t real clear. I`d like to show a inspector a manual that refers to the serial number stamp, as I am trying to get a title for a m715 with no data plate.

Oops, ment m725.

This thread was started because there is no manual to view this information in...

Thank you, brute4c.