M201/MB Differences
Well known 8th USAAF historian and mv enthusiast, Steve A. Carr, has many of the answers in part two of this four part series of articles that jeep owners have always wanted to know.
| Hotchkiss M201 | Willys MB | |
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The mounting plate surrounding the reflector is circular on the M201 with four mounting holes where as the Willys reflector has an elliptical mount with two holes. |
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With electric wipers that couldn’t be stopped in a precise position, the wooden screen rests were replaced with metal loops mounted to the screen itself. |
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The springs were also upgraded, having 10F & 11R leaves over the original 8F & 9R on the MB. The clamps around the leaves were a one piece steel clip like Willy’s. Ford used a ‘U’ bolt ( inset ). |  |
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The original starter switch was floor mounted ( the hole is now welded up on the picture to the right ). The 201 had the starter mounted on the instrument panel. |  |
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The Hotchkiss steering wheel differed from the original design by having a larger hub and much broader spokes. |  |
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There are also differences in the look & number of switches. |
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A) Wiper motor screen contact |
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The brace inside the body tub on the M201 has a sharp kink compared to the curved rear edge on the MB. |  |
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On the 201, the rear body brace, beside the seat mounts, has two stamped flutes which the Willys brace does not have. |  |
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The early Hotchkiss wheels ( see left ) were a two piece riveted steel unit, later replaced with welded halves. The the original wartime MB units were also riveted, but later were changed for the split rims, bolted together for easy tyre replacement. |
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The tyres varied on the jeeps too. Wartime tyres were 6.00 x 16 bargrips. The earliest M201’s also used Bargrips, but later used a 6.50 x 16 brick tread pattern made by Kleber or Goodyear. |
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Hotchkiss fitted electric wipers operated by a single central mounted motor shown above and below left. | |
The MB jeeps varied from hand operated wipers ( above right ), vacuum wipers ( right ) and twin electric motor wipers.
