Aluminum Skids

TM 38-260

(5) Flooring shall be secured at each intersection with a runner member, using cement

coated nails. There shall be no knots at fastening points.

8-10.

Aluminum Skids

a. General. Aluminum skids are so designed that a combination of various components

may be adopted for use, which will provide adequate support to IPE of many sizes, shapes, and

weights. Advantages from using aluminum skids may include lower costs in terms of time and

materials for shuttling shipments of equipment to storage or using them with removal and reuse

for other shipments.

(1) Clearance. The clearances for aluminum skids are the same as those specified for

wood skids. End and side clearances, however, may be greater than 2 inches (51 mm) if

necessary to permit use of standard member lengths.

(2) Runners. Runner beams shall all be of equal length and sufficiently long to maintain

clearance, as well as to permit the application of buttress blocking, and to provide stability for

top heavy items. Equipment shall be skidded with the long dimension parallel to the runner

beams. Runner beams are secured to the header beams at each point of juncture by one of four

bolts as the skid design requires. The ends of outside runner beams shall be secured to the

extremities of the header members.

(3) Headers. Both header beams shall be of the same length and long enough to provide

the necessary clearances. Header beams will be perpendicular to runners, and shall not extend

beyond the outside runners.

(4) Assembly. The following general information pertains to the assembly of aluminum

skids.

(a) Wood components are not to be substituted for aluminum components.

(b) The manufacturer's design of the skid and its components should not be altered

except as authorized in a coordinated military document.

(d) All bolts including those used for machine hold down, shall have flat washers and

lock washers under the nuts. All bolts shall be drawn tight.

(e) Hold down bolts shall be the largest size that can be used. When skid design

prohibits use of a hold down bolt of a size that fits the hold down bolt holes of the machine,

bushings shall be inserted in the oversize holes.

(5) DOD skid types. The inventory of DOD aluminum skids consists of two types. The

primary skid now in use conforms to MIL-S-9968 and will be referred to as a type I. The type II

skids are no longer manufactured, and when the supply on hand is exhausted, the type II

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