Cab12 Radiator brace bar? Measurement overall?
 

Does anyone have an original brace bar that goes behind the radiator on a Cab12? I am looking for the overall length of the brace in order to check the distance from one cast rad support to the other, on my cab 11. I am under the impression that the distance between the two castings is too big on my C8 and that some bending or shims are needed.....however the problem is I have no measurements to work from, as the U-shaped rad surround is heavily corroded and probably bent as well.

I would also be interested if anyone has a drawing of the brace itself, as I am thinking of making a repro for my truck to get some more stiffness in the front part of the cab.

Alex

Excellent idea Alex...
 

Nice picture by the way.....

Hi Alex.

I reproduced one and can take exact measurements tomorrow and send it to you. I does make the front end much more solid and brings up both cast bracket together....... start by using longer bolts to pull it together then replace with shorter ones.

Bob C

Hi Bob,

That would be awesome and very much appreciated! I forgot to say that the reason I think the castings on my truck are too far apart, is that the nose panel that goes over the radiator, only fits over the cast brackets by bending it a bit outwards :nono:


I couldn't remember where I got that picture from...I thought it was from one of our Aussie friends....but, by the sound of it....it's a Hammond barn orginal! sorry for that!

Alex

OK here it is......
 

Hi Alex

This maybe a long posting or maybe more than one....but here goes.

Search for photoes taken at the time me made ours in 2014 but no measurements where taken....DUH!!!!

First of all the picture you used came from one of my many postings and shows a cab 12 Chev at the "Chicken Farm" near Oshawa...... probably build up with house now. Now sure what became of that one.

Digest this first batch will do some more....

Part 2......
 

You will need to start with a rod about 40 inches long to give you leverage.
The bar should be heated red but only in the area you want to bend.
make sure it is cold before doing second bend.
The big rings where choosen to give a soft radius to the bar.
The first one is easy...... the second one you have to duplicate the same bend while making sure the overall lenght will come out 25 in. 3/8...... you d have about a 1/4 in to play with as the bar is only partly inserted into the end piece and a button weld done.

Make sure the hole to be drilled match the one on your truck.

The bar is bent in such a fashion that if you put a short 12 in piece just below the bend the two bars will touch..... or in other words the offset is exactly the thickness of the bar 5/8.

Hot or cold roll steel will work fine.

when I installed mine I used temporary 2 inch bolts on each side and pulled the two side up....fenders ...nose...pulls the horse collar radiator support closer for a better fit of the rad..... everything lined up better. The replace the long bolts with the proper oval head slotted 5/16 machined screws.

NOTE...... on each side of the sheet metal nose that fits over the radiator you will see 3 bolts holes BUT only the two rear most ones are used...front hole is there all cab 11/12 but no way to attach a bolt.

By the way the cast support on each side is unique to the cab 11 or the cab 12.... I know I tried the holes do not lineup....... having said that I transplanted the sheet metal part that has the air vent from a cab 12 to my cab 11 with only a few slight modification.

Just downsized some other photos now can't find where I saved them.

Remember follow up questions are allowed and included in the basic consultation price.

Bob C

Final shot.....
 

More complete picture of that cab 12 at the Chicken Farm

Bob,

Thanks for the pictures and additonal tips and tricks how to make the bar/brace. I was thinking how to make the bends.....and more important how to make the bends the same at both ends, but your jig is a clever way to do so.

I wasn't aware the castings from a cab 11 differ from that of the cab 12. Of course there is the difference in castings between the ones with and the ones without cab vents. Makes me wonder if there is also a difference between C8 castings and C15 etc. .....hmm, will check the parts list.

That's exacly what I hope the brace will do in my case!

Thanks Bob!

Alex

Hi Alex
That part is still on the truck and if you want it I can get it off in the next couple of weeks. PM me your address and I will get it in the mail for you. Three of the original countersunk screws are still there so I can load the torches in the tractor and heat them up and save them if you want. A free original is better than having to make one. Too bad we didn't know this last year and we could have done this when we met for a beer in the Netherlands. :cheers:
Barry

So that's where it went.......
 

..... and you are keeping it cool so it will not spoil.

Nice to see that you are out there playing with your toys.

Grant and I have gotten into the habit of making up parts whenever we have an original...... rather copy the part and save the original.

Alex...... I believe that the cast bracket has raised part numbers.... easiest way to see if they are the same.

I have rebuilt my cab 11 incorporating all the cab 12 features ( except the nose) that I could find that would make the cab 11 better....the gas filter, the under the floor rear corner reinforcement plates, the radiator bar, adapted my modern 261 to run with a steam tube, installed r-Zeppa front axle u joints, used a 216 distributor for looks and spacing, adding extra metal bracing to the top to keep it solid longer, beefed up the door frame where they usually crack near the latch mechanism, beefed up the upper corners of the windshield pipe frame with solid metal bar inserts, installed a hidden radiator expansion tank( mine did not have one).............
........... so by now it is a cab 11 and a 1/2.

To be truthful, I had more fun building it than I have driving it. May be time to look for a second project.

Bob C

Barry, that's very kind, but....yes, there is a but....I was offered another original brace yesterday by Pete Ashby, which is already coming my way. Once again it shows the power of MLU! So, Barry, I really appreciate your offer, but please save the brace for a future project.

Yes, that would have been best....but at that time I thought the fitment issues of cab 11/12 sheet metal was something only others had :D :cheers:

Bob, maybe you should have aimed for cab 11 and 1-1/2.....maybe that would mean less trouble fitting cab panels and more room in the cab :D

My plan is too keep as much cab11 features as I can...and also stay 216 with 6 volt, but maybe the cab12 brace is the first step to a more custom cab11.

thanks for all help guys!
Alex

Although this thread has had a happy resolution for Alex, can I stretch it out on a little tangent?

The brace bar IN FRONTof the radiator grille, as seen in the picture in the first post, was this a CMP-only part, or did it utilise a stock off-the-shelf Chevrolet part?

The reason I ask is that a Chev repro-part supplier, the Filling Station, list several fender brace bars that have the same appearance as the Cab 12 bar. They don't however cross reference the original Chev part numbers, or give dimensions.

The prices seem quite reasonable, so it would be good to know if another CMP related part is available from a retail source, or that a scrap yard vehicle donor can supply a period-correct item.

Interestink....!!!
 

Hi Tony

Shame they do not include dimensions. The bar is quite long and heavy...shipping by size and weight would be scary.

If need be I can measure the bars I have...length / cross section. It would be easy enough to replicate with some basic black smithing skills.... heat hammer and drill. It does hold the "arches" together quite well but the inside behind the radiator brace does pull the nose sheet metal together even better

It would not be unusual for off the shelf parts being used.... they were in rush back then.

We have not seen any recent progress pictures from Alex.......

PS...... check design pictures of 34 to 1940 Chev trucks....... no provision for an external brace similar to the CMP model....

The "bar"....
 

Measured from two cab 12...... bar is 35 1/4 inch long....5/8 round stock
Each end is bolted to the arch bar, the fender and the air vent corner panel.

Bar is not straight but has a one inch raised offset..... bolt head is 3/4 inch.

Photos are on my cellphone and can't find my cord to download...... so photos are coming.

CMp front fender brace cab 12
 

A few pictures worth many words....

Full view

focus on reworked end

offset

location on arch

Note..... the pen is inserted where the bolt would go into the arch, the fender then the airvent sheet metal. The hole is not round but cut out to a U shape allowing some flexibility to the fender.

The end that is flattened is about 1/4 thick...... flat area 1 1/4 long x 1 inch wide....curvature of offset 2 inches.