Chevrolet C8 1940 Cab 11 restoration, The Netherlands

[Alex van de Wetering]

Well, It's been ages since I posted a progress report, so it's about time. Sadly I wasn't able to spend too much time on the Chev over the past few months. One of my biggest supporters of the project passed away, so as you can imagine the priorities shifted and there were lots of important things to do, none of them involving old rusty trucks.
But, we are back on the project and I will try to post some pictures today and later this week to show what I have been up to.

I moved my attention from the rear springs to the front springs, due to a lack of the proper replacement parts and inspiration. Both springs were disassembled and rust removed with the rotating wire brush and many hours of energy. I fitted new bushings in all springs eyes.I used one of the old rear springs pins and the broken breaker bar to remove the old bushings (after heating the spring eye). The spring pins are about the same size as the spring eye of the front springs, so that worked really well. I installed the new bushings after heating the spring eyes again and using the attaching bolts to force the bushes in with a hammer. The bolts ensured the bushes didn't "implode". One of the brass bushes required some gentle reaming with the Dremel multi-tool...job sorted!

Alex

[Alex van de Wetering]

As you might remember one of the front springs on my truck had an extra leaf installed and the spring clips were crudely lengthened and holes redrilled next to the original ones. I was expecting to find one or more broken or overbent leafs in the spring, but that was not the case. So, I shortened the spring clips again and re-assembled the spring with the correct amount of leafs. All leafs were stripped of rust, primered and sprayed before re-installing them with new bolts, new centre bolt and spacers for the spring-clip, cut from some steel tubing.

One of the axle bumpers was far gone, while the other is actually pretty good. Budget is tight to I only replaced the bad one and cleaned up the original one. The replacement rubber is about half an inch taller than the old one, so maybe I will end up replacing the other one as well....

I was able to salvage a good threaded bushing from my Chev and re-installed it in the frame with help of a new pin. Heating up the bracket on the frame works really well for removing or installing a new bushing. Yes, you need a hammer, but it doesn't take enormous force to get it into position.

Alex

[Alex van de Wetering]

Just as I wanted to re-assemble the rebuilt Front springs I realised I forgot to order new seals for the spring pins. The "Filling station" offers cork-rubber seals for the early 40's trucks and rubber ones for the late 40's trucks. "Chevs of the 40's" only stock the full rubber type. In the end I found a dealer in the UK who had the seals and they were here in Holland the next weekend with some help from my brother who lives in London.
Assembling the springs was only a few minutes work; new bolts, pins, bushes and grease nipples were fitted.
After the advice from Bob and Phil I attached the upper fender supports and indeed....there is another bolt hidden between the fender and support....the last bolt I needed to remove before I could disassemble the nose panels with the vents......well, after I realised left and right are combined into one with a small panel in the middle......the one with the hole for the engine crank.
Thanks guys! Most of the nose is now removed.

Alex

[Alex van de Wetering]

While taking the nose section apart, I noticed a cut in the arch bar to clear the steering box. The cut is rather crude and seems to be done with a torch......not factory I guess(?). Also the plate surrounding the steering shaft and pedals seems to have been altered to get it to fit around the steering shaft. Anyone recognize this? Is this C8 specific or was my steering box "Saginaw gear" replaced at some stage?

I dropped the rear shock absorbers off at a friend who didn't have too much trouble removing the arms with help of a hydraulic press. The original C8 arms are now fitted to the rebuilt shocks I bought on the web.

Alex

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Alex

The steering box looks Odd the filler extension on the top of the box is something I have not see. I'll look through the manuals I have and see if I can find it. Plus the front or bottom end looks different .

Bob have you seen anything like this before on a Cab 11?

Wonder if all the change is due to a post war leak that was fixed by making it easier to add lube to the box.

This is the steering box without any adjustment for angle of the box correct? Not like the attached photo which is the later and larger CMPs. So the misalignment in the floor does not make sense is there any indication of movement of the steering box mounting bracket to the frame or that dash/firewall has moved. Your earlier frame photos don't show any indication of anything being bent.

How about a photo of that side of the frame and the cleaned up steering box and bracket to try and figure out what has moved.

Cheers Phil

[David DeWeese]

Hi,

That steering gear looks identical to the one in my C8 down to the lube fitting on top. I will take some photos tomorrow and get back to you.

Thanks, David

[Bob Carriere]

Hi Folks

By strange coincidence I acquired a 1937 1 ton pick up frame last weekend..... Looking over the rear spring hanger of the C8 against my 1937 civvy frame and I seea lot of similarity.

Alex what is the width of the springs on the C8 you have... mine at 1 3/4 wide front and 2 1/2 rear.....

I have the steering shaft/gear box also ..... will need to go to the barn tomorrwo eveing to check it out....... it looks similar but mine does not have that pipe arrangement on top but a simple pipe plug. Could this haev been a crude fix for a leaking gear box and a cut int he arhces to facilitate refilling...?

Alex can you measure the frame tickness near the location of the muffler support bracket...... which again is identical to the CMP bracket.

My frame is 7/32 thick..... and my C15 a is a solid 1/4 or 8/32. The height of the 37 frame is 7 inches at the muffler bracket location and pefectly flat to the rear like a CMP. In earlier pictures of Alex's C8 where he is fixing the rear corners of the frame..... I seem to have the same bracket arrangements.

It seems the C8 and the civvy half ton frame had a curved in the frame above the rear axle..... the one ton I have is flat and straight as a needle.

I will have more pictures of the frame when weather permit..... I suspect more similarities will be found ....after all the CMP "pilot" were built on/of available civilian parts.

I will attach the few pictures I have... the engione which was the purpose of the whole quest.

Bob