Chevrolet MCP 3 Ton Lorries G.S. (Australian)

[Lionelgee]

Originally Posted by motto

I know little of the pre 1942 Chevrolet trucks and am somewhat surprised that the army classed these vehicles as 3 ton.
The 42 model we know as the lend/lease Chev was basically the same truck with different sheet metal and was rated at 1-1/2 ton by the U.S. military and by Chevrolet themselves though in this country in civilian life at least they were generally considered to be 3 ton trucks.
I have a copy of TM 10-1677 for Chevrolet models 4403, 4408, 4409 and 4412 dated June 1, 1943. Stuck (glued) on the front cover is a strip of paper printed in red with the following information.
SPECIAL NOTICE The 160" Wheelbase CHEVROLET TRUCKS imported by the Commonwealth Government for essential civilian users are equipped with:-
HEAVY 10" x 5/16" FRAME REINFORCEMENTS,AUXILIARY SPRINGS, 7" WHEELS, 7-7.50 X 20 TYRES AND HAVE A GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT OF 14,300 lbs
TARE WEIGHTS ARE- CHASSIS AND CAB 4,368 lbs. TRUCK WITH PLATFORM BODY 5,068 lbs, TRUCK WITH DROPSIDE BODY 5,348 lbs, WITH STAKESIDES BODY 5,488 lbs.
Subtracting the dropside truck tare weight from the allowable gross vehicle weight gives 8952 lbs or just under four tons.
It seems the rating figures were a bit rubbery and depended on who you were dealing with. The different load ratings that have you puzzled Lionel could refer to the same vehicle.

It also raises another point - the Chevrolet truck in the photograph has a Commonwealth "C" plate. Did this number plate represent the ARN because a number of the Australian War Memorial photographs of the 1940 trucks do not show a ARN on the bonnet?

David

Hello David,

Thank you for the reply and for the information. Some of the details about the reinforced - extra strength parts were mentioned on another forum without providing a source.

The plate on my firewall says ... CHASSIS: 5200
MAXIMUM WEIGHT IN POUNDS: 3400 ??
GROSS WEIGHT: see note 11500
MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE GROSS WEIGHT INCLUDES CHASSIS BODY AND ALL LOADS AND IS SUBJECT TO THE UNIT BEING EQUIPPED WITH WHEEL AND TYRE EQUIPMENT OF ADEQUATE CARRYING CAPACITY
GENERAL MOTORS – HOLDENS LTD.

The ID plate was loose in the truck's glove box and only an outline appeared on the firewall. I am presuming the ID plate was taken off and put in the glover box and not taken off one of the 100 plus trucks that were in the yard at Dalby in Queensland.

I never learnt Imperial measurements so I am not sure what they refer to weight wise.

If you click on this link to an article written by Laurie Wright and scroll down there is a reference to the trucks being a 30-cwt GS
Accessed April 4th 2016 from, http://anzacsteel.hobbyvista.com/oth...siecamlw_1.htm. So how does 30 cwt get to be 3 tons?

Now apparently cwt stands for "Hundredweights" (?) and they can be long as; in from the United Kingdom, or Short - from the US of A. It being a Holden built Chevrolet would it be a long or a short Hundredweight - no wonder they turned to Metric!!!

Could someone from the AWM confuse 3 Tones with 30 cwt of either the long or short variety?

To me it still remains a wee bit confusing about what their capacity was.

Kind Regards
Lionel

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

If the truck is a 30 CWT or a 3 ton does this mean that it could be driven in Australia with just a car licence? Or would I have to go up to a MR licence?

Yes the restoration is some way off before my truck once more motors stately down the road. However, it would be nice to know the licence requirements in advance.

Kind Regards
Lionel

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

I have dual tyres 7.20 X 6 pierced disc wheels . These wheel rims have suicide rings on them. Is there a modern version available that is more safe than the split rim? Some local tyre places will not handle the suicide rings. In the early 1980s I worked at Killarney Abattoirs with a bearded bloke whose previous job used to be as a truck tyre fitter. The beard covered most of the scars that occurred to him after a suicide ringed rim let go out in the field. The beard grew while he was recovering after an extended stay in hospital.

Mike's message has the tyres down as 7.20 X 6 tyres

The current outside rear dual tyre on my Chevrolet has the following written on it "Olympic Trojan Made in Australia SN 6026 7.00 - 20 with Ply rating 8".

Are these the same tyres as in Mike's earlier message except they just have two more layers of "ply" on the Olympic Trojans?

All my tyres are completly unserviceable and as they have cracked, disintegrated and they are rather square. Way beyond the idea of just whacking a new tube into them. Yes all 7 of them - well if I had a spare wheel that is I am also missing the suicide rings off the two inside dual rims.

Kind Regards
Lionel