Cab12 Radiator brace bar? Measurement overall?

[Alex van de Wetering]

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


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

[Bob Carriere]

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....

[Bob Carriere]

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

[Bob Carriere]

More complete picture of that cab 12 at the Chicken Farm

[Alex van de Wetering]

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.

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

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

Thanks Bob!

Alex

[Barry Churcher]

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.
Barry

[Bob Carriere]

..... 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