Info needed: Building a repro LRDG 1940 Chev.

[Bob Carriere]

Yes Mike that ambulance is built on a Chev 1940 ( could be 39) Chevrolet civilian chassis....possibly shipped as a chassis cowl...... ten bolts on a 7 1/4 circle..... heart centric ...the center hub was exactly 4.75 inches. The front axle spacer *** is drilled with only 5 holes.... the blank reinforcement plate only has 5 holes....all the rims have 10 holes and can be used on all four corners..... the rear axle/rim uses all 10 holes. That was a standard on the Chev at that time and persisted well after the war on civvy trucks.

The odd piece is the 18 inch two piece rim very similar to the standard 16 and 20 inch CMP rims. I have never seen or heard of an 18 in. CMP rim in Canada but then I have not seen it all........ they must have been made in Australia or even India..... all I know is that the humongous press used at GM did half of the rim in one punch....eventually Kelsey Hayes took over the production and proudly stamped their name and date on the rims. Some were made in England as we accidentally stumbled on one in Canada......

The front axle has a 4 1/4 in. hour glass shaped spacer. It is bolted to the five standard studs on the brake drum and extends the center of the front wheel track to the middle of the dual rear axle...... On the C15 the front spacer is only 2 inches and the rear axle runs on one tire but they remain a few inches off from tracking perfectly even.

Such lend lease civvy axles were around 55 to 58 in. track and considerably narrower than the CMP at slightly over 70 inches.....CMP had a wide stance for that period.

So much to learn about these trucks....... and then I starting thumbing through a FORD MASTER ASSEMBLY CATALOGUE FMA-01 and my mind was blown away by the number of various axles, mainly with R-Zeppa joints, including the early GM axles when Ford was short of their own.... and the special kits available to revert the Ford ? GM axle to a Ford/Ford axle when major services were done.

I can imagine the frustration of the poor mechanic looking for the right axle in a large field covered with crates of spare parts.....

Thanks guys.

[Bob Carriere]

The small end goes against the brake drum...... parts listed on Ebay about 2 years ago.

[Bob Carriere]

Mr Phillips.......................OH you wonderful man....

Would you have a picture of the brake drum end.....? can you tell if it takes the standard 8 bolts CMP rim...?

.....hope I can sleep now.......

....and yes I might ...possibly ...maybe....haaaaaaa .....consider buying it from you.......

Any idea what and where it might have come from?????

Cheers oh yes ....... Cheers

[Bob Phillips]

Hi Bob
The front axle in question takes a standard 16 inch CMP rim to the best of my knowledge. It has a straight hollow tube not the drop type axle in many 4x2 trucks. Many years ago I bought NOS axles from Levys in Toronto, I got two straight front axles this is the one I still have ( could track down the other if you needed it, its a little heavier at th ends) Anyway its yours when the snow melts.
Bob

[Bob Carriere]

Definitely much interested....as you say when the snow melts ..... I will make a run down your way......... even if it has not melted here in Hammond...... and I might be interested in the other one as well once I have seen the first one.

Getting an axle that accepts CMP rims is going to make the rebuild much simpler and cheaper as it becomes a bolt together projects.

Thank you.

Bob C

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by Bob Phillips

Hi Bob
I have a non driving front axle for a CMP ambulance I think.

The front axle in question takes a standard 16 inch CMP rim to the best of my knowledge. It has a straight hollow tube not the drop type axle in many 4x2 trucks.

Anyway its yours when the snow melts.
Bob

Sounds like an axle from an F602L (or F602S), which were supplied as an ambulance variant.

Bob might need to check the width, as it will be CMP track (70in), and might be too wide for an LRDG truck.

See http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...3&postcount=28

[Bob Carriere]

Hi Tony

It maybe but would allow me to use a standard C15a rear axle...same 70 1/2 in. and we plan to extend the fenders.....

According to some preliminary measurements and referenced to CMP books the track of the MCP Chev truck is about 66 to 67 inches in the front and 2 to 3 inches narrower at the rear axle....... which I consider getting close......
I think I can live with that....

I have only seen the round tube axles on heavier trucks..... then there is the issue of spring perch and spring pads.....

...another possibility is that the round tube axle may have interchangeable parts such as the drum/hub assembly with the civilian models...... I know that the rear axle the whole brake wheel assembly can be removed and replaced with civilian dual wheel...drum an all fits..... a very popular conversion on trucks in CANADA post war.

Once I have my hot little hands on the parts I can see what fits or not...

....assuming the snow will eventually melt!!!!!!

PS.... there are no listing of a round tube axle in the GM Illustrated cataloge of MAJOR ASSEMBLIES.......dated august 1944.....?

[Bob Carriere]

...I now know that the tubular front axle is for Ford Ambulance and what it looks like ....some parts do interchange with CMPs and could no doubt be made to fit on a LRDG but much stronger construction and is RHD.

Still Keeping a sharp eye open for other related stuff.

Bob C