Australian International K5

[Matt Austin]

I've been pretty quiet here, but have reactivated my restoration thread here;

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...947#post206947

I'm not sure what the protocol is; should I keep any restoration work over there? I figure that this one could be a general discussion about the wartime Inters, while the resto thread could just be specific to my truck?

After my first visit to Corowa, I'm keen to have mine ready for 2016. Doesn't seem to be much interest in the wartime Inters, but I hope to add my bit to help change that. I have my wife on board, so that's a big bonus!

I thought I'd also ask these questions here, as they relate to these vehicles generally, and are not just restoration-specific. A couple of questions, or an invitation for suggestions.

1) The front tyres. Obviously, the 18x10.50 tyres are like hens' teeth. I understand that both Gamma Goat and DUKW tyres are close enough to work. Are these tyres available in Australia? And if so, do bar-tread tyres present a particular challenge for use with such a vehicle?

2) 20" wheels. One suggestion was to modify Blitz rims to suit. This would be a bit of work, as the stud number and radius is different. Would such a plan be feasible?

3) Replacement with spider hubs. My spare truck has commercial spider hubs, and I wonder what would be involved with a straight swap? I'd like to keep the current wheels if at all possible, but there's a precedent for the use of spider hubs. Mind you, do they have another hard-to-find tyre spec?

4) The General Service body. Is this body similar to the other types, such as the Dodge and Chev varieties? The metal brackets and structure could possibly be a match, and I have nothing above the floor, apart from the vertical section against the cab.

So, it continues. Please excuse my enthusiasm! As I say, I'm open to suggestions, thoughts, and corrections. I'd like to see at least one WW2-dated International at Corowa next year.


Cheers,
Matt

[Ron King]

My father many years ago in Nowra restored a K5 and was lucky enough to find many more wreaks for missing parts at local saw mills.
The K5 should have 20 inch split wheels front and rear.
The 20 inch wheels are called suicide wheels and no one much in the tyre game will know anything about them or touch them.
They are different to the split rims and two piece wheels still in use to day.
The 18 inch wheels and hubs are military but not K5.
18 inch tyres were standard on american and Australian trailers during the war.
The tyres are no longer advailible in Aust except for a very low speed rated tractor tyre of in correct tread pattern.
The cabin tops and rears will very between WW2 K series.
They were imported during the earlier part of the war when we were desperate for trucks as partly knocked down and supplied as bonnet to windscreen and doors only.
The roof and rear part of the cabin is all local stuff done in a hurry and cheaply.
The cabin rear is usually wooden frame with sheet metal nailed and bent over the top.
Some had canvass roofs and some had sheet metal.
Local rear cargo bodies usually fitted which could be all timber or metal runners with timber planks on top.
Some ......but not many had a two speed rear diff fitted and worked by a a simple push\pull rod link from the floor of the cabin.
They were assembled in Melbourne and I think it was Licombe in Sydney.

[Ron King]

The K series were sold off much earlier than the trucks used later in the war and the fact they were 2x4 with a civie friendly type body fitted ment they were snapped up by a truck starved post war Australia.
They were worked hard post war and by the 1960s most were worn out and disappeared.
They were much more useful carting goods around a big city than something like a Bliz.
Off road for a 4x2 truck they are good with the duals on the rear and a good low first gear.
Nice to drive and if I remember correctly they Max out at just over 50 mph.
The green diamond engine is OK but never earnt the name of other truck motors of the time and didn't seem to last as long as a Hercules GMC or Dodge or ford 8 etc
K4 and K6 were also used with the K5 seems to be the most numerous surviving to day.
Ron.

[Ron King]

If you go to the correct spider front hubs and 20 inch wheels new tyres are still advailible in 7.50 x 20 and 8.25 x20.
The 8.25 x 20 is a grader tyre advailible in a semi lug design well suited to a K5.
You will find the tyre crowds will not fit the tyres and you have to do it your self............just be very careful as it takes a while for most people to get their heads around the way the split wheel on the K5 works and you must wrap a long chain around the wheel loosely all the way around and hook it back on its self when inflating in case the old rims do not sit in the wheel correctly during inflation.
Take note the locking rim is not perfectly to round ????? and is flexed off the wheel by a bar at the cut away in the locking rim provided.
The out of round shape holds it in place and the split in the wheel on a deflated tyre also moves together to give room to remove the rims.

[Matt Austin]

Thank you very much, Ron, that info is gold!

I was aware that the 18x10.50 was a trailer type, having seen it on a field kitchen trailer (I think) once before. I thought at least one variety of smallish Chev truck or ute also used them? I'll take your suggestions, and appreciate your having taken the time to reply.

You've described my truck perfectly, as shown in the attached pic;

"The roof and rear part of the cabin is all local stuff done in a hurry and cheaply. The cabin rear is usually wooden frame with sheet metal nailed and bent over the top. Some had canvass roofs and some had sheet metal."

I wonder if I'll be able to register it with new wood, rebuilt as it was originally done? Lots to think about.

I also attached a pic to show what a wash does, to remove sixty-something years of grime. There's no evidence of the ARN, but the paint is mostly good.

Cheers,
Matt

[Matt Austin]

Cliff, thanks for your observation about GS bodies. That leads me to some other thoughts.

I wonder if the GMH Special Body Division at Fisherman's Bend, was where bodies were built for many types of vehicle. It'd seem to make sense if this was the case. I've attached a pic of a brass plate, removed from my vehicle, which shows this lineage. It's painted grey, but I imagine it was green back in the day.

The second image is from the AWM site, and clearly marked as such. It apparently shows International trucks approaching completion. The four planks and steel uprights are visible. These match the two remaining steel uprights and four planks on my truck, as shown in the third pic. So now I know the layout to replicate.

I'm looking at pics of Chev and Dodge GS trucks, which do seem to have very similar bodies, so there may be bits out there. Looks like the metal may be just mild steel channel, bent to shape.

Cheers,
Matt

[Ron King]

This pic shows assembly of K4 ??? Inters........note canvass roof and locally made doors.
I guess if at that time of the war the doors were not supplied with the imported knocked down truck we made them or did a cut away door less cabin.
( I guess it was done that way to save time of manufacture at the parent plant and tooling and metal press wear and the fact we often fitted locally produced bodies to imported grills and bonnets etc before the war at most large car dealer ships in Australia.)
Some inters appeared to be imported with full cabins and doors too.
We worked with what we got in the time frame advailible.( the japs were coming )
I believe the pic was taken in Sydney.