Front Axles for 10 bolt Front Hubs-1.5 ton Australian Chevrolet Trucks 1940-1945

[Andrew H.]

Hi Bob,
Great to hear that you got the idea from my blog - I see it has now received more than 64,000 hits. To answer your questions: Firstly I don't have a Timken front axle, if I did have one I would have used it and widened the front mudguards as per the original LRDG trucks. Secondly, the "weak" bicycle bearings on the stub axle must be stronger than we all think, as they were originally on our 3-tonne Chev dual-rear-wheeled truck that had been used for many years as a tip truck carting heavy loads of road gravel, with big fish plates riveted onto the chassis to give it extra load-carrying capacity (we later shortened the chassis). Lastly, I have a factory diagram (see attached) and also several factory photos showing the dimensions and general layout of the rear 4B1 body of the 1533X2 Chevs as they left the Oshawa factory in Canada.

[Bob Carriere]

Hi Andrew

I guess the old bearing were much better than we imagine.....and since I am not likely to overload my LRDG as in real life I may be worried for nothing. But I am still keeping an eye open for a HD Maple Leaf front axle with Hyatt barrel roller bearings.

I have those dimension for the box also but hoping you had some treasured diagram to work from. Since my truck will be an emulation of the original 33 handmade Egypt version I may have more options for the box...... not sure I want to build a wooden body replica due to all the storage care it "wood" need!!!

The chase is half the fun as they say!!!!!!

Thanks for documenting your efforts and will try to do the same from my end.

Bob C.

[Tony Smith]

From the Australian Commonwealth Military Forces Chevrolet and Maple Leaf Catalogue:

18" x 8" wheel: 5802210
Front hub: 5802242
Front I Beam Axle 1940: 1796042
Front I Beam Axle 1941: 5803481

[Tony Smith]

18" Wheel:

[Bob Carriere]

Thanks for the info Tony.

All models under one cover....... I have to thumb through different manuals to achieve the same info....

Nice to see the "naked" 18 in. wheel........ with five holes.... were they running five bolts on the rear axle???? ....all the unmounted wheels I have seen are drilled for 10 holes.

Now that I have cornered a C15 from a Canadian MLU member my quest is greatly simplified.

Cheers

[Tony Smith]

Originally Posted by Bob Carriere

Thanks for the info Tony.

All models under one cover....... I have to thumb through different manuals to achieve the same info....

Nice to see the "naked" 18 in. wheel........ with five holes.... were they running five bolts on the rear axle???? ....all the unmounted wheels I have seen are drilled for 10 holes.

Now that I have cornered a C15 from a Canadian MLU member my quest is greatly simplified.

Cheers

This rim HAD 10 lug holes, but has been re-modified for a Maple Leaf by welding up 5 of the holes. The wheels for the 10 lug Chevrolet or the 5 lug Maple leaf trucks used the same basic blanks.

Also of note is that the 18" wheels are 8"wide, with the inner and outer halves being the same width. Again, the same blank is used for both halves, unlike the Canadian/UK 16" wheels which have a thick inner and thin outer half for a 6" width.

See: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bem...LsgA6hq2h/view

[Bob Carriere]

....can you imagine drilling bolt holes at the same station for 8 + hours......

Interesting google information..... and noticed that they were forge-stamped having been heated.......

does anybody know whether the same pre heating was used by GM and /or Kelsey Hayes in Canada ...... Oshawa workers where shown handling the parts...blanks and stamped parts in bare hands...... or was the picture staged??

Is it possible that the higher production capacity of GM Canada also punched out the center and bolt holes in the same operation.......???

Bob C