Ford Blitz Restoration/Rebuild

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

I have a second bracket on the Organ Donor that goes on driver side. Looks to be original, and goes on the inner side of chassis behind the steering box bracket.

It's definitely original Tony, but for some reason it wasn't always fitted. It seems to have been omitted from many early production Fords, including several of my own 1942 trucks. There's no question of them having been removed subsequently, as the chassis bolts are too short to allow fitment in the first place. However in every case the main RH bracket is drilled to accommodate the second bracket, which leads me to wonder if it was a design change, followed by a delay in supply of the new part.

Interestingly it's present on my two FGT chassis, which would also have been 1942 production. This leads me to wonder if it was initially designed for winch trucks, ie. to brace the bumper against sideways displacement caused by cable force through the front rollers. Perhaps this was found to be a problem when winching sideways.

I happen to have a particular interest in bumper brackets, stemming from an incident 40 years ago in my first blitz. I'm sure Keith will recall the altercation with a tree that left the bumper bar rubbing on the RH tyre during turns. This was the result of an incomplete RH bumper assy - one of the many parts missing off this blitz when it was rushed into service!

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Tony Wheeler

This was the result of an incomplete RH bumper assy - one of the many parts missing off this blitz when it was rushed into service!

Correction - photos reveal it wasn't so much a lack of RH bumper bracket, but a lack of front crossmember to bolt it onto! This would have left the small RH piece to take the full force when challenged by the tree.

[Keith Webb]

Oh, I remember it well! I was wondering what it would feel like to smash my face into the top of the windscreen, but fortunately the impact wasn't that great.

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

Oh, I remember it well! I was wondering what it would feel like to smash my face into the top of the windscreen, but fortunately the impact wasn't that great.

Yes, we really could have used some seat belts that day! Fortunately there were plenty of saplings to slow us down a bit before finally hitting the tree. I think this photo Keith took may show part of the scene.

[Keith Webb]

Originally Posted by Tony Wheeler

Yes, we really could have used some seat belts that day! Fortunately there were plenty of saplings to slow us down a bit before finally hitting the tree. I think this photo Keith took may show part of the scene.

Yes, that was part of it - I can remember the sense of triumph trying to push the back across as the wheels spun so you could escape the tree. It would have been a long walk out.

[Private_collector]

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

Yes, that was part of it - I can remember the sense of triumph trying to push the back across as the wheels spun so you could escape the tree. It would have been a long walk out.

Firstly: Keith & Tony.......You pair of knockabouts. Couldn't be described a 'wreckless' though.

CMP brake shoes. I'm looking (and bidding, take note) at an auction on ebay for a quantity of Ford CMP brake shoes. The listing states "WW2 Military Ford Blitz Brake Shoes - full set", but to me they all look to be the same size and width. That said, I have not yet taken the front wheel hubs off, and to date, NEVER seen a Ford front brake shoe. I was expecting there to be a visible size difference in width at least.
CMP Brake shoes.jpg $T2eC16NHJGYE9noohZ9(BRGIZ9JZUg~~60_3.jpg $T2eC16RHJGwE9n)yTT7sBRGIZ67jng~~60_3.jpg
The auction interests me because I know for a fact that there are at least two brake shoes missing from my front brakes. Wheel cylinders were taken off at some point. Not by me! Presumably due to pads sticking to the hub and making pushing the vehicle around very difficult. With cylinders off, the shoes fall together.....no more pad to hub problems.

If the front and rear brake pads are identical (that's my question, by the way), I can use pads from my spare rear axle instead of hunting for front ones.

Still wouldn't mind the ebay ones. Would be handy to get a set relined as spares for the future.

[hrpearce]

Answer to your question is on page U-9 in MB-F1.
It all depends on what axles you have.