Track jacks

[B. Harris]

The jack was manufactured by Auto Specialties, Windsor Ontario, Canada.
The design was based on the Ford bumper jack, used from 1937 thru 1942. There are NO military markings on any of the examples I have seen. Any markings are casting and lot numbers.

What is even harder to find is the proper jack handle, part number 78 17801. It is listed but not illustrated. It is suspected this handle was manufactured by the K.R. Wilson Company. See attached pic.

Cheers..
Harris

[rob love]

Originally Posted by B. Harris

The jack was manufactured by Auto Specialties, Windsor Ontario, Canada.
The design was based on the Ford bumper jack, used from 1937 thru 1942. There are NO military markings on any of the examples I have seen. Any markings are casting and lot numbers.

What is even harder to find is the proper jack handle, part number 78 17801. It is listed but not illustrated. It is suspected this handle was manufactured by the K.R. Wilson Company. See attached pic.

Cheers..
Harris

Bruce
Your post about the handle lead me to do a quick google search. Since the part number is just a commercial number, and not a special CMP number, nor even a Canadian part number at that, it lead me to ebay, where there was one for sale. Auction closed a few minutes ago, and I am now the proud owner of an overpriced bar of metal. There will have been a hundred thousand or more of them made, since they covered many years of ford truck production.

The fellow listing it also has a jack which is similar to the carrier track jack, although I do see some variation to the main body. I already have a T-16 jack for my carrier courtesy of Stewart Loy some years back, so I have no interest in this one.

Forgive me for not posting about these auctions sooner, but as they say there are no friends at an auction.

Here is a link to the completed auction: http://www.ebay.com/itm/321506664953

Here is a link to another completed auction that contained one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1939-1940-19...p2047675.l2557

And another: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1937-49-FORD...p2047675.l2557

I have come up with these examples without even trying very hard. No doubt now that photos are supplied, we will be picking these out of cabs and trunks of old Fords.

I have attached his photos and once it arrives I'll post some clearer photos of it myself.

[B. Harris]

Rob,
Nice score off of Epay. This is the place to go once armed with the knowledge and finances as well. Hopefully this "nugget" does not cause the price of the handles to blow thru the roof now.

Regarding finding them in the cabs of old Ford trucks...I think the only thing to be found now is mouse dung, rusty seat springs and spagetti strainers (FSM).

Perhaps when my tool book is complete, this will make the ident and search for tools easier. Thats the intent any-hoo.

Harris

[rob love]

Here is a nice clear photo from another link: http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/629728-tool-kit.html

I checked my 41-47 Ford Master parts catalogue, and it shows the handle as being supplied with 1941, 1946 and 1947 trucks with 112" comm, 114", 118" as well as 122" 3/4 ton trucks. Note this is a Canadian Catalogue so it may not include production during the war years which continued for a while in the US, nor the slightly militarized commercial Fords produced for DND. It also doesn't cover years outside the scope of the catalogue

The manual lists it as being used with jack 51a-17080A

[Jim Burrill]

Now we need someone to make the two lift horns as a "kit" to sell to all of us who find these civy jacks!

Real ones cast, but flat stock welded to steel hollow-stock?

Any one with the shop and time to fab these up???

[rob love]

I can put it to John Bizal and see if he would be interested. He had the track tensioning cam tools cast, and it came out very well. His prices for them was quite reasonable as well, especially when you consider how hard and expensive it is to find originals.

Rob

[Jim Burrill]

That would be great!

As I have said earlier, grind off the one horn from the ratchet part, drop a movable horn over the rod, add the length of spacer, then cap the end with the second horn, and, what? Pin it? Weld it on"

The one I just bought uses a round stock for the handle, not flat, so I just need to source some rod stock to length.

With the grind marks, I don't think it would fool anyone as an original, but it should function the same and be easier to use than the more modern square things I posted the pic of.

All the best,
'Jim