Australian CMP spare tyre carrier

[hrpearce]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

Robert your second photo shows the retaining piece with the screw in he top has an angle bent in the downbars, whereas in the first photo the downbars seem to be straight.

If the photos are of the same carrier then it must be an optical illusion.

Ken

Ken the first is 16" the second is 20" and it does have a bend and an extra angled bit welded near the hinge that locates it's down position.

[Ken Smith]

Robert, that is good, of course it looks like I will have to bend a down bar as someone has cut one side off to repair something else. I was hoping the 20" would be the straight one, somebody has cut one side off it as well but it would be easier to replicate.

Ken

[Mike Cecil]

Darrin (and Ken),

"Also earlier tyre carriers have a ladder under the main frame of the assembly, later they discontinued this feature, possibly due to steel shortages or to save steel"

Actually, it was the other way around: the 'Ladder, Tyre (Aust)' was introduced on all Aust production CMPs with 20 inch wheels and the tyre/tool box arrangement from late 1943, with the proviso that there would be no program to upgrade vehicles already in service with the new ladder. The ladder stowed under the spare tyre/tool box mount in two angle iron members welded lengthwise along the lower edge of the frame. The ladder was held in position by a locking pin on a chain.

The idea was a single man could deploy or stow the tyre without assistance, by walking it up the ladder, then use the top rung to stand on while clamping the tyre in place. Having tried lifting a 20 inch wheel assembly into the spare tyre rack on my own (I was young and silly!), I can vouch for how sensible a design change it was.

Mike

[Darrin Wright]

I have some detailed pics of the tyre carrier from my C60L, ARN 89 134, sold off on 24 Apr 1963 from 3 BOD.
I believe this tyre carrier to be original to this truck.
Unfortunately someone had taken the truck ID plates, but it is a Sydney assembled truck in late 44 or 45.
Truck now has 15000 miles original to it ( I have added approx. 1000 miles in 20 years).
No ladder on this tyre carrier.
Fitted with 20" wheels.
The locking arm has a bend in it

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Darrin Wright

I have some detailed pics of the tyre carrier from my C60L, ARN 89 134, sold off on 24 Apr 1963 from 3 BOD.
I believe this tyre carrier to be original to this truck.
Unfortunately someone had taken the truck ID plates, but it is a Sydney assembled truck in late 44 or 45.
Truck now has 15000 miles original to it ( I have added approx. 1000 miles in 20 years).
No ladder on this tyre carrier.
Fitted with 20" wheels.
The locking arm has a bend in it

Thanks Darrin,


Good photos, and helpful. That looks like a nice truck. Does it have a round roof hatch?

I wish mine had been demobbed with a steel body, the farmer wouldn't sell the truck to me unless I promised to restore it with a wooden body, like it had when his family bought it. I have already waited 30 odd years to get it.

I had even bought a perfect late GMH body to put on it.

Ken

[Ken Smith]

Good day Fellas,

I would like to thank everyone who has helped sort out this problem, and the amount of effort that has gone into it, it is very much appreciated.

I have certainly learnt a lot.

Ken

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Darrin,

89134 - Truck, 3 ton, Stores (Unbinned), Chevrolet C60L, chassis number 38443S61287. Taken on charge in NSW. I see it had an engine change over as late as 1960.

I'm curious to learn what led you to conclude that your truck is a 'late 44 early 45' build, as I know you do research into the history of your vehicles. Two reasons I ask: firstly, the delivery year for your truck, and indeed the entire group of ARNs it falls into, is listed as 1943. Secondly, the prefix '3' on the chassis number indicates a 1943 build, according to the Dept of Defence Identification document, page 10, Chevrolet War Dept : 'The first digit represents the last figure of year of manufacture'.

In any event, the MGO Equipment Memorandum for December 1943 is quite specific regarding the introduction of the 'Ladder, Tyre (Aust)'. Like everything, though, things are not rigid: there may be any number of reasons why an individual vehicle at the time of its disposal had the earlier style carrier: using up excess stock at time of manufacture, changeover during service, etc etc.

Mike