Canadian Dodge, 3 ton 4x2

[Lang]

Kevin

I once drove one of those Dodges on a 300km each way trip. One way loaded and one way empty.

The ride loaded was of course very smooth but the empty ride was also quite good. I personally would not be creating a mess and bandaging springs as I doubt the improvement, if any, in the ride would be worth the effort.

Any empty truck will jolt over a deep pothole due to the sheer strength of the springs not sufficiently bending, no amount of greasing is going to alter this. Most trucks partially overcome this hard empty ride with a secondary helper spring which does not come into play until the load pushes the truck down to engage the helpers on their support brackets.

A bit of research will find evidence that greased springs are detrimental to ride as they rely in friction between the leaves to smooth out the bounce, particularly on the rebound. That is one reason coil springs are unworkable without shock absorbers while leaves still give a reasonable ride.

I would talk to somebody who has actually greased their springs to make sure it is worth the effort.

Lang

[motto]

I once bought a WC51 that had been restored by a hot rod builder and he had used strips of teflon sheet between all the spring leaves to give a softer ride. The outcome was not what he imagined, haemorrhaged shockers leading to violent bucking on a railway level crossing that nearly threw me off the road on my way home from purchasing the vehicle. I promptly dismantled the springs to remove the teflon and found that one of the centre bolts had sheared off and another was on the way. No doubt due to the teflon.
As regards greasing leaf springs I recall reading a warning in one of the TMs that stated it was not to be done as it would lead to, 'Too lively a spring action', which is exactly what I had with the teflon in the WC51
The mystery to me is that the Dodge ambulances were fitted with greased springs wrapped in sheet metal and they were not the only vehicles to have this feature. Maybe the little difference between laden and unladen weights meant the springs could be more precisely matched to the task.
In the final analysis I would recommend you do what the TM says and nothing more.

David

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by motto

I once bought a WC51 that had been restored by a hot rod builder
David

Yes , was a club member for a while . No names no pack drill

[Kevin Goodwin]

Bit of an update, I have sourced another engine from the states, it has the 25" block, engine number T118 117041. The truck resto has stalled at the moment whilst we await certain parts, probably won't have much progress now until the new year.
Lang the link you posted regarding these engines does not show the power output for this engine, do you know what it should be?
Kevin

[Lang]

The T118 was used 41-47.

As with many Chrysler engines it is a muddle and they changed capacity halfway through without altering the engine number. Went from 228 cu in to 236 cu in.

If you are rebuilding measure the bore and stroke to ensure you have the right parts.

It will not be less than 90hp or more than 110hp

Lang

[Bob Carriere]

Have you considered looking in the UK or EU for a Dodge M37.... the US model usually had the small block and the Canadian model the long block and since Massey Ferguson was so popular at one time in the UK have you check old MF combines that were powered by the long block but a very desirable 265 cu in. industrial flat head that would bolt in your truck.

Cheers

[Kevin Goodwin]

Hi Bob,
Thanks for your input, I have sourced a 1946 long block motor which is complete and includes another transmission, plus all the ancillaries.
I dint know about the other engine options from the M37 or a combine power plant, I would have thought an engine out of a combine would have clocked up a lot of hours during its life on a farm.