Ford Blitz Restoration/Rebuild

[hrpearce]

Originally Posted by Private_collector

Despite all the pleading and begging of emergency services, there are soooo many people who take the risk still.

Unfortunately there is no law against stupidity

[Private_collector]

Hey Robert,

There is a law against stupidity.

It's the law of natural selection

[Ian Johns]

Here's the old girl (future project) 1943 Cab 13. The front spring bracket is different then yours. It has the extra hook on the bottom. Has anybody have any ideas why?

[Keith Webb]

Originally Posted by Ian Johns

Here's the old girl (future project) 1943 Cab 13. The front spring bracket is different then yours. It has the extra hook on the bottom. Has anybody have any ideas why?

That is a very late production modification, I've only seen a couple like that here in Australia. I would imagine it would have something to do with anchoring a vehicle either for shipping or winching.

Does yours also have a different to standard gearbox cross member? One of those I saw with that type of spring hangar also had a F15 type cross member rather than the one where the gearbox bolts into it.

[Ian Johns]

Thanks for the info. When I get home tonight I'll check and see if I have any photos. If not when the snow melts a little I'll get in and crawl under her.

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

I would imagine it would have something to do with anchoring a vehicle either for shipping or winching.

Keith, I'm certain it's for winching, I distinctly recall seeing a diagram when we were kids, showing the use of scotches on a Cab 13 FAT. A chain (or cable) is attached to the scotch plate under the rear wheel and hooked onto the spring hanger, anchoring the vehicle for winching forwards. A similar arrangement was shown for winching rearwards, with the scotch plate under the front wheel, but I can't remember where the other end of the cable was hooked onto.

I always thought it was rather clever - the scotch plate has a "spade" underneath, which is forced into the ground as the vehicle is driven over it until the chain is taut.

As you say Keith it must have been a very late mod, because they're extremely rare to find. Here's one on a wrecked chassis I came across a while back.

[Bob Carriere]

...are illustration of how the scotches where tied to the truck in a fashion that allowed the wheels to be dragged over than held in place by the chain... it also shows where they were tied bu that may have been only for CGT...

I must admit I have never seen that extra hook on the front spring hanger.

Phil Waterman has a set of scotches and may actually have used them with his C60 cab 12 w/w.

There was a guy in Ontario, wine country, that had a whole bunch of wooden crates..... 4 scotches to a crate..... lucky to get a few before they went to the scrap heap as no else wanted them.

Bob

[hrpearce]

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

That is a very late production modification, I've only seen a couple like that here in Australia. I would imagine it would have something to do with anchoring a vehicle either for shipping or winching.

Does yours also have a different to standard gearbox cross member? One of those I saw with that type of spring hangar also had a F15 type cross member rather than the one where the gearbox bolts into it.

The hooks are for winching. Page 31in driver's handbook for chevrolet 1945 describes the scotching methods. My father in law said they worked well until the winching became dificult and if you didn't stop in time you snaped the U bolts on the scotched axle.

[Private_collector]

Yay! Finally got a copy of the Blueprint for Victory book.

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New tie rod joint boots arrived yesterday too. They are a great fit, and will take the original spring and disks from the old ones.

I took my set of CNC files for a Browning 50 cal MG to the local metal fabrication shop. Awaiting price for cutting all the flat pieces. All other bits I will have to make myself. That will be interesting. No idea what to expect for $$$ of CNC cutting.

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by hrpearce

if you didn't stop in time you snaped the U bolts on the scotched axle.

Perhaps that's why they introduced the hooked spring hanger. All the force is taken by the chain, there's no force whatsoever on the axle.

[Phil Waterman]

Hi Guys

First I don't think the hook incorporated into the spring shackle was intended for use with the winch or winch scotches it is to lightly built. The U attachments for the scotches are much much heavier 3/4 to 1" diameter and they need to be.

I've attached the scotches drawing from the hand book as well as some pictures of the scotches on my truck. The pictures with the cables were taken when I was getting the correct length. Since then I've had heavy cable with loops made. Strangely because of the placement of the frame hooks the cable chain combo need to be different lengths depending on you are put them under front or rear wheels.

I've used the winch and scotches a lot for pulling very large trees up hill. The winch unit is amazingly power full and deserves respect. When you put the scotches down on the ground and hook them to the frame hooks and move the truck wheels up on them and then start pulling, because of the scotch angles they dig right into the ground until flush.

Now to the wheel flanges the explanation I was that they were primarily to speed ship loading and unloading using a pair of spreader bars equipped with loop ends a crane crew could very quickly have a truck read to lift. The other use of course is using two ropes they can be used like a capstan winch to pull a vehicle out being stuck. But if there was mud involved I'd drag at the regular winch cable first.

Cheers Phil