Castor Dolly For 30 CWT Truck - Checking the Mathematics

[Lionelgee]

Originally Posted by Grant Bowker

With respect to capacity of caters, if you want to be very conservative, work from gross weight. Otherwise go with the empty weight of the truck. The carrying capacity of the truck (30 cwt) isn't very relevant to the casters as there won't be cargo in the truck while on casters.


The diagram on the right in Hanno's post shows both single and dual wheels (each setup on one side of the truck) which suggests there may have been a choice (unless they were using a generic diagram).

Hello Grant,


Hmmm, I missed the bottom line of the diagram. I grabbed a copy of the image and took it over to "Paint" and magnified it... Yes it does clearly say "dual".

I went through some of my old posts because I thought I had written down the wheelbase measurement beforehand. Due to my lack of success I will measure it again tomorrow once it is light enough.

I just bought a copy of the 1942 Chevrolet 4 x 3 1.5 Ton Truck Maintenance Manual for Right Hand Drive on eBay. I realise that it is the model after my truck and a Lend Lease type. However, the manual will fill in some missing gaps of knowledge about my truck. At least it looks like my truck in the attached photograph.

There is also an Australian Parts Manual by a company starting with "N" that Mike Kelly once mentioned being worthwhile to get. NAPCO or NASCO?

Kind regards
Lionel

[Grant Bowker]

Originally Posted by Lionelgee

There is also an Australian Parts Manual by a company starting with "N" that Mike Kelly once mentioned being worthwhile to get. NAPCO or NASCO?

Almost guaranteed NASCO for National Automotive Service Co. which is clearly associated to General Motors Holden's Ltd.

[Grant Bowker]

The problem with tare weight is that it includes both cab and chassis (made by Chevrolet/GM/GMH and body (often made by a separate manufacturer) .
It is easy for the chassis builder to give the weight of their part of the truck, also easy for them to give the gross capacity but less easy for them to give tare which is only known after the body is fitted, often by someone else. That said, there was a period when Ford and Chevrolet did sell complete trucks (dump, stake, platform etc.) and I don't know if the weight tags for those vehicles would have shown tare or if the same blank tags were used for all trucks, complete or not...

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,


I measured the wheel base and it is 159 inches. The front spring hanger is broken so the axle is skewed. This means the measurement I took is only approximate.

I also just found Mike Kelly's posting from the 04-04-16, at 01:55 accessed from http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...21&postcount=5

Mike wrote:

I have the 1940 GMH NASCO parts book . The front cover of the book states "SPECIALLY COMPILED FOR THE AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH MILITARY FORCES" . The book is for sedans and trucks

The 1940 Chevrolet truck was series 13, 14, 15. The model 15 was 158 1/2" wheelbase ( yours ? )

With my measurement of 159 inches; and Mike saying the model 15 had a wheel base of 158.5 inches, it matches my truck being a 15-40 E2

Mike wrote that the 15-40 E2 has a ... Chassis and cab with special 10ft. 6ins x 7ft GS Wagon with canopy top- Standard truck chassis Dual wheel with 7.20 X 6 pierced disc wheels rear axle ratio 6.166 to 1

One message identified the title of the book I am still trying to track down, and what model my truck is.

Next question... was the 15-40 E2 a 30 CWT or 1.5 ton truck?

Also, some of the Chevrolets had the model "WA". Is this the 1940 model a "WA" Is the use of "WA" an Australia designation or an American one?

My model was only produced from 1939 to 1940, in 1941 the head lights changed to being mounted to the mudguards and the front grille changed from just having horizontal bars to the 1941 having a mixture of horizontal bars on top and vertical bars in a sort of pear-shape.

There was a difference of one horizontal bar in the grille between the 1939 and the 1940 - I cannot remember which year had the most bars? My 1940 Chev has 16 horizontal bars on the grille below the Chevrolet emblem top piece.

Kind regards
Lionel

[Lionelgee]

Hello All,

Going off Mike's measurement for a tray - "Chassis and cab with special 10ft. 6ins x 7ft GS Wagon with canopy top" - it looks like my truck may have had its tray replaced in its civilian life as a farm vehicle.

The truck's current tray is approximately 12 Feet long by 7.5 Feet wide. The measurements are approximate because the sides and ends of the tray are timber and they have rotted or been broken off.

Kind regards
Lionel

[hrpearce]

Next question... was the 15-40 E2 a 30 CWT or 1.5 ton truck?

30 CWT is 1.5 ton.

[Lionelgee]

Originally Posted by hrpearce

Next question... was the 15-40 E2 a 30 CWT or 1.5 ton truck?

30 CWT is 1.5 ton.

Hello HRP,

Sorry for the confusion... Mike's post only mentioned lineal measurements, it did not mention a weight linked to the 15-40 E2.

I was asking whether the 15-40 E2 is actually rated in the documentation somewhere as a 30 CWT/1.5 Ton truck? Or does the 15-40 E2 have a different CWT designation?

Kind regards
Lionel

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Hi Lionel,

If you use the link I provided above, you can look up most of the data you’re looking for. For your convenience I have copied a direct link to the 1940 Chevrolet truck specifications:

https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/doc...olet-Truck.pdf

HTH,