1940 CMP developments

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

After careful reading of a history of the CCKW-352/3 and predecessors, I am convinced now that Pontiac, Michigan plant bought-in Timken axles and transfer cases for the pre-war GMC and Chevrolet multi-drive chassis, although in the case of the latter the Flint, Michigan plant may have been responsible. Thus when McKinnon Industries Limited of St. Catherines, Ontario were asked by the DND to produce multi-drive equipment in 1940, they used Timken designs as a template.

It was only when Timken and Wisconsin, apparently the only two major producers of cases in the US, could not cope and supply GMC and Chevrolet plants that instructions were given to what we now know was the Chevrolet axle plant [FLINT, MICHIGAN] , to produce banjo-type axles and transfer cases. There is no question now that McKinnons based their designs on anything built in-house, although whether Chevrolet in the US used McKinnon designs is an open question..anybody compared a US 4 x 4 Chev with a CMP? I am conjecting now that Ford of Canada used McKinnon cases initially and then perhaps set up indigenous production in Windsor. I have no proof yet that Ford's had an axle and gearbox plant in Canada and it is something I shall endeavour to ascertain in due course.