The naming of parts!

[Great War truck]

The Pierce Arrow one is similar but there are a number of differences. Wooden wheels would suggest that it is either an early European built one, or a US built one up to the end of the war. I have compared it to the war time US built ones that were so common in the UK from 1919 by Riker, Packard, Pierce Arrow and Liberty and it is different to those, so i think it is something a bit more exotic. But i am no further forwards.

[Richard Farrant]

The Pierce Arrow one is similar but there are a number of differences. Wooden wheels would suggest that it is either an early European built one, or a US built one up to the end of the war. I have compared it to the war time US built ones that were so common in the UK from 1919 by Riker, Packard, Pierce Arrow and Liberty and it is different to those, so i think it is something a bit more exotic. But i am no further forwards.

 

Oh ! I thought you knew the answer Tim :-D

[gritineye]

I am guessing that they stuck with wooden wheels simply from familiarity.

 

Thanks for the explanation Steve, I suppose with all the other things they had to perfect in those days, using familiar wheels made sense..

[BenHawkins]

When looking through parts books I was interested to find out that wooden wheels were also more expensive that steel ones (for example a Dennis steel rear wheel was £12, whilst a wood wheel was £13.10s).

One factor may have been the cost of repairs; if you break a steel wheel you need to replace the whole thing but a wheelwright could probably rectify a wood wheel.

 

That axle is interesting. It looks quite light weight (only single tyres?). It appears to be worm drive which Dennis patented however it does not look like any of their drawings which always appear to have had an inspection plate over the worm. Straker, Leyland and Thornycroft were to later use worm drive but this looks like a Napier to me (but that really is a bit of a guess and would like someone to prove me right or wrong).

 

Ben