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WW2 20cwt Water trailer/bowser restoration


Ian L

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What great news. it is really exciting when you find bits like that. Wait another year and you will find the complete filter.

 

Hi Tim just the one top is a good start as I had nothing to go by before.

Edited by Ian L
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Tow hitch is now finished thanks to 'Scott' and ready for fitting, this caused us a few problems restoring the hitch as it has no return spring but uses a friction material in sprung loaded clamps to slowup & dampen the braking action.

I was not able to replicate the curved brake lining material so in the end brass bearings were made and the front one is in 2 halfs to slow up the hitch movement under braking but I may end up adding a spring to the centre at a later date if this dosn't work.

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Edited by Ian L
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Nice work there Ian, but a word of caution re the hitch if I may, I hadn't noticed my Arrows living van had no fluid in the hitch, it was fine behind Scammell.

 

When I was towing it behind my LR110, I had to brake a bit sharpish and the trailer hitch reciprocated viciously as the brakes came on and off, and hammered the LR hitch so hard that it badly collapsed the rear cross-member.

 

It felt and sounded like repeatedly being hit by a train (hard to describe how scary this was!) I'm just worried that yours may seem fine empty, but with water on board your undamped hitch might do the same thing after a few miles when it's freed up a bit.

 

Bernard

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Nice work there Ian, but a word of caution re the hitch if I may, I hadn't noticed my Arrows living van had no fluid in the hitch, it was fine behind Scammell.

 

When I was towing it behind my LR110, I had to brake a bit sharpish and the trailer hitch reciprocated viciously as the brakes came on and off, and hammered the LR hitch so hard that it badly collapsed the rear cross-member.

 

It felt and sounded like repeatedly being hit by a train (hard to describe how scary this was!) I'm just worried that yours may seem fine empty, but with water on board your undamped hitch might do the same thing after a few miles when it's freed up a bit.

 

Bernard

Hi Bernard we had already considered that might happen when we made the brass bushes but bearing in mind that I will never tow it with water in the trailer and it only weights about 10cwt empty and that the springs were designed to cause adjustable friction on the braking material in the ist place I think we might be ok ? also its only rod brakes & not hydraulic but we will only know for certain once I tow it.

Edited by Ian L
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My trailer a 1938 GS trailer has similar hich, but there is a spring around the main shaft that softens the brake application. I'll phtograph it today.

 

Cheers Tony that would be good if you could buddy, I was thinking of getting a spring made by the same company that made the brake adjusting spring on post #73 http://www.springmasters.com/ but getting the compression correct would be a bit of a guessing game.

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Heres the photo of my hitch, and you will clearly see....another problem. The casting is quite brittle, I expect I've got a bit to much torque on it, and it has split. Fortunatley I've been able to order some repair epoxy for such things, and will add a couple of straps. The bolts holding the hitch were waisted so I was taking the opertunity to remove and replace. OH ^%$£"!!!! st But it does give you a chance to see inside the beast. The ring end of the push bar has two collors to secure it, so I assume you have to unscrew the ring to remove it. The internal and external spring are seperated by the casting body., the push end is just threaded with a large nut.

Right = ring end

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Heres the photo of my hitch, and you will clearly see....another problem. The casting is quite brittle, I expect I've got a bit to much torque on it, and it has split. Fortunatley I've been able to order some repair epoxy for such things, and will add a couple of straps. The bolts holding the hitch were waisted so I was taking the opertunity to remove and replace. OH ^%$£"!!!! st But it does give you a chance to see inside the beast. The ring end of the push bar has two collors to secure it, so I assume you have to unscrew the ring to remove it. The internal and external spring are seperated by the casting body., the push end is just threaded with a large nut.

Right = ring end

 

Tony,

From your lower photo, it looks like the draught eye shaft is bent, that is what caused the casing to crack. You are going to repair epoxy on a towing hitch assembly? :nono:

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Hope fully a Loctite repair system, with strengthening plates added. Alternative Richard, anyone know if a Sankey hitch might fit? The eye and bar are straight, it's where the casting cracked has allowed the bar to move.

 

I'm hoping this stuff will do the trick http://www.arco.co.uk/products/44C8018/15933/Loctite+Metal+Magic+Repair+Stick

 

Tony,

Unless there is a distortion on the photo, the part on extreme left is out of line, ie bent. My guess is when that happened it impose stress on the casting causing it to crack. I have seen many of these types of drawbar with damage due to reversing on lock, and also using a rotating tow hook on vehicle. I would be more inclined to find a good welder than use a Magic repair. As good as Loctite products are, sticking trailer towing parts together is a bit iffy! Just my personal view though.

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I think your right about overstress on reversing, it did jack yesterday. The casting spilt as I was taking it off, one of the bolts was sized so much it sheared. Know anyone capable of welding cast? I think that it may well be beyond it's life.

 

Tony, if you get it welded, to save any further stress, make a thick steel plate with four close fitting holes in to go over the bolts before fitting the nuts.

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That was the plan, know anyone local who can weld cast? Well, anything can happen in the next..few minutes. Thanks to Number One Son and scientifically applied hammer, the brass/bronze bush has stepped washer, tap gentley and pin has slid out. I'll take some more phots , useful for anyone who needs to slit one.

Edited by Tony B
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Going back to the lining material issue, I would be surprised if Saftek were unable to help. I have always found them obliging and able to deal with one offs. http://www.saftek.co.uk/

 

Hi Alan wish I had know about them before. we did have another problem though, if you look at post #78 you will see the only remaining friction pad is very thin material but the brass bushes are quite thick, this is because the castings that hold the bearings had worn/corroded away so much that they are wafer thin in places & my cast welding man said they were too far gone to be repaired.

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Edited by Ian L
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The running surface of the eye on mine is either brass or bronze. The diffrence is it long circualr bush over the tail of the towing eye. So you shouldn't have any problems with wear. I'd suggest it would be a good idea to follow Richards advice an try to support the casting when you refit. You see the results of it going. :cry:

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  • 1 month later...
Yes, nice job Ian, i'm impressed !

 

why does yours look like it is 'hopper' shaped when the B/W photos show the box as rectangle ? or is it the photo angle ?

 

Well done mate

 

 

Jules

Hi Jules its an illusion due to the angle which I took the photos from, its 40" long by 16" X 16" square at the ends.

Ian

P.S. 2 days work on the box so far & about another day to go I recon :undecided:

Edited by Ian L
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As I dont have any of the origional hardware I am having to make parts from photos, LandRover seat buckles are almost identical size/pattern to the origional twist buckles.

Hinges required lengthing by welding a section in and reshaping the slot.

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The front flap is now hinged and the 'dove tails' have been planned down but I am yet to fill all my bad cuts & run a band sander over the whole box once finished.

I also made the 4 top corner brackets from period photos & an old ammo box for a pattern.

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