lightweight Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 Can anyone explain (in small words) the different types of Jimmy? What are 'banjo axles'? What makes an 'airportable' different to the rest? And, of course, which one is the best/ easiest to live with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 N.O.S. Posted July 31, 2007 Share Posted July 31, 2007 Hi LW. Banjo axle is like a modern heavy truck axle, where diff assembly is held in with series of bolts around the axle housing. Split axle is where the axle case comprise 2 halves, held together with a series of radial bolts, thus you "split" the axle to access the diff. Banjo are generally considered to be stronger (not really relevant unless you plan to stick 8 tons or more in the back!!). As 'leader' has found, there seem to be a lot more spare parts and complete axles around for Banjo type, so that might be a case for choosing between the 2 types if nothing else. Airportable truck has a chassis which unbolts into 2 pieces (large flanges in chassis rails a couple of feet behind back of cab - the original body also was in sections) - designed to be split into "airportable" pieces and bolted together to make a complete truck (assuming both bits landed in the same area...) Hope this helps, sorry no time to post pics but perhaps someone else will? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 REME 245 Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 There was a very good article in Wheels and Tracks on the airportable version. If buying one avoid airportable trucks with hard top cabs as they would have been fitted during post-war rebuilds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 lightweight Posted August 1, 2007 Author Share Posted August 1, 2007 Thanks guys. So what is the one with the spare wheels mounted behind the cab and the one with the longer back body and the spare slung underneath, is one a 352 and the other a 353? Or is the distinction made by the winch like Dodges? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Jack Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 Thanks guys. So what is the one with the spare wheels mounted behind the cab and the one with the longer back body and the spare slung underneath, is one a 352 and the other a 353? Or is the distinction made by the winch like Dodges? Hi LW. Well done that man - welcome to the realside. The 352 is the short wheel version and were used as gun tractor, the two wheels behind the cab were, at times, bolted to the front axle giving you 'dual' wheels. This was to enable the truck to cross soft ground but must of been a nighmare to handle. The 353 are the long wheel base version and where the transit van of the war. a quarter of all GMC's were built with a recovery winch - that said, you can quite easily convert a non winched GMC to the winch model. You are spoilt for choice really as to which model but the 353 is a much long truck. They are all wonderful and a fine sight when you see and here a convoy of them. Jack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 TooTallMike Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 This may help: The vehicle designation codes are as follows: A - 1939 B - 1940 C - 1941 D - 1942 (design year) C - standard (normal control) cab F - forward (cab over engine) cab U - amphibian K - Front wheel drive W - Rear wheel drive X - special extra lwb chassis 352 - swb (dual spare wheels & fuel tank behind cab) 353 - lwb (single spare & fuel tank under body) A - cargo body w/o winch B - cargo body w/winch C - stake wagon D - Fuel tanker w/o winch E - fuel tanker w/winch F - van body G - water tanker w/o winch H - tipper w/winch L - tipper w/o winch 1 - split axles 2 - banjo axles Cab codes are: 1608 - CCKW hard cab 1615 - AFKWX hard cab 1619 - CCKW soft-top cab 1620 - AFKWX soft-top cab Jack's is therefore a CCKW 353 B1 with a 1619 cab, and Alan Greene's truck in the US is a CCW as it has a non-driven front axle. You can also now see the origins of 'DUKW' and 'AFKWX'. (info from "The GMC 6x6 and DUKW A Universal Truck", Boniface and Jeudy 1990) - Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Mark Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 So what version would mine be then Mike?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Jack Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 So what version would mine be then Mike?? F - van body :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 TooTallMike Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 So what version would mine be then Mike?? It looks like yours has Banjo axles so in its current form it would be a CCKW 352 F2. Have a look at the number stamped into the chassis above the front right road spring to find out how the chassis left the factory. I wouldn't trust the cab plate as it may well have been re-cabbed, re-bodied, re-engined etc... Chassis number will be in the form of e.g. "CCKW 353 30338 A1" I've got the series build dates based on chassis numbers if you want to know roughly when it was built? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Jack Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 I've got the series build dates based on chassis numbers if you want to know roughly when it was built? Mike - you would earn nearly god like status if you could let me have these as I would make a sectin for these on the site somewhere :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 TooTallMike Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 Mike - you would earn nearly god like status if you could let me have these as I would make a sectin for these on the site somewhere :-D I'm already a demi-god :angel: but thanks anyway. :-D I'll need to copy them out and you'll have to give credit to the book they're from. I'll PM you later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Jack Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 I'm already a demi-god :angel: but thanks anyway. :-D We will be the judge of that, thank you. I'll need to copy them out and you'll have to give credit to the book they're from. I'll PM you later. Not a problem and thanks very much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 ArtistsRifles Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 I'm already a demi-god :angel: but thanks anyway. :-D I'll need to copy them out and you'll have to give credit to the book they're from. I'll PM you later. With THOSE knees??? :evil: :evil: :evil: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 TooTallMike Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 With THOSE knees??? :evil: :evil: :evil: :pfrt: :pfrt: :pfrt: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Degsy Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 Mark as yours has one of the Swiss post war w/s bodies it is more than likely that it was originally a cargo body build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Marmite!! Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 Mark as yours has one of the Swiss post war w/s bodies it is more than likely that it was originally a cargo body build. PW Body.... you'll be kicked out the club Mark :whistle: :whistle: :whistle: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Mark Posted August 1, 2007 Share Posted August 1, 2007 Weel the thought was there It's just that I did not think about that :whistle: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Degsy Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 It's still a 'jimmy' underneath, we won't mention the body again :whistle: :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Mark Posted August 2, 2007 Share Posted August 2, 2007 :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Lawson Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 There was a very good article in Wheels and Tracks on the airportable version. If buying one avoid airportable trucks with hard top cabs as they would have been fitted during post-war rebuilds. Not really the case as many during war time were fitted with hard cabs in the field if a soft cab was damaged and a hard cab was avaliable it was fitted.. or another soft cab ....also the hard cab in a lot of cases was prefured as an alternative by many drivers to the soft cabs as they were better in bad weather if one was able to of been sourced...This would of been the case on any airportable or indeed a non airportable...so the hard cab could of indeed been fitted in the field during war time.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Mark Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 PW Body.... you'll be kicked out the club Mark :whistle: :whistle: :whistle: Best of both worlds then :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Mark Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 Mike - you would earn nearly god like status if you could let me have these as I would make a sectin for these on the site somewhere :-D Any joy on this information at all :dunno: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 pop larkin Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 I knew I saw some pics of an air portable somewhere. Just found them so have a look at the air portable in pieces! http://www.primeportal.net/trucks/ulrich_wrede/gmc_cckw-353/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Jack Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 Great link Pop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Lawson Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 yes i second that ...thanks for the link pop....Looks intresting...looking now at it now.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 N.O.S. Posted August 27, 2007 Share Posted August 27, 2007 Pop, Those pics were taken at the George C Marshall wing of the Dutch miliotary museum at Overloon. A truly wonderful collection of vehicles, displayed in some great cameos like this airportable. Not just WW2 stuff, a fair smattering of PW too, including some British and Eastern Block. Was there a few weeks back, would post some pics but they did not come out that well, and I felt it would spoil the delightful surprise for anyone planning to visit. All I will say is - GO NOW! :tongue: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Question
lightweight
Can anyone explain (in small words) the different types of Jimmy?
What are 'banjo axles'?
What makes an 'airportable' different to the rest?
And, of course, which one is the best/ easiest to live with?
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