antarmike Posted February 11, 2009 Share Posted February 11, 2009 (edited) I don't believe there is any interchangeability, between the Rzeppa Hub and the Tracta Hub. The castings appear to me to be different shapes The end of the axle case itself is not the same Note the extra bearing in the Tracta axle. (but the Rzeppa axle illustrated is Hydraulic braked. I can't at the moment find an illustration of an Air braked Rzeppa axle.) The bearings fit in the end of the stub axle, and this is clearly different. I have never tried to swap hubs between types. It is difficult trying to work out from diagrams only. The hubs aren't vastly different, I suppose they might swap over. Edited February 12, 2009 by antarmike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekawrecker Posted February 12, 2009 Share Posted February 12, 2009 I don't believe there is any interchangeability, between the Rzeppa Hub and the Tracta Hub. The castings appear to me to be different shapes The end of the axle case itself is not the same Note the extra bearing in the Tracta axle. (but the Rzeppa axle illustrated is Hydraulic braked. I can't at the moment find an illustration of an Air braked Rzeppa axle.) The bearings fit in the end of the stub axle, and this is clearly different. I have never tried to swap hubs between types. It is difficult trying to work out from diagrams only. The hubs aren't vastly different, I suppose they might swap over. Good point Mike, thanks for pointing that out. I'd forgotten the end of the 'Rzeppa' axle casing is slightly tapered, and the 'Tracta' casing is parallel. Just goes to show how easy it is to forget important details! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Batchelor Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Thanks for the info, will have to examine the differences upon stripping down and assess interchangability then, but it doesn't look like a straight forward parts swapping exercise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 I think most people just swapped axles. Not as available as they used to be..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 I changed bearings in one of my Matadors hubs. (tracta joint) and the bearings were new and off the shelf. (admittedly that was about 1988!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 It is a pig if a job, because the bearings are inside the stub axle tube, you have to assemble and shim the hub on the stub axle/ swivel assembly, with the whole lot off the vehicle. You then have the whole weight of swivel, bearings Hub etc in you hands as you try to get in onto the ball end of the axle case, wihout dislodging the swivel pin taper rolling bearings, and off course the lower taper rolling bearing is trying to obey the law of gravity all this time!. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Batchelor Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 Thanks for advice, will let you know how I get on, it wont be for a month or 3 yet as got too much on, new gearbox in the car was todays job... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
les freathy Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Crappy quality but interesting the Matador 3/4 track utilising Valentine track componants Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6 X 6 Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Crappy quality but interesting the Matador 3/4 track utilising Valentine track componants I have seen other photographs of the same/similar vehicle. Were many produced ? Just a prototype or did they enter military service ? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Just one, and it was a failure. As I understand it (correct me if wrong) German Halftracks did not rely totally on the front wheels to steer the vehicle. They had some form of track braking to help slew the half track round. The AEC failed because it only had steering by the front wheels turning and in sloppy conditions it always wanted to go forward in preference to steering round corners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
les freathy Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 It was just a prototype the idea was to save on rubber due to a dire shortage at the time, a number of three ton trucks were also converted with bren carrier componants. I often wonder if in the long run and had they gone into production would all the extra maintenance been worth the effort and did it improve cross country mobility that much. The Germans seemed to enjoy some success with the mauliters based on Opels and Mercs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 It was just a prototype the idea was to save on rubber due to a dire shortage at the time, a number of three ton trucks were also converted with bren carrier componants. I often wonder if in the long run and had they gone into production would all the extra maintenance been worth the effort and did it improve cross country mobility that much. The Germans seemed to enjoy some success with the mauliters based on Opels and Mercs. There is still a fair bit of rubber in the Valentine road wheels so the whole idea seems a bit flawed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6 X 6 Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 Thank you for your replies. One would have thought that, with perseverance, AEC could have overcome any problems they encountered with this vehicle in the same way other makers had with their half-track designs. Does the White half-track need some special mechanism to allow the front wheels to overcome the effect of it's tracks and steer properly ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abn deuce Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 No, but they do have front wheel drive which the German designs didn't this helped in muddy and off road conditions and it may also be do to the length of track on the ground that would allow a bit of slip when cornering hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6 X 6 Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 No, but they do have front wheel drive which the German designs didn't this helped in muddy and off road conditions and it may also be do to the length of track on the ground that would allow a bit of slip when cornering hard. Thank you, very interesting. I'm sure you're right when you say that the length of the track in contact with the road would have an effect. There's a White half-track that usually attends a local show I shall be going to in a few months time. I'll make a point of having a good look at it this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gritineye Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Here's another one from the same fleet as post #96, looks freshly painted and unregistered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
les freathy Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 The first two with the blue cab was in residence a few years ago in Snodland in Kent, any one know if it was saved. The Wynns one i saw whilst working in Essex some years back i believe the owner was named wood or woodland? i do believe this one was restored. The last one i know almost nothing about but it was run by Cayton service station at Scarbourgh, it would be interesting to find out the make of crane on the back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 (edited) Isn't the Wynns one actually the first Douglas conversion? Edited March 3, 2009 by antarmike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davie Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 Here are a couple of Matadors at the Scone Rally, near Perth. Taken around nine years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nptimber Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 AEC Matador BCS 675 EX NP Timber Rothwell road sawmills Kettering Northants Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nptimber Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 Found this picture recently , it shows a douglas timber tractor parked facing oncoming traffic , on double yellow lines on the approach to a pedestrian crossing .Anyone know who,s it is ? . Surely this is not the image we want to give out to joe public about vintage vehicles . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 (edited) I must stop lending my Douglas out......... I don't see a picture of the drivers face, so I can say with all confidence, "It wasn't me , Officer" And were the yellow lines unbroken and properly terminated? ... and isn't that Rushden High Street anyway, which is a one way street????? Edited March 16, 2009 by antarmike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
croc Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 :rofl::-D:rofl::nono: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nptimber Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 I must stop lending my Douglas out......... I don't see a picture of the drivers face, so I can say with all confidence, "It wasn't me , Officer" And were the yellow lines unbroken and properly terminated? ... and isn't that Rushden High Street anyway, which is a one way street????? According to the magazine article(POLICE WANTED VEHICLES WEEKLY) it was taken in Driffield town centre the owner being recorded as Nick Finch .? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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