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1908 Dennis Truck


BenHawkins

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  • 3 weeks later...

Chris was very helpful with the bearings and delivery was speedy. I now need to put a dummy wormshaft in with the bearings to make certain I have measured the centre distance correctly and draw up the bearing arrangement to convince myself I have it right.

 

I have known about a spare back axle for a while, but didn't think the owner would ever sell. On Thursday I had an email, so I hired a van and visited the seller on Saturday coming away with this:

IMG_7821.jpg

 

It is from a Dennis fire engine and although too fast for the 1908 3 ton it was an option for the 1914 2 ton.

 

The drive was all free and easy to rotate, and full of nice thick oil when I removed the inspection plate this evening.

IMG_7825.JPG

 

No signs of bronze swarf, foreign object damage etc. so I am really very pleased with it. It will need a complete strip and rebuild but I am hopeful it will all be usable.

 

Ben

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I have the chassis, wheels, front axle, this complete rear axle, gearbox (missing a mounting lug), steering box/column (bent), bulkhead and brackets, later brake and gear levers to modify to the earlier pattern, and a later radiator that fits. I also have a flywheel and clutch but unfortunately only one engine between my two Dennis kits.

 

So yes a 1914 WD 2 ton would certainly be an option although there is also the possibility of getting the original registration for it as a grocers delivery lorry if the research pulls off. We will have to wait and see.

 

Ben

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  • 5 months later...
  • 1 month later...

I picked up my new worm shaft a couple of weeks ago. I made the universal joint and nuts to go with it. The gear cutters have made a nice job of it. I still have a few more collars and covers to make but hopefully I can assemble the axle soon.

 

Ben

IMG_8648.jpg

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I had a vast range of quotes for it! The most expensive was 3500 pounds, but I paid less than 1/4 of that.

 

For my 30th birthday some friends purchased "a thread" each for me. I am very lucky that my friends are so generous as it makes the whole project possible.

 

Ben

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  • 1 year later...

It has been a while since I posted anything about the van so here is a photo of the new king pins I made. I mostly machined them on my very old myford lathe, using an air drill and 1/8 ball nose cutter to put in the spiral oil groove. They are made from EN24T and I finished them off on a Jones and Shipman cylindrical grinder then had them nitride hardened.

 

 

 

I had some profiles laser cut for the radius rods. These fit to the front of the rear axle and counteract the driving torque. I then turned some spaces and bent the reinforcing ribs out of 3/8 and 1/4 steel rods. Then after a few hours work with the arc welder and angle grinder I think the first one looks quite respectable.

 

 

 

There are still plenty of jobs to be getting on with, but I hope to have the wheens and axles on by the end of the year.

Kingpins.jpg

Radius Rods.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

I had almost given up hope that a suitable engine would turn up for my truck. However when I was at Beaulieu Autojumble last weekend I managed to purchase three White and Poppe cylinder blocks as were originally fitted.

 

They are 127mm bore x 130mm stroke rather than the 110mm bore version my truck should have. As far as I can work out this engine was only supplied to Dennis and the residual black paint suggests the engine was from a lorry and not a fire engine. This size of engine was fitted to the 5 ton model. Anyway I decided to buy them in case nothing else turns up. Not enough to build an engine but perhaps more will turn up over time.

 

The two rotten wheels rebuilt with all new wood:

 

I still need to press the tyres on but things are progressing quite well overall. With a little bit of luck I should have the wheels and axles on by the end of the year.

 

Ben

blocks.jpg

wheels.jpg

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