Early Front Springs

[Cheyenne Dave]

I've cut most of the delrin strips for my front springs- took some pics and worked up a procedure which I'll post soon. If you do this you'll have to make up some new clips, since the spring pack width will grow by 1/32" x the number of inserts. The big advantage is having a working spring ALL the time. One possible problem is having the liners move sideways if they're unrestrained by clips at each end. Since my springs are grooved in the center, and Delrin is thermoplastic, I'll heat a small area of liner over the center groove area, and push it down in to make a dimple to keep the liner in place.

Sounds like a great piece for the Advertiser...

C.D.

[maineSS]

S'more Spring Stuff

Since my main leaf was cracked, and replacement not an option short of making a complete spring replacement, I bought a later-style one piece main leaf from VPW. This leaf is flat as a board, and would push the axle 3/8" forward of the Pass side spring if not arched- my truck would now turn right instead of left. Trying to pull it down with the centerbolt would REALLY preload it, and guarantee a surprise upon disassembly, so I had it "cold arched" with a press.

The easy way is of course the wrong way, and will give you a "V" shaped spring (pic #1). The spring has to be arched at a number of points along its length- we used 12 points 2" apart, starting 7" from each eye (pic #2). The angle iron supports were spaced 14" apart. The bend was started on line 2, moving to lines 4, then 6, and then the spring was turned end for end and lines 12, 10, and 8 were done (pic #3). We skipped the centerbolt line.

It took about 10 pumps on each line to start noticing noticeable arching- the ram moves about 90 thou each pump. 10 pumps equalled about 5/8" ram extension, we went 11, 12, and 12 1/2 before stopping at 15/16" extension. The leaf now has the same arch and distance between eyes as the original leaf, we'll see what happens when the weight hits it!

[polaris400cc]

front springs

and to drag up another old post from the graveyard. Do both front spring packs have the 3 piece setup or just one spring? the truck I have has one 3 piece and one single piece on the other side.

[John Waak]

I can not confirm what set up the 46-51 trucks had, but by the time my 1952 winch truck was built, it had a solid spring on one side, and a three-piece on the other. Interestingly, my 1954 non-winch truck had one piece springs on both sides.

[polaris400cc]

Mine is also a 54 but w/swivel frame. One front side was 3 piece and the other was a one pc. So I guess this is not an oddity then.. thats good

[John Waak]

No, not an oddity. In the twenty or so years I have been around these trucks, the only spring related problems I have heard about is springs losing their arch. Your set up should serve you well.

[Doc Dave]

I have an issue where one rear corner is lower than the other on my '52 PW.
I suspect one side has lost its arch.
I plan on pulling the packs off and checking for broken leaves, but does anyone know the stock arch on the rear?
I think the front arch is 5.25".

[PWFFnut]

re swivel frame

Mine is also a 54 but w/swivel frame. One front side was 3 piece and the other was a one pc. So I guess this is not an oddity then.. thats good

Hello I have a 1956 power wagon with the swivel frame do you have a willock plack on the bed side of your truck I have looked at as many pics on the internet the plack is not in any of the pics I have seen so far.

[dad2nick]

Not to hijack this thread, but If your swivel frame came from Florida and it doesn't have a data plate with serial number, it may be a copy. The Truckstell design is specific to the Power Wagon and not as heavy as the earlier Willock units. Reportedly, 40-50 units of this design were made for the Florida Division of Forestry for use in the Florida Everglades. A machine shop, possibly the same shop that made the original Truckstell units, also made some copies. I think I have one of these copies. It came out of a junk yard in Lake City, Florida that had several swivel frames. I know of at least three other trucks with swivel mechanisms that came from this junk yard. Some had data plates. Some didn't. Some routed the fuel and brake lines through the collar of the joint. Some routed them underneath, through two brackets. Several of the units in the junk yard had been welded back together so they would not swivel, probably for insurance reasons? The reason I think mine is a copy is because it has no data plate and it was installed backwards in the frame! The cut-outs for the drive shaft clearance were on the driver side. Dan Mininger used mine to reproduce 10 units. I think he has now sold all 10 units. Not sure. Steve Swan has a swivel frame and had some replicas of the data plates made.

[dad2nick]

Sorry. I just realized you are in Canada so you probably have one of the earlier Willock units. The data plate was on the driver side bedside. I tried to attach a photo. You can google images and see the data plates on a yellow truck owned by Jonas Smith and on a promotional photo.