Trans rear bearing retainer question.

[DavidGB]

My '42 Carryall had/has the ebrake mounted on the rear bearing retainer on the transmission. I say has/had because the original tranny was that way and the NP435 I now have in it does as well, although I have customized it considerably. Now in the '47 WDX I have, the ebrake is mounted on a rear bearing retainer on the transfer case, yet the rear bearing retainer on the transmission is a mount for an ebrake assembly as well. (See photos.)
Who knows the history and or reason for this?
Is it a left over from the WWII dodges with centered rear diffs? When did it go away and why would some NP435s have that set up?
DavidGB

[Clint Dixon]

My '42 Carryall had/has the ebrake mounted on the rear bearing retainer on the transmission. I say has/had because the original tranny was that way and the NP435 I now have in it does as well, although I have customized it considerably. Now in the '47 WDX I have, the ebrake is mounted on a rear bearing retainer on the transfer case, yet the rear bearing retainer on the transmission is a mount for an ebrake assembly as well. (See photos.)
Who knows the history and or reason for this?
Is it a left over from the WWII dodges with centered rear diffs? When did it go away and why would some NP435s have that set up?
DavidGB

The "Up-To Type" transmission in your WDX was also used in other Dodge trucks. These other trucks had the ebrake mounted to the bearing retainer. An ebrake mounted to the tranny in a WDX would not work so well because the transfer case has a "false neutral" if you don't move the levers far enough. By mounting the ebrake on the transfer case, it would not matter if you happen to find the false neutral the ebrake will still work regardless. They simply kept the special bearing retainer even though it was no longer being used to mount the ebrake rather than redesigning it.

The "After Type" transmission that was used on Power-Wagons a few years later used a different bearing retainer that would not accept an ebrake. No bid deal as it was properly mounted to the transfer case where it worked properly.

Your Carryall had the ebrake mounted to the transmission because the transfer case in those trucks did not have a "false neutral" so no reason to move the ebrake to the transfer case output.

I am not all that familiar with the NP435 so maybe someone else can offer better comment on that model.

[DavidGB]

Great Info

Thank you for the great information as to why the trans rear bearing retainer is/was the way it is/was (whew.) Very logical actually.
Regarding the NP 435; as I understand it, versions with an ebrake mounted at the rear bearing retainer are not common. It took me awhile to locate one. Perhaps it was used in 2WD trucks.
DavidGB