- Thread starter Matchless
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Matchless
I started with nothing, still have most of it left
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Made from virgin steel, not re-melted rubbish!
I've got a sneaky feeling that the K6 was also used as a military version of a machinery wagon , used to repair battle field tank & armoured car etc. casualties & engine rebuilds in the field out of the battle area ..it would have had a change wheel lathe in it too . There might have also been a Morris' one tone gantry crane for the same reason
You might find REME at work pictures using them around October 1942 at El Alamein
You might find REME at work pictures using them around October 1942 at El Alamein
OJCar
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REME was formed on the 1 Oct 1942,
El Alamein was one of their earliest "gigs"!
Seadog
Save the planet. It's the only one with rum!
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Your garden's looking a right mess, Pat
Matchless
I started with nothing, still have most of it left
- Messages
- 2,938
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- Essex UK
Not my garden, but may be another forum members family home!Your garden's looking a right mess, Pat
Matchless
I started with nothing, still have most of it left
- Messages
- 2,938
- Location
- Essex UK
Mine was originally a gantry truck, but all the gantry and support structure was missing when I got it, still had the 5 ton winch, I will be building it as a GS lorry as I could not get a gantry truck through the access into my garden / workshop! The first 3 pictures show gantry lorries, the last something like what I am aiming for, except my canvas rear body will be lower, maybe raiseable once in my drive! the very high floor level on the gantry trucks is due to the massive winch mounted on top of the chassis but under the body floor.
Matchless
I started with nothing, still have most of it left
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- 2,938
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- Essex UK
I need the group opinion on the rear springs,
The whole rear bogey pivots around the central shaft, I have a couple of issues to try to solve, first I have removed a ton or two from the rear of the vehicle, the massive winch. the pulleys at the rear and more, I have also removed the weight plate mounts from the front, they were only fitted to the gantry models, so it will be a lot lighter empty, plus it will never get to carry much of a load as it will be running as a historic MOT exempt vehicle, not allowed to carry goods, or bombs, I think the rear springs will not move much, if at all and that gives me two issues, ride quality and height, I am very tight on height into my rear garden and under the car port, I am thinking of removing most of the leaves from the upper springs, maybe leaving only the bottom two, mainly as link arms to keep the axle in position, they could be easily replaced if for some reason it does not work out. What do you think? The vehicle in the last picture is not an Austin but does show the rear suspension design in action!
The whole rear bogey pivots around the central shaft, I have a couple of issues to try to solve, first I have removed a ton or two from the rear of the vehicle, the massive winch. the pulleys at the rear and more, I have also removed the weight plate mounts from the front, they were only fitted to the gantry models, so it will be a lot lighter empty, plus it will never get to carry much of a load as it will be running as a historic MOT exempt vehicle, not allowed to carry goods, or bombs, I think the rear springs will not move much, if at all and that gives me two issues, ride quality and height, I am very tight on height into my rear garden and under the car port, I am thinking of removing most of the leaves from the upper springs, maybe leaving only the bottom two, mainly as link arms to keep the axle in position, they could be easily replaced if for some reason it does not work out. What do you think? The vehicle in the last picture is not an Austin but does show the rear suspension design in action!Likely came from 61 Station Workshop REME Strensil when it closed down ???
How much head space more do you need ?
From my days attached to a big regimental unit :-
A full route survey using height rods was done on the kerb side and crown of the road . At low places six or seven measurements were taken & all reading meticulously recorded on sketched plans for action by the Brigade planners . All within limits for a big radar set & gun tractor towing it .
Come the move along the route a few weks later ..... " Clang ! " tractor " AEC MATADOR " and radar trailer stuck fast under a railway bridge , just when it decided to chuck it down with serious rain for 4 hours .
German police about like a bad dose of chicken pox, all trains stopped , trying to arrest someone till it was discovered the difference in the road survey figures the regimental surveyors had done .. local authority had resurfaced the road three days earlier and raised it it up 120mm and not changed the road signs to indicate a reduced clearance . The recce team would have picked up the difference in heights shown on the roads signs as they had been doing it since the early 1950's
Solution let the air out of all tyres and stick loads of full jerry cans in both Tractor and trailer set. A clearance of 250mm was obtained , tractor pulled the lowered trailer through and spent the next couple of hours getting all tyres reinflated with the help of both of the REME support trucks as well as the Matador's own air line .
Bottom picture could have been a painted up Navy jobby as there is no cupola hatch for a top gunner and no jerrycan rack
It's a Scammell Pioneer R100 artilery tractor. Looks like a prototype being evaluated by the army.
RWD3M
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Have a chat with these guys, they may be able to advise.
www.jones-springs.co.uk
They are a well respected manufacturer of vintage car springs and come highly recommended within Classic/Vintage car club circles.
If I were to take a stab at it (which I'm not!) I'd be considering something along the lines of removing every other leaf from both springs?
Are you able to make a reasonable estimate of the weights before and after you've removed everything?
Parabolic and Multi Leaf Springs Manufacturer - Leaf Spring specialist | Jones Springs
Jones Springs is an established UK supplier of multi-leaf and parabolic springs for Vans, Land Rovers, Vintage cars, Off Road vehicles and Rail.
They are a well respected manufacturer of vintage car springs and come highly recommended within Classic/Vintage car club circles.
If I were to take a stab at it (which I'm not!) I'd be considering something along the lines of removing every other leaf from both springs?
Are you able to make a reasonable estimate of the weights before and after you've removed everything?
Proper thick paving slabs are good , they're flat and easy to deploy in the load area and still leave a flat surface for 'stuff' ..
Matchless
I started with nothing, still have most of it left
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- 2,938
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- Essex UK
I have used Jones springs for my Iveco helper springs and springs for my 1914 Indian,Have a chat with these guys, they may be able to advise.
Parabolic and Multi Leaf Springs Manufacturer - Leaf Spring specialist | Jones Springs
Jones Springs is an established UK supplier of multi-leaf and parabolic springs for Vans, Land Rovers, Vintage cars, Off Road vehicles and Rail.
They are a well respected manufacturer of vintage car springs and come highly recommended within Classic/Vintage car club circles.
If I were to take a stab at it (which I'm not!) I'd be considering something along the lines of removing every other leaf from both springs?
Are you able to make a reasonable estimate of the weights before and after you've removed everything?
