A was for Austin, but now B is for Bedford

Hooooeeeee, you guys are on the ball - but when we got to x and y in this game Lang we knew that none existed, and Zephyr or Zodiac were models, not brand name (Lincoln or Ford.) And that includes Nissans sold in foreign countries (I know, but do any of you? :whistle: )
My immediate thought with Lincoln Zephyr was the hernia inducing spare wheel bracket Morris, could you imagine your aging mother having to pull the weight of the heavy 16" wheel, and its support bracket up, and then backwards, to get at the spare wheel? Let alone lift up the flat tyre and get it back on to the support bracket!!

John.K. At $50 a metre I could almost get my money back for the truck. :lol:

NOW, anyone with assistance re tray attachment (wood, steel, rubber, etc)?

I dont know anything, but always thought the wood was to spread the contact and create a movable joint/contact. I imagine that steel on steel is too slippery, welded in place too rigid, rubber may be prone to wear????

Having said that my modern ute had what I thought was an odd arrangement of cross rails on off set mounts, all bolted, I chucked the cross rails away lowered the off set mounts and plonked the tray on 4 inches lower than everyone else.

Overloaded to buggery but tyres never touch anything. The bump stop works pretty hard but that's not effected by what I did.

You are not likely to load 8 tonne and do an overnighter, so rubber instead of wood if you maintain wheel clearance might be a smart idea.

Thank you Sarge, I was prompted to ask because I want to get my tray down lower, and as you say, I'm unlikely to carry any really heavy loads.
Also, newer trucks seem to be metal to metal, bolted.
Fortunately I went to pick up the J series engine before being locked down because of my age!

Modern trucks are steel ,IMHO ,because you cant buy decent wood any more....When I did the sandblasters "new " truck ,it had a pantech ,and I put the tray off the old Hino on it ,bought new wood ,cause the old had all the rivet cutouts different.....after a couple of weeks the wood runners disintegrated into splinters ,and I had to rescue the originals .........incidentally ,it was U bolted ,but at first yearly inspection ,I had to weld fixing points extreme front and rear .....I thought secured rear was enough ,but no......Surprising ,my HD towbar made from scrap bits passed......I also thought over 70 lockdown was only advisory .......who is gonna spray the long grass with poison ,and slash the back paddock?.....Will Pal O Shay send someone to do it?

Something to consider with using conveyor type belting with the canvas ply in it is that it can rot and maybe you will have issues keeping the U bolts tight because of possible movement. I have never looked at the newer trucks to see that they mount steel on steel now, I thought that too would move and wear. Lorry is on timbers and each year I get under him to check them for tightness and they just don't move. I will admit that the first time I ran the rattle gun over them some did need tightening but none have since.
With the timber you definately need to buy the correct kiln dried timber for the job and thet wont fall to bits on you. I don't know what they use to make timber fence posts out of now but I did recently buy some 125 x 75 hardwood post and they are good quality and so far are standing up very well as fence posts and as a transporter for the stationary engine I'm restoring.

John, I'll mow your grass, you give me the Leyland Harrier

Ha ha, Jarrod.

PDU wrote:
NOW, anyone with assistance re tray attachment (wood, steel, rubber, etc)?

Some light reading for you..

www.nhvr.gov.au/files/201901-0631-vsb6-s...-j-body-mounting.pdf

Thanks vic, a good read. The myth about no more u bolts seems to be a myth. Interesting to note the use of spacers with outriggers. No spacers were used on my ute. I did not see an explanation for the cross members usually fitted under the tray across the chassis in modern utes.

PDU, I reckon you can use timber a lot thinner than what was used previously, my ACCO has only got a one or one and a half inch packer. My O had nearly 6 inches and an old tray I have in the shed has 8 inch oregon rails.

In Qld,you have to get a mod plate for a tray.....means unless its professionally fitted ,engineers approval is needed......The sandblasters had a bit of an arrangement with the yearly inspections ,cost heaps ,but the trucks did pass....but the guy would cut up rough ocassionally about obvious faults......Thats why Col didnt like the bogie ACCO I bought them .....govt inspection ....But he did like the crane ,when it come to getting things done that previously took days............And no Jarrod ,ya cant have the Harrier.......I might have to go back to work the rate the country s going to the dogs............And some here might recall what happened when Victoria had a big debt ......Jeff Kennet simply made everyone with a house pay for it....In one hit.

Well I asked . . .
Thank you all for the input - particularly Vic, after my last post I worked my way through a Mitfuso body/equipment mounting directions, similar to the one you indicated. It strikes me in both that much rests on a constructor's/inspector's interpretation of certain aspects and how they are applied. Interesting how the two front Bedford cab mountings were into the top face of the chassis rail (unsupported), which both guides consider to be a no-no! 70 years and no signs of chassis integrity being weakened; well, there you go . . . :side:
Bloody bureaucracy complicates what ever went before it . . . :blink:
I'm thinking along the same lines as Sarge, however I would like to have tool/storage boxes and possibly a second fuel tank (mounted as per the original, but on the opposite side) hanging down below the tray on either side. Anybody know how they mounted fire engine type bodies similar to this? Maybe I need to crawl under some older coach bodies with luggage compartments, or even some motor homes??? What a can of worms I'm getting into (and thankfully I don't live in gungho Queensland John.K.)