A was for Austin, but now B is for Bedford

PDU, replied to your CH40 message.
Cheers
Pierre

Your cowl looks almost as bad as the "A" pillar in Lorry before I went mad and welded it all up. Just that bottom section with all the returns and curves took 3 pieces of body metal carefully tack welded together then bashed into place.
It actually came out quite good and the man who did the medical on Lorry recently was very happy that it was repaired but how good it looks.

If the cowl turns out as successfully as the repairs I did on the Herald 's rear quarter panel and floor, I'll be happy. The seam looks fine and with two or three pieces of metal added should allow me to beat the cowl back into shape, or at least within body filler range.
The lower section of the door is certainly more involved, but no doubt it will get fixed. I once repaired the bottom of a '39 Oldsmobile door using light angle iron, and the edge of a 1935 Ford bonnet; sacriledge! But at the time it was simply a convenient piece of metal that worked out perfectly. :oops:

Sometimes when I have jobs like that I tend to get some sheet metal bent up to shape as I don't have a bender and put the pieces together like a jig saw puzzle. Might need a bit of welding but it comes together well. Build the frame up firsat then the skin.

Before tackling the cowl section today I removed one of the u-bolts from the O type front axle as the spate of rain we've had for the last two days decided to allow play to continue. How can it take so long to undo two nuts? (it was was as much fun as the M type axle u-bolts, as in "not much") Once removed I tried the u-bolt in B for's vacant third set of holes - it fitted beautifully, but was way too long (more leaves in the O type spring) so will not be used after all. At least another hour of my life gone . . .

I did manage to cobble together one filler piece for the cowl, covering the larger long holed area. It was cunningly trimmed to fit, gradually bending and hammering it into a facsimile of what should be there. . It was an interesting exercise, being a combination of concave curve (to match the slope down from the window towards the bonnet) and at the same time a convex curvature from the top face down and over the side of the cab.

The plan is to clear the remaining traces of lead where I have to weld along the bottom edge, weld the top edge, fettle it closer along the bottom edge until I'm satisfied, then weld from the ends, hammering and working back towards the middle. With a bit of luck, the wind blowing in the right direction, and several goat and chicken offerings to the gods, things might work out okay. If not I'll utter a few comments to the negligent gods and consider how I'll fill the holes created!! :blink:

So long as the "wind that is blowing" is not your own.

PDU

Just looking at your spring set up.

I feel you might be better off just putting bolts in the extension plate through the axle spring pad front holes rather than pulling the springs down with a u-bolt.

That u-bolt is going to put a big strain on the front of the spring pack by snigging it up tight in an area which should be moving - broken springs and harsh ride? It will certainly stop the springs operating in a balanced manner over their full length. Think running your hand down to shorten a guitar string.

My gut feeling is the distance you have pushed the spring centre bolt back will not create too much of a rocking action between the extension plate and the axle. You do have a u-bolt in a proper hole so not too far off (plenty of vehicles soldiered on with one loose or broken u-bolt so with your set-up you will be many times better off than that situation).

The plate is only subject to very light bending action on a big rebound as the springs will still lay over nearly the full width of the axle pad as normal under load.

I am often wrong but might be worth a bit of logic from the herd to give their ideas.

Lang

I'm with Lang. Bolt the plate to the axle, and let the spring do it's thing.

Excellent thinking, that's why we post on here, more input and ideas from others.

My original idea was to drop the lowest leaf out, but that hasn't happened (too much effort pulling the spring apart and re-assembling again). . . plus I was also considering that the front u-bolt would help maintain spring to axle alignment.

Even though there would be no room for the bolt head against the spring, with the head ground back to shaft size it would fit, and still assist with the spring to axle alignment, but against the two lower leaves instead of the whole lot.

I'll do it over the weekend and shall consider this as a favourable wind.

I you want some entertainment have a go at removing the door - the hinges are cleverly tucked into a socket arrangement. Brand new it was probably a good idea.