1965 Commer Knocker

That's a terrific photo, Swanny. Any idea where it was? Obviously ex GMH somewhere. Boys all lined up ready to roll off for another hard days night on the road...

Lang, yes the car carriers used to be pretty rugged eh? That's cos they were home made, so you'd just make it as you thought best. There was a bloke in our street in Belmont (Geelong) who used to do welding and small repairs, I remember Dad and him made a cab roof rack for one of the 1418's out the front on the road. Not to mention changing diffs as well. Imagine doing that in a suburban street these days.
Everything was done by the "I reckon this will work" technique, the idea of having paperwork or engineering was just not considered. That said, I don't think I ever saw any failures that caused any dramas...Just fix it and get on with it.
Have a great day,
Rich

Arnold’s and similar carriers used a scaffolding type of frame with runways for the top layer of cars. Could be laid down to back load general, adjusted for boats and longer vehicles. Looked light on, did the job.

Jeffo, they had cam brakes and it was very simple to put type 24 Maxi's on the back and do away with the troublesome Handbrake.

Its a pointless argument now,but the brakes on Commers were actually Girling Z cams .......not 'S' cams at all ..........maybe Volvo still use them .........anyhoo,only Leyland and AEC had true S cams ......... Leyland sometimes used a combination of both......that Harrier in my back yard has S cams on the rear axles ,but Z cams on the front...........If they had the sense to use Rockwell 16"drums and s cam brakes ,maybe Leylands would still be on the roads here

Thanks for the clarification Kav. Dad’s were earlier models with air/ hydraulic brakes, then we moved to Leylands with cam brakes.
First Commer had treadle valve air/hydraulic. Talk about safety. Was easy to start up and head off and with the Commer’s pathetic air compressor, it took a long time to get enough air to stop. No warning buzzer, just a red light somewhere if I can remember that far back.
The airpack models still had hydraulic brakes, even if the air was low.

Yes Rich it was taken in an unnamed rd behind GMH at Pagewood NSW in the sixties

Hello John
The subject of "S" cam brakes and who used them or where they came from was at least early 1940s. I have two 980 DiamondT trucks one goinng if you have plenty of time to get there the otherone in bits. When we removed the hub from the one in bits the first thing was the "S" cam it looked exactly the same as current trailer axle "S" cams. We then took a Trailer "S" cam of the opposite side held it aganst the trucks and they are identical in profile. Early 40s to 2020 and still the same device still working well after 80 Years.
Rex

The TT Ford had a fore runner in that the imagined high point of the cam had a link to the shoe.
David.

The oldest patent for s-cam brakes I can find is Dereuter, Germany 1891. (with a true "s" shaped activating cam. There were many variations on wedges and rotating pushing or squeezing for external brake arms before that.)

"The modern automobile drum brake was first used in a car made by Maybach in 1900, although the principle was only later patented in 1902 by Louis Renault."

Lang

rex wrote:

Hello John
The subject of "S" cam brakes and who used them or where they came from was at least early 1940s. I have two 980 DiamondT trucks one goinng if you have plenty of time to get there the otherone in bits. When we removed the hub from the one in bits the first thing was the "S" cam it looked exactly the same as current trailer axle "S" cams. We then took a Trailer "S" cam of the opposite side held it aganst the trucks and they are identical in profile. Early 40s to 2020 and still the same device still working well after 80 Years.
Rex

My Federal is the same, Timken front and rear axles, thinking Diamond T was similar style

Paul