Zeph's 1943 Willys MBT Trailer

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rjbeamer
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Re: Zeph's 1943 Willys MBT Trailer

Post by rjbeamer » Sat Nov 18, 2017 9:27 am

Zeph that does not sound like excessive flex or movement to me.

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Re: Zeph's 1943 Willys MBT Trailer

Post by zepher11 » Sun Nov 19, 2017 6:40 am

rjbeamer wrote:
Sat Nov 18, 2017 9:27 am
Zeph that does not sound like excessive flex or movement to me.

Roger
Hi Roger, I think it'll be fine. I moved it around yesterday, and I think it is a little more rigid than I initially thought. May have been the way it was teetering on the saw horses.

The 100 degree heat is now gone and Fall is finally here. It was a bit cold n the morning yesterday, but warmed enough for me to blast the whole trailer tub. Leaves are starting to turn colors as well, so thought I would take some scenic shots:

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All of the replacement welds are cleaned up now. These are a couple of the replacement welds at the bottom of the front panel where it is sandwiched between the floor and front angle iron section:

Image

Hope to get some primer on it soon...
Zeph

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Re: Zeph's 1943 Willys MBT Trailer

Post by zepher11 » Sun Nov 19, 2017 7:00 pm

Primed the tub today before the rain moved in. The OD will have to wait for another day. A little tricky to paint, but turned out pretty good:

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Re: Zeph's 1943 Willys MBT Trailer

Post by ShawnB » Mon Nov 20, 2017 10:40 am

you're doing a fantastic job! i am starting my trailer and by looking at your post it seems the scope of the work may be past my welding ability.
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Re: Zeph's 1943 Willys MBT Trailer

Post by zepher11 » Mon Nov 20, 2017 4:49 pm

ShawnB wrote:
Mon Nov 20, 2017 10:40 am
you're doing a fantastic job! i am starting my trailer and by looking at your post it seems the scope of the work may be past my welding ability.
Thank you! I think you would be surprised at what you could complete if you elected to move forward. I just take it as a series of little projects.

If you practice welding, it does wonders in building one's confidence. You can do it!
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Re: Zeph's 1943 Willys MBT Trailer

Post by ShawnB » Tue Nov 21, 2017 1:25 pm

Thanks, i do have some welding skills---- I think my son and i are going to make this a project and try ourslevs = more satisfaction in the end and good father son time too. The original tub is in decent condition with data plate intact and would like to keep this tub, there are some some rusted out spots on the bottom of the side panels, where the side meets the floor, like on the front panel that you replaced. You replaced yours but seeing how i would like to keep the tub, what metal would you use to fabricate that lower part?

thanks
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Re: Zeph's 1943 Willys MBT Trailer

Post by zepher11 » Fri Nov 24, 2017 4:15 pm

ShawnB wrote:
Tue Nov 21, 2017 1:25 pm
Thanks, i do have some welding skills---- I think my son and i are going to make this a project and try ourslevs = more satisfaction in the end and good father son time too. The original tub is in decent condition with data plate intact and would like to keep this tub, there are some some rusted out spots on the bottom of the side panels, where the side meets the floor, like on the front panel that you replaced. You replaced yours but seeing how i would like to keep the tub, what metal would you use to fabricate that lower part?

thanks
Right on. That would make a great father son project. Can you post photos? If so, post some here for the rusted out areas, and then I can make some recommendations of what I would to correct it.
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Re: Zeph's 1943 Willys MBT Trailer

Post by zepher11 » Fri Nov 24, 2017 4:32 pm

Weather was just one the verge of rain, but was able to squeeze in the final OD paint job this afternoon:

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Shot a little video walkaround of the completed tub now in OD:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miLSGQ5htsE


Next I will work on cleaning up the springs by taking them apart, cleaning, and then painting every sq. inch. I hate when they start spewing rust from the inside out. If I can get these done, and the axle, I think I will finally have everything ready to start the final assembly:

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Re: Zeph's 1943 Willys MBT Trailer

Post by Chuck Lutz » Sat Nov 25, 2017 9:27 am

Zeph....if these are your trailer's original springs....now is the time to find another set of 8-leaf MB springs for the trailer...because if they are the original ones then they should be saved for the front end of an early MB! Just like the brake drums, the springs rarely have the kind of use or damage or wear that those components on a jeep have had....let alone the miles on the road.

If you used a set of springs from an MB that appeared to need re-arching I don't think you would notice that at all on the trailer. The difference in the weight on each spring is huge. While the trailer weighs 500 lbs (250 per axel), the front end weight on the springs must be on one side of 1,500 lbs or more I would imagine. (750 lbs per spring) That is three times the weight on virtually the SAME spring!

Why not try to find some funky MB springs out there since it is your intent to take them apart and clean/paint them anyway?
Chuck Lutz

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Bantam T3-C 1947

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Re: Zeph's 1943 Willys MBT Trailer

Post by zepher11 » Sun Nov 26, 2017 6:37 am

Appreciate the suggestion Chuck. I wouldn't have any problem trading for a decent set of springs, but the time and expense to effect a trade is difficult for me living in the sticks. No one would want to pay freight, and I already have just over $5k into this trailer. Not interesting in spending any more, and now trying to wrap it up with the one day a week I get to work on my stuff and move on to the next project.

I will never have an MB, but if someone really wanted a set of good MB springs, and the price is right, they are not that big a deal to remove and replace.
Zeph

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Re: Zeph's 1943 Willys MBT Trailer

Post by zepher11 » Mon Nov 27, 2017 5:09 pm

Lot's of bolts to clean up, bead blast and get painted for the MBT, so I knocked that out yesterday. I'm sure I forgot a few. Only a few of the bolts I removed were correct. Maybe they were all changed during the 1945 rebuild in Salinas:

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Also started fitting some of the parts to check for fit:

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Then I wanted to install the reflectors as I just couldn't wait. Even though this trailer won't float for long, I had picked up a set of lead washers for the reflectors. Then had to figure out how to mount. Didn't make sense to have the nut on the inside of the trailer, nor have the lead washer on the outside of the trailer on the reflector.

Checked Alasdair Brass's Bantam rebuild on JeepDraw. The reflectors are mounted with the nuts on the inside of the trailer and the screw heads on the outside of the trailer on the reflector. For some reason I thought I had read at one time that the nuts went on the outside of the trailer on the reflector. Tried to search what would be correct, but not a lot about lead washers out there that I could find. Ended up going nuts out and lead washers on the inside as that seemed to make the most sense to me:

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Final lead determination:

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Also thought I would take a photo of the marking underneath the spring perch before covering it up. Not sure what it means exactly. Looks like W27484 to me, but not positive. Maybe the W stands for Willys?:

Image

I only found one egregious error that I made on the restoration of this trailer of which I am not going to correct at this time.
Zeph

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Re: Zeph's 1943 Willys MBT Trailer

Post by Chuck Lutz » Tue Nov 28, 2017 9:19 am

Place the lead washer on the screw
Insert screw/washer through tub wall from INSIDE the tub
Place reflector bezel on screw against outer tub wall
Add Lockwasher and Nut

This is the Willys Way.
The Bantam Way seems to have involved a substance not much different than window glazing putty instead of the lead washer.

ACM numbers are sequential.
EARLY units had the upper shock mount customized for threads or cotter pins and were riveted on. The letter determined who got the unit; W for Willys and B for Bantam. Later units had bolted-on upper shock mounts so no letter designation was needed.

They used those low-profile RH screws with the heads on the inside for a reason...so the cargo did not snag on them as easily! Your logical assumption was correct!
Chuck Lutz

GPW 17963 4/24/42 Chester, PA. USA 20113473 (USA est./Tom W.)
Bantam T3-C 1947

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Re: Zeph's 1943 Willys MBT Trailer

Post by ShawnB » Tue Nov 28, 2017 3:20 pm

Zeph,
The level of professionalism that you are giving this trailer is fantastic...keep it up!
a few posts ago i asked a question about welding in new "lower sectioon" of the front and side panels vs replacing the tub.....you asked for pics. obviously the tub is upside down. My first choice is to save as much of the original tub as possible since my son and i uncovered unit #'s and star/circle white paint on the sides and original data plate. I do not want to throw history away. The front panel is the worst vs the two side panels and the rear had a bubbafied tailgate that i removed. What is your opinion on being able to repair the lower sections of the tub without it looking all ghettofied if it is possible? i know that replacing the tub would probably be cheaper and easier but......

thanks for your input

shawn
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Re: Zeph's 1943 Willys MBT Trailer

Post by zepher11 » Tue Nov 28, 2017 6:49 pm

Hi Shawn,

Thanks for the kind comments. If you wish to save as much as possible, you could cut off the rusty jagged sections and weld in new metal along the bottom edges that need it. Tough to determine if the original beads, like the two on the front panel, are fully intact. The bottom sections of the beads may be eaten a bit on the front panel, but I think you could fix it with replacement metal. In fact, I saved what was left of my front panel. I think you could probably use a full strip from my front panel and add to yours. Likely would need the top section vs. the bottom from mine to make your bottom whole. I think this could repair your full bottom section, including the bottom part of the beads, if that makes sense.

The side panels do not look as bad, so you could just ad some additional sheet metal strips to complete the full panel. Of course, you will need a full rear replacement panel as well as a new floor panel, but the rest looks doable.

Here's a photo of my old front panel. I think there is enough here to fix your front panel. You are more than welcome to have what you may need from my panel to fix yours. I'm sure I can cut the strip that you would need. It would be a lot less expensive than shipping the entire panel.
CC 20.JPG
Nice looking panel
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Re: Zeph's 1943 Willys MBT Trailer

Post by zepher11 » Tue Nov 28, 2017 6:54 pm

Chuck Lutz wrote:
Tue Nov 28, 2017 9:19 am
Place the lead washer on the screw
Insert screw/washer through tub wall from INSIDE the tub
Place reflector bezel on screw against outer tub wall
Add Lockwasher and Nut

This is the Willys Way.
The Bantam Way seems to have involved a substance not much different than window glazing putty instead of the lead washer.

ACM numbers are sequential.
EARLY units had the upper shock mount customized for threads or cotter pins and were riveted on. The letter determined who got the unit; W for Willys and B for Bantam. Later units had bolted-on upper shock mounts so no letter designation was needed.

They used those low-profile RH screws with the heads on the inside for a reason...so the cargo did not snag on them as easily! Your logical assumption was correct!
Hi Chuck, okay, that makes sense why Mr. Brass's Bantam has the screw heads on the outside and the nuts inside. Looks like Willys had it right with the screw heads on the inside with the lead and lock washers and nuts on the outside. I thought it made sense to have the screw heads on the inside due to the potential to snag cargo vs. the other way round as you mention.
Zeph

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