Two New
Page 38
Page 39
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
DODGE BROTHERS CHASSIS
HAULAGE contractors and others of our readers who are interested in the 2-ton class of goods chassis will be pleased to learn that Dodge Brothers (Britain), Ltd., Mortlake Road, Kew Gardens, Surrey, has introduced a new model of this capacity. At the same time, news comes to hand of a 4-tonner, a powerful, six-cylinder machine of 96 b.h.p., examples of which, also, have already been received in this country. The 2-ton chassis is to sell at the moderate price of 1248, whilst the bigger model is listed at £799. ' Dealing first with the 2-tonner, the general lines of design follow those of
the T_JF30-type 30-cwt. chassis. This is a useful poll% because there must be numbers of users of the 30-cwt: model who will find the 2-tonner suitable for supplementing their fleets and who will appreciate,the fact that the power unit and other components are interchangeable.
The wheelbase of the 2-tonner is 2 ft. 5 ins, longer than that of the smaller model, the measurement . being 13 ft. 9 ins. The front tyres are 30-in. by 5-in, pneumatics, twin tyres of the same size being fitte,d to the rear wheels. The wheels arc of the malleable-iron spoke type, now standard on several American makes, and they have detachable rims.
The frame, of course, is deeper, the maximum depth being 8 ins. and metal of 5/32-in, thickness is used for the main members. There are five sub., stantial cross-members, and the frame is arched over the rear axle, so as to give a moderate floor height The four-cylindered engine has a bore of 31 ins., and a stroke of 4i ins., and develops 48 b.h.p. at about 2,800 r.p.m. It has pressure lubrication and a centrifugal water pump, pressure feed being employed for the fuel supply to the up-draught carburetter.
• A four-speed gearbox is fitted, this being built as a unit with the engine and being interchangeable with the gearbox on the 30-cwt. chassis. Provision is made for a power take-off, a feature which is appreciated by those requiring to fit tipping gears, etc. The clutch is a dry, single-plate unit of ,10 ins. diameter. Because of the longer wheelbase the 2-tonner has a two-piece propeller shaft with trunnion-type universal joints and a ball-bearing support amidships. The drive is conveyed through the standard spiral-bevel final drive to a full-floating rear axle, the final-drive ratio being 5.63 to 1, as on the 30-cwt. chassis.
Four-wheel, hydraulic, internalexpanding brakes are fitted, these being controlled by pedal and, in addition, there is a hand-controlled, contracting, propeller-shaft brake for parking and
emergency purposes. As on the 30cwt. chassis, the front-brake 'drums are of 14 ins, effective diameter, but the rear drums are larger, the diameter being 15 ins. The propeller-shaft drum is of 8 ins, diameter and 2 ins. width.
A feature which we are pleased to see incorporated in this model is two-stage progressive rear springing, the semielliptic auxiliary springs being bolted, with the main springs, to the axle case in the orthodox manner.
The equipment is complete, and the finish • smart. There is an all-steel, flatfaced scuttle, a black-enamelled radiator shell with chromium-plated filler cap. A five-lamp electrical outfit with electric horn and stoplight is supplied from a six-volt set, mid an electric starter is furnished, which is mechanically engaged before contact is made.
As regards the new 4-tormer, this is bigger than any other Dodge Brothers machine with which our readers in this country are familiar, and it has a considerably larger engine than is fitted into the 3-ton models. The wheelbase is no less than 16 ft. 3 ins., and the • frame is upswept at the front and arched over the rear axle, the sideMembers being 10 ins. deep.
The six-cylindered engine has a bore of 3i ins., and a stroke of 5 ins., and its full output of 96 b.h.p. is developed at 0,000 r.p.m. It is not, however, a high-compression engine, the compression ratio being 4.7 to 1. Needless to say, there is full-pressure lubrication, also centrifugal water pump and all the usual Dodge Brothers features ; the crankshaft has seven bearings.
Power is conveyed through a 13-in, dry, single-plate clutch to a unitconstructed, four-speed gearbox, of which the forward indirect ratios are : 6.86, 3.89 and 1.91 to 1, the reverse ratio being 8 to 1. A two-piece tubular propeller shaft conveys the drive through a spiral-beve1. gear to the fullfloating 7.125-to-1 rear axle. Foot-operated, hydraulic, four-wheel internal-expanding brakes are applied through the medium of a vacuum servo, so that the combination of power and even distribution is obtained. The front-brake drums measure 16 ins. by 3 ins., and the rear drums 17+ ins. by
4 ins. This gives a total friction-facing area of approxiniately 416 sq. ins. Iii nadition, the hand brake acts upon two shoes, bringing them into contact with the faces of a .14-in, transmission disc.
The tyre size for this new model is 34 ins. by 7 ins., twin tyres being fitted to the rear wheels ; the wheels are of the malleable-iron spoke type.
. Semi-elliptic springs are adopted all round, those at the front measuring 3 ft. '6 ins. by 3 ins., and those at the rear 4 ft. 8 ins. by 3+ ins. Auxiliary semi-elliptic rear springs are bolted to the rear axle, these being 3 ft. 3+ ins. long and 3+ ins. wide. The weight of the chassis is.2 tons 14 cwt. 1 qr.