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Trader Becomes a Six-Wheeler
Page 136
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cONTINUING some 30 years' association with the Ford Motor Co., Ltd.,
.
County Commercial •Cars, Ltd.; Fleet, Hants, are now producing a six-wheeled trailing-axle .conversion of the Thames Trader 7-ton chassis known as the County 6 x 2. This increases the wheelbase from 13 ft. 11. in. to 15 ft. 2 in, and raises the permissible payload to 11 tons when a platform body is fitted, the body length allowed by the conversion being 21 ft.., Wherever possible, standard Ford corn-ponents are used. An example of the converted chassis is shown on the County Commercial stand (11 1) at Earls Court.
The frame of the basic four-wheeler is -lengthened by the addition of a 9-in.-deep channel-section member to each .side member, these being cut forward of the tapered portion at the rear. The new sections are welded in and plated over the Weld on the inside of the channel.
Each side member is reinforced from the rearward front spring hanger bracket to its extreme end by 24-in.-wide by I-in.-thick steel strips welded on the top and bottom flanges. As flitch plates are not used the original Ford alligator-type cross-members are retained, the sante number being incorporated as in the standard 7-ton 160-in, wheelbase chassis.
Suspension for the rear axles is of conventional four-spring rocking-beam type.. The rocker mountings on each side of the chassis are braced_ to each other by a tubular cross-member. Tapered-roller 'bearings' carry the beams, which are restrained from excessive movement by rubber snubbers. • • Of unequal length on each side of the B58 pivot, the beams give a static weight distribution of 45755 per cent, front and rear over the bogie to ensure that adequate weight is always applied to the forward-driven axle to maintain adhesion. The trailing axle can articulate 84 in, upwards before it lifts the driven unit.
Brakes on the additional axle are similar to those fitted by Ford, having 154-in.-diameter drums with 44-in.-wide facings. The only difference is in the angle of the shoe expander wedges to give balanced braking for the bogie.
The modified vehicle has 45 sq. in. of brake-facing area per ton at the recommended gross weight of 15 tons. Part of the trailing-axle modification is the substitution of a larger Clayton Dewandre brake servo and vacuum reservoir for those units already, fitted: .The hand brake operates on all four, wheels of the rear' bogie and an intermediate stage is introduced into the linkage to provide both a quick take-up and increased leverage in final application.
The 6D oil engine, four-speed gearbox and 7.2 : 1 ratio rear axle are standard equipment for the conversion, but a two-speed rear axle may be fitted if required.