Bed sill mounting... at least two types.

[pfarber]

As I am beginning to research for my wood bed restoration I have become aware of a few important facts. First, not everything is in the TMs and some very notable CCKW owners don't have all the answers.

Recently a question was asked on the mounting of a CCKW bed. All the 'know it alls' (as we will see, don't) said that the bed sill was drilled so the rivet heads of the crossmember would fit into them and allow the sill to lay flush on the frame. BULLOCKS! I said. I have in my possession 2 beds and one was drilled, the other had a section cut out, tapered on both ends... so I dutifully posted a picture of it.

Well, here's further proof that the know it all's, well, don't.

bedsillcutout.jpg (20.93 KiB) Viewed 224 times

Note the TWO cut outs for rivet heads. I know this is a pretty banged up chassis. But the bed appears to be a composite one and they were used from 44 on. Add that to my wood bed and it seems a pattern is forming.

Which one is 'right'? Well, since the wood beds were not Yellow Coach/GMC Truck produced one could assume that each wood bed supplier had their own method. The beds are not in the SNL-G-508 other than as a reference PN and no specific TM for them was produced.

I'll be looking for more examples. But right now both were used, on at least two separate bed type.s

[pfarber]

JACKPOT!!!!

Lookie here. A late production CCKW 353 with the cut out for the rivets on the bed sill.

late1.jpg (20.49 KiB) Viewed 221 times

Lets blow that sucker up and look closer shall we???

sill2.jpg (17.49 KiB) Viewed 221 times

Well well well... looks like a taper in the sill to allow for the cross member rivets above the rear bogey. MY MY MY.

Let me sum this up with a 'SUCK IT' to all the people who say that the beds are counter sunk to allow for the rivets only.

All you gotta do is LOOK and not blindly follow.

[pfarber]

And here's a close up of a wooden bed off a 4/43 CCKW

sill3.jpg (27.63 KiB) Viewed 221 times

So who believes that all CCKW sills were bored for rivet heads? I got 3 perfect examples that clearly show there were other methods.

[pfarber]

Just another pic of the 'notch' or 'cutout' type bed sill mounting.

More pics are available at http://www.northwestmilitaryvehicles.com/CCKW.html

Another interesting pic of the same bed sill. First, the sill is laminated (you can make out the individual lamination's AND you can clearly see the front 'notch' or 'cutout' for frame cross member rivets.

[WWII TRUCK]

Latest Army Motors #130 has a nice article on post war French Army CCKW rebuilding program there are phoyos of wood cargo bodies being rebuilt, note the relief holes in the wood subframes for the chassis rivets.

[deadline]

There is no doubt that the rivet holes were drilled out. That is without question.

The question remains of all the wood bed manufacturers who used the 'notch' style vs the drilled?

Also, as the above pics illustrate, the sills were either solid wood beams or laminated, either vertically or horizontally. Any idea on which manufacturer used what 'style'?

The pictures above come from trucks made in 1943 and 1944.

[pfarber]

Another picture of the 'notch' type sill mount.

cckw353resto_6-12-2006_73_small.jpg (14.03 KiB) Viewed 111 times

http://www.armyfiretrucks.com/restoration_cckw.htm

Also, it would seem that we have a data plate for a composite bed with notch type cutouts:

http://www.northwestmilitaryvehicles.com/CCKW.html

Case closed?

[pfarber]

Just another example of the different sill construction used on CCKWs.



This is from http://www.armyfiretrucks.com/ Note this is an Airborne modified trucks (it can be split in two at the gusset just aft of the cab).

Note the laminated sill construction and of course, the milled out gap.