Marmon Herrington front suspension pics

Vanspeed

Vanspeed

Well-known member
Hi all. Looking at re-creating a Marmon Herrington 1/2 pickup. I can’t find any pictures of how Ford modified the front for the parallel springs and axle. Does anybody know or have pictures? This truck is what is making me want to make one.
 

Attachments

  • ACB69A23-34D7-4BA6-B5EE-97B93B204158.jpeg
    ACB69A23-34D7-4BA6-B5EE-97B93B204158.jpeg
    133.1 KB · Views: 416
  • 00C58F55-806D-4766-85C1-5DC27DB1FE5C.jpeg
    00C58F55-806D-4766-85C1-5DC27DB1FE5C.jpeg
    97.3 KB · Views: 406
Stu 'Truckdog' will be able to answer that when he chimes in. Upon seeing that picture it's no wonder you want to build one. The '42 and up have longtudinal springs but the trucks are 2 1/2" wider. A '42+ rear axle would be too wide for yours. Early Jeep pickup and wagon running gear should be just about right, with bonus poins for the same lug pattern. If you want ford wheels and caps you'll have to ream out the center hole for the fronts or all. It's easy. I built something similar with toyota landcruiser gear which I already had. The landcruiser axles are a bit narrow for my '47 but I may run a short spacer. They are really strong axles, but six lug pattern. Sounds like an interesting project. Scout axles also should be really close and again 5 on 5 1/2".
 
Vanspeed said:
Hi all. Looking at re-creating a Marmon Herrington 1/2 pickup. I can’t find any pictures of how Ford modified the front for the parallel springs and axle. Does anybody know or have pictures? This truck is what is making me want to make one.
Click to expand...
509836


509837
 
The pictured 1940 Commercial half ton with Marmon-Herrington conversion was the subject of a nice article in the November, 2007, issue of Classic Trucks. If you don’t have the article please private message me and I’ll send you a copy.

If you are focusing on the conversion of a pre-war truck I’m not gonna be much help. There was a 1941 that was for sale on the HAMB and other sites for a long time, but it has now sold. Below is the HAMB link to that truck. It contains lots of pictures.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...rrington-fwd-truck-all-original-sold.1252102/

Finding any era donor truck will be a real challenge. I found a 1947 half ton in an ID yard in 2017 that has now been rescued. Its components are being restored and installed under a concourse quality original truck. Otherwise the best resource always is Chuck Mantiglia of Chuck’s Trucks in CT. Link below. Stu

http://www.chuckstrucksllc.com/startframe.htm
 
Yes that is exactly what I am thinking. Jeep CJ-5 axles seem to be perfect and they retain the bolt pattern. Chassis engineering makes a rear parallel kit for the 40-41 but I am not sure how Marmon did the front.
 
Thanks for those links. Looks like the front springs were on an angle. That is what I wanted to know. I would like mine to be parallel so that might mean adapting a front hanger from something.
 
M/H modified Ford banjo rear axles for their conversions. This started in 1935 if I remember correctly. Their patented steering system was some excellent engineering and was used up until the banjo was discontinued. Their transfer case set up was archaic but it did work and was reliable as long as the operator followed factory recommendations.
 
I do have a 1941 1/2 ton. I just want to do something different than all the rest out there.

truckdog62563 said:
The pictured 1940 Commercial half ton with Marmon-Herrington conversion was the subject of a nice article in the November, 2007, issue of Classic Trucks. If you don’t have the article please private message me and I’ll send you a copy.

If you are focusing on the conversion of a pre-war truck I’m not gonna be much help. There was a 1941 that was for sale on the HAMB and other sites for a long time, but it has now sold. Below is the HAMB link to that truck. It contains lots of pictures.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...rrington-fwd-truck-all-original-sold.1252102/

Finding any era donor truck will be a real challenge. I found a 1947 half ton in an ID yard in 2017 that has now been rescued. Its components are being restored and installed under a concourse quality original truck. Otherwise the best resource always is Chuck Mantiglia of Chuck’s Trucks in CT. Link below. Stu

http://www.chuckstrucksllc.com/startframe.htm
Click to expand...
 
I have both a 1937 and 1941 Marmon Herrington. The rear axle is still on the buggy transverse spring. The front axle has not so parallel springs installed by mounting the back end under the frame channel and the forward end shackled to a specially made bracket that fits in the end of the frame that is reinforced by a shop built cross member. The 1937 original cross member has been seriously cut away in the center to clear the banjo. The 1941 cross member is also trimmed but still somewhat stiffening the frame. Mine look like the posted picture above.

Keith
 
Thanks for that info Keith. Do you have any pics of the front frame bracket?

fordyford said:
I have both a 1937 and 1941 Marmon Herrington. The rear axle is still on the buggy transverse spring. The front axle has not so parallel springs installed by mounting the back end under the frame channel and the forward end shackled to a specially made bracket that fits in the end of the frame that is reinforced by a shop built cross member. The 1937 original cross member has been seriously cut away in the center to clear the banjo. The 1941 cross member is also trimmed but still somewhat stiffening the frame. Mine look like the posted picture above.

Keith
Click to expand...
 
This is the truck I am working on. Tucked back in the corner.
 

Attachments

  • C1DAB0DE-C11E-4D0D-8EF3-66540780AD97.jpg
    C1DAB0DE-C11E-4D0D-8EF3-66540780AD97.jpg
    44.9 KB · Views: 107
This is a little off topic. At the phone company we had about six Marmon Herrington converted Ford 1978 F-650 aerial bucket trucks that were up in the mountains. The transfer case just hung from a steel plate on each side and large mounting bolts. The plate and bolts would just snap. If both sides would have broken it would have fallen to the ground with the three driveshafts attached to it. We could not keep the Marmon Herrington rear motor mounts from breaking and they were welded up from 1/2" plate. The front wheel studs were always breaking, and they were about $100.00 each. We couldn't keep individual leaf springs from breaking and the U-bolts were tightened every service. Any Marmon Herington part was big bucks, example, a $1000.00 for a special dropped tie rod end that took one-year to get. Back then the Ford dealer would take months to get parts for those trucks and then it was usually the wrong part when it did show up. They ordered about six different front brake drums before the dealer finally figure out which ones our trucks used. Those trucks would go anywhere and pull anybody out of the snow, but the Marmon Herrington parts that adapted the front axle and transfer case to the F-650 were crudely made. The shifter handles rattled so bad they about drove you insane just delivering them onetime back up the mountain. You had migraine by the time you got back down the hill. The drivers probably had fifty large rubber bands around the group of shifter handles to help quiet them down, it didn't help. You would not have been able to hear a radio if they had one. We could not keep transfer case rear bearings in them. The drivers could tell by the vibration when it was within a week of that bearing exploding. Luckily. I could drive up the mountain, pop off the bearing cover and replace the bearing in just a few minutes. The trucks sat up nice and high off of the ground so that made it nice to crawl under there. If it exploded that bearing the parts went all through the transfer case. I learned that one the hard way. After that when the drivers said that bearing was getting bad, I got on it that night before it caused me a lot more work. We might have gotten 20,000 miles out of those rear bearings. About the only good thing was you could pull the trans to replace the clutch without removing the transfer case. They were piles of junk, but the drivers loved them because they could go anywhere, but they didn't have to work on them and sign the inspection sheet guaranteeing that they were safe. About three-months was as long as you would want to let them go without giving them a careful inspection. I tightened "every single" bolt under them and looked for broken parts at every service. They scared me, I was convinced that sooner or later somebody would be killed in one up in the mountains when some poorly engineered Marmon Herrington part broke. Later on, they replaced them with 1991 F-350 factory 4X4s. Those F-350s were not big enough for the weight they carried but at least none of the Ford parts snapped like they did on Marmon Herringtons.
 
My 52 F3 MH appears to be built a little better than the 78. The transfer case is sandwiched between two plates running across the frame, with a torque arm to keep it from rocking. When I first got it, I thought I would be looking for a new splash pan. There was a torch cut piece gone above the differential. But checking with other owners, that was one of the mods made at MH in Indianapolis. I thought the same about the road draft tube, it was shortened with a torch. Turns out it had to be, or the front differential would have reshaped it. The transfer case range lever was crudely built as well. I am going to bush all of the linkage pieces to be free of rattles. I only drove it once, after dropping a running engine in it. With open exhaust, I wasn’t in tune with the rattles. It is down to the bare frame, with the front axle completely gutted for cleaning, blasting, paint and bearings.

In any case, I hope the op’s project progresses.
 
Last edited:
MH was being outgunned in later years since most manufacturers were making their own 4X4 set ups. When I worked in the mountain states years ago, I used a 1-ton MH conversion field truck that was set up with a 450 gallon jet fuel tank and tool boxes. This truck had started life as a 3/4 ton F250 but had all the MH stuff to convert it to 1-ton. The box and tank were custom fitted. It worked well enough but changing from 4WD operation to 2WD was a challenge. I had to yard pretty hard on the transfer case lever to get it to shift. I leaned over as much as I could to get a good pull and my foot slipped off the clutch. Needless to say, the input shaft was in two pieces and I had to radio for help (there were no cell phones back then). The boss was not a happy camper. I was in western Wyoming out in the toolies and the nearest shop was in eastern Idaho to get it repaired. The boss traded it for a 1 1/2-ton after it was repaired and we built it up for an 800 gallon tank & larger tool box. With the new truck, I could go for 3 or 4-days without making a fuel run to fill the tank. Those helicopters were thirsty old beasts.
 
I presently have four M-Hs, in various stages of restoration, and have parted out four others. All 1947 to 1953. Like Owen’s (1952henry), all of my trucks came to me after having spent very hard lives. Fractured frames and fractured long axle tubes from overloading, and other general abusive use, are the issues I’ve found. The M-H components have in general survived quite well. The four parts donors have lived on in the restorations of other trucks. Stu
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top