Ford Model AA Duel Rear Axles

[NZ28ModelA]

Good Morning fellow Model A'ers..

I have a friend who has a flatdeck Model AA with a very long deck.

At this time, it is a four wheeler (two axles), although the previous owner has removed a third lazy axle. I believe he was frustrated with the truck losing traction on driveways when the second axle was floating midair.

My friend would like to reinstate the third lazy axle as the large deck looks unbalanced without it.. But no suspension has been supplied, and I am having difficulty finding any references out there. He believes it might have been solid mounted. I find that difficult to believe.

Did the AA's ever come out from the factory with three axles?? Could someone please put me onto some reference pictures so we know what we are looking for??

Any assistance is very much appreciated..

Thank you

Steve

 

[Bob C]

No Factory three axles. Here are some aftermarket pictures.

 

[Joe K]

The AA truck book. "Model A/AA Truck Owner" shows single pages for a few "add-on axles." Twin-Flex, P-H Multi-Wheeler, Continuous Torque Transmission Co. Olsen Extensions just a few of the names shown.

Vince Falter, at his Fordgarage.com site shows the Warford "Sextette." https://www.fordgarage.com/pages/warfordsextette.htm

It appears to have been a commonly applied "accessory."

Joe K

 

[NZ28ModelA]

The AA truck book. "Model A/AA Truck Owner" shows single pages for a few "add-on axles." Twin-Flex, P-H Multi-Wheeler, Continuous Torque Transmission Co. Olsen Extensions just a few of the names shown.

Vince Falter, at his Fordgarage.com site shows the Warford "Sextette." https://www.fordgarage.com/pages/warfordsextette.htm

It appears to have been a commonly applied "accessory."

Joe K

Thank you for your quick answers. From what I've seen, they all share the same spring set. This one is still running the original offset spring pack to the second axle. And I am not sure how the third axle was sprung. Surely not solid mounted??

Sent from my SM-A135F using Tapatalk

 

[Joe K]

Almost certainly not solid mounted. And the difficulty of the driving axle lifting off the road COULD be an "underloaded" truck finding the "low spot" in the roadway. This was part of the issue that Vince Falter's "Sextette" axles were designed to get past (i.e. drive is given to ALL axles.)

I would hazard a guess and say your "third axle" was much as the pix in post 2 above - i.e. a "double cantilever" springing with the spring center "centered" between the two axles.

Note that of these that I can see, the double cantilever spring pack is designed to "rotate" about the spring-pack center - and the rear-most axle is "tied" to the point of rotation of the spring pack. This arrangement keeps all four wheels on the road

If your friend remembers it from a previous 3 axle life - where did the 3rd axle AND the double cantilever spring setup go? Very unlikely they have changed the driveline/torque tube length (i.e. giving it the unusually long look today - plus the cost then of coming up with custom parts.)

I mean I can see a single cantilever spring facing "opposite" the current normal Ford setup. There is no physical reason it couldn't be done other than that "lifting off the road" issue. But I think that would be unlikely. More likely they simply removed a double cantilever and replaced it with an available single cantilever for the remaining rear axle from a junkyard.

AA "used stuff" has been legion around here. Still is somewhat. Now almost more common than Model A Car parts - but not as advertised.

Joe K

 

[stickshift]

Extra tires and leaves added to the leaf springs could certainly handle excessive weight, but were the frames strong enough? How did the 4 bangers handle a load of coal like that? I've heard stories of AA's being overloaded way beyond their rated capacity, but never heard of a truck "breaking" due to the load. I wonder if it happened.

 

[Joe K]

I've heard stories of AA's being overloaded way beyond their rated capacity, but never heard of a truck "breaking" due to the load. I wonder if it happened.

I've told of my "basketcase" AA found under a barn in Amherst, NH. This truck was notable in having been "sistered" after (apparently) a frame fail probably from overloading. The patch plate, both sides, was about 3/4" inch thick and filled the "web" between flanges to the full height - and extended about 2 feet either side of the fulcrum of the cantilever spring.

It was really a very nice repair job - someone put a lot of time and money into that repair.

Alas, today I wish I had kept that frame - but at that time I had a "better" AA rolling chassis to play with.

Joe K

 

[Chris Haynes]

Dual or Tandem rear axles are aftermarket accessories.

 

[nkaminar]

Joe explained very well how the suspension works. If you are worried about loosing contact with the driving wheels, I would go with the suspension shown in the first and last photo presented by Bob C. I would look in a truck junk yard for the suspension parts that could be adapted to the AA truck.

 

[NZ28ModelA]

Thank you to everyone for your advice. The main problem I have is trying to put the rear lazy back in with what I have and I can't figure out what the suspension configuration would have been. I can't see mounting for another set of springs. Would the original springs be moved and shared?? I have attached pics of the lazy. I would hate to think it was solid mounted to the chassis using those eyes?? What do you think??
Thank you for your advice

Sent from my SM-A135F using Tapatalk

 

[RDVAARK]

I'm hazy on the titles of the threads and dates they appeared, but this board has had numerous threads with pictures of GAZ trucks with dual rear axles. Not all had the same setup as far as live and dead rear axles. some were tankers which would carry heavy loads, others carried cargo or armaments which would require good traction. Also many non specific vintage truck books(truck spotters guides,or "This Was Trucking") or collections of vintage "heavy load" pictures show AA's and BB's. Older (1970's) Model A club magazines used to have pictures of unusual adaptions of Fords. Search for brand name tandem axles, their vintage ads sometimes showed trucks doing challenging things using their setups.
Russ

 

[ABento]

These are what I have for pictures of this set up, not the best as I didn't take the wheels off to get pictures.

 

[Reds34]

That is a nice '34!

Red

 

[spdway1]

Maybe you would get more results if you posted on the Model AA Ford Truck Group on Facebook.

 

[stickshift]

Something looks amiss in picture three. Does that spring shackle look right? I never saw a setup like that.

 

[ABento]

Its an odd set up alright but it works, this set up doesn't hold the drive axle up when going over a driveway or steep incline. I need to get more and better pictures.
Stickshift come down to the Plymouth show in April.
Thanks Red, its powered with 59 AB with 4 spd main and a 3 spd aux.