41 - 42 Commerical vs Truck

JSeery

JSeery

Member Emeritus
Need to ID a ford truck. This truck does not match up with either of the commercial or truck frame diagrams shown on the VanPelt site. Both diagrams show two curved frame piece for the motor mount crossmember. My truck has a straight crossmember, similar to a car/pickup. It has elliptical springs front and rear. I can not locate the numbers on the frame rail, any idea where they are located on the truck/commercial frames? Should they be the same locations as the car/pickup? This truck is either a 41 or 42, but not sure of the year or model. The rear is elliptical spring open drive.
 

Attachments

  • Flathead_Frame_1940-46truck.jpg
    Flathead_Frame_1940-46truck.jpg
    42.7 KB · Views: 37
  • Flathead_Frame_1942-46comm.jpg
    Flathead_Frame_1942-46comm.jpg
    35.2 KB · Views: 30
  • 41-42 Front Crossmember.jpg
    41-42 Front Crossmember.jpg
    78.9 KB · Views: 44
  • 41-42 Truck 2.jpg
    41-42 Truck 2.jpg
    57.9 KB · Views: 50
  • 41-42 Truck.jpg
    41-42 Truck.jpg
    58.5 KB · Views: 43
Well, I must have found it once upon a time, I checked my titles and I have two that are listed as 41 trucks. Now I will need to sort out which is which. That will not be to difficult as the other one is a 41 pickup and I know where the frame number is on it. So, now I know it's a 41 (isn't getting old wonderful) but still not sure of the model, all the frame number tells you is that it had a 90hp V8, any ideas?
 
It has wagon type springs, and so is big truck. Rear axle will also be very different from passenger, and frame will have no X type crossmember.
 
Based on the hood its a '41 big truck. The frame numbers are on the drivers side in front of the steering box. My '40 big trucks have 4 spoke wheels. Don't know if that changed in '41 or if your truck was the smaller big truck like an express pick up hence the 2 spoke wheel. More photos would be a plus.
 
Well, it's a truck, so not a 1/2 ton...
I'd start by looking at the ID pictures in the parts book, and then if you have any wheels, the size and type of wheel will help pin down exact capacity. Wheelbase also will eliminate some possibilities.
(In this time period I don't think there is any prefix identity added into serial number like with postwar trucks or the BB-18 types of the early '30's.)
 
Sorry for the picture quality! The truck is somewhat buried at the moment, it is really hard to get a descent camera angle. It was a farm wheat truck and has a blower built into the side of it with a shaft to where the power takeoff on the transmission was.
 

Attachments

  • 41 Truck Front Wheel.jpg
    41 Truck Front Wheel.jpg
    59.8 KB · Views: 43
  • 41 Truck.jpg
    41 Truck.jpg
    61.8 KB · Views: 41
  • 41 Truck Wheat Blower.jpg
    41 Truck Wheat Blower.jpg
    68.6 KB · Views: 38
  • 41 Truck Rear Wheel.jpg
    41 Truck Rear Wheel.jpg
    60 KB · Views: 39
  • 41 Truck Rear Axle.jpg
    41 Truck Rear Axle.jpg
    80.7 KB · Views: 43
  • 41 Truck 3.jpg
    41 Truck 3.jpg
    44.1 KB · Views: 36
  • 41 Truck 2.jpg
    41 Truck 2.jpg
    44.6 KB · Views: 37
Those wheels I think make it a 3/4 or 1 ton. I don't know these years...bu some years had both 1 and 3/4, other years only one of those.
 
I was told only recently that the 39 models had the wide 5's for the 3/4 ton. (and of course the 1/2 ton). I didn't know the wide 5's in the heavier models were carried over into 40/41.

Looking again, those wheels look like beaded type. the fronts look to have small windows but the rears look solid. Could be just the camera angle of course.

It's interesting finding out all these little nuances on the less familiar (heavier) stuff.

Mart.
 
I don't have a parts book in reach, but I think wide fives hung on til '47 in whatever 3/4-1 ton they made then. It gets hard to tell what a particular wheel might be in the parts book, but I think there might even be some with separate bead/rim in the heavier versions.
Above the one-ton, wheels were entirely different.
 
You might want to try and get in touch with expavr here on the Barn. He has a really nice looking 40/41 3/4 or 1 ton truck. My guess is that he could provide you with more info on your truck.
 
wide five on both axles for a 3/4 ton, suppossedly the rear brakes are larger than front on a 1 ton and also had a flatbase type rim and rear axle arrangement-like a 1 1/2 ton truck but single wheel. by your pictures you have a 3/4 ton 1941. I have a modified version of a 41 3/4 ton stake bed, I have a 9" ford pick up rear axle so I can get the gearing to go faster also has better brakes with a 48-64 brake conversion on front.
 
Last edited:
forgot to mention, there are two front cross memeber for 41 trucks and commercial vehicles because of the availability of 4 cylinder, 6 cylinder and two v8's, approx middle year they installed the dropped front crossmember in all trucks to accomodate the 6 engine
 
I'm researching on one of these right now, looks like you have a bed on it, if so, it's a 41 3/4 ton express. I have a 1 1/2 ton truck I'm trying figure how to convert to an 3/4 ton express. The Express had a 122" wheel bases with a long bed, the 1/2 ton has a 112" wheel base with a shorter bed.
 
GaryHenrich said:
I'm researching on one of these right now, looks like you have a bed on it, if so, it's a 41 3/4 ton express. I have a 1 1/2 ton truck I'm trying figure how to convert to an 3/4 ton express. The Express had a 122" wheel bases with a long bed, the 1/2 ton has a 112" wheel base with a shorter bed.
Click to expand...


Let's see some photos of your truck Gary, I have seen a few on the net and I have some photo's from Ford Archives but you don't see to many of them around for some reason, mostly 1 tons.
 
the frame/crossmembers are essentially the same, the rear/front axle spring hangers are the same, front axle on 1 1/2 ton is heavier and shapped differrently, rear axle is heavier and of course more spring leaves front and rear, different steering gear/geometry between the two frames. I also have a 1 1/2 ton that I have considered converting to a 122". I found the front axle from a 1/2 ton 42-47 could be used for the conversion, so cut the frame to length, change front and rear axles, steering box and most of the work is done
 
JSeery said:
This truck cost me a pair of spindles.
Click to expand...
You should be locked up for theft...!!!! :)
Check your PM's. I will email photos of the details on my 40 One Ton Express. The dually rear axle and the rims are very puzzling. To my knowledge they aren't typical for the 3/4 and 1 Ton 122" WB trucks.
 
expavr said:
You should be locked up for theft...!!!! :)
Check your PM's. I will email photos of the details on my 40 One Ton Express. The dually rear axle and the rims are very puzzling. To my knowledge they aren't typical for the 3/4 and 1 Ton 122" WB trucks.
Click to expand...

Yep, a guy bought the Truck because he wanted the spindles off of it and was going to junk the rest of it. I said you can't junk that! So I gave him a pair of spindles and he had me haul off the trunk! I had no interest in the truck at the time just couldn't stand to see it junked.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top