Frame sag at rear engine mount

Steve Wastler

Steve Wastler

Well-known member
Just recieved the following pic from the Baltimore sun archives and thought i would share. Marked feb 1950 on the back, most of the mail trucks are speculated to have over a million miles driven from beginning of use till decomissioned in 1954, this one looks like it might be a canidate for the million mile club....
 
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You can get that frame sag from doing this...
 

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Gee I look upon this with awe! Imagine, the Post office was able to keep costs down to $.02-03 at this time and deliver the mail TWICE a day. But oh yeah, they were getting 25years of hard service from their trucks. Not too shabby! Imagine them doing that today. Maybe we wouldn't be paying $.45 and listening to a constant howl that" We can't deliver the mail for that, we need a raise in postal rates!"
Terry
 
Speaking of frame sag, I recently helped someone remove an old multiple disc clutch unit, bellhousing, and related parts and installed a later model bell housing, pedals, transmission and flywheel. After installing the brake cross shaft which has also been rebuilt, we have very little movement before hitting the torque tube. The original clam shell of course had the lip which did rest on the frame before we removed it. Is this a hint of severe frame sag? Welcome any help on this question.
 
How about checking your motor mounts, front and rear.

Do you have Float-A-Motors installed? Sometimes the rubber in those are overtightened, or soft allowing the rear of the motor to drop.
 
Dan Partain said:
You can get that frame sag from doing this...
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Wonder how fast you have to get a York-Hoover Mail Truck going to get that kind of "air-time" ? ;)


One of our neighbors is a retired postman; he is in his early 80's and recalled the Y-H Model A's still being in service in the Scranton region in the early 1950's .

SC Frank
 
KR500 said:
Speaking of frame sag, I recently helped someone remove an old multiple disc clutch unit, bellhousing, and related parts and installed a later model bell housing, pedals, transmission and flywheel. After installing the brake cross shaft which has also been rebuilt, we have very little movement before hitting the torque tube. The original clam shell of course had the lip which did rest on the frame before we removed it. Is this a hint of severe frame sag? Welcome any help on this question.
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Yes, you have frame sag, and now is the best time to fix it.
 
Just took a second look at the photo... noticed two things:

1) Holy Fill-in Flash, Batman ! Must've been using one of those light-bulb sized "Press" bulbs in the Graf-Lite attached to the Speed-Graphic Press Camera !

2) Frame-sag: is it my eyes, or is that frame so badly sagged that even the splash-apron is buckling ????


Great photo, Steve ! Do you have any info from the Sun on when that photo ran, and if there was an article associated with it ?

Thanks for sharing !

SC Frank
 
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Steve Wastler said:
Just recieved the following pic from the Baltimore sun archives and thought i would share. Marked feb 1950 on the back, most of the mail trucks are speculated to have over a million miles driven from beginning of use till decomissioned in 1954, this one looks like it might be a canidate for the million mile club....
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I think that was the truck that delivered the lenses that I sold to Brentwood Bob last month. :( One arrived broken, even though the package was stamped FRAGILE on all six sides.
 
700rpm said:
I think that was the truck that delivered the lenses that I sold to Brentwood Bob last month. :( One arrived broken, even though the package was stamped FRAGILE on all six sides.
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700,
Must be the same truck! Brentwood Bob shipped my Zip-A-Rak by Fedex the same day I sent him a money order. Got the rack the next day!:D
My money order was surely on that MODEL A, took 5 yes 5 days for Ole' Bob to get the money$$$ order!! Bill W.
 
BILL WILLIAMSON said:
700,
Must be the same truck! Brentwood Bob shipped my Zip-A-Rak by Fedex the same day I sent him a money order. Got the rack the next day!:D
My money order was surely on that MODEL A, took 5 yes 5 days for Ole' Bob to get the money$$$ order!! Bill W.
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One of my New Years Resolutions: Avoid shipping anything by USPS.
 
700rpm said:
One of my New Years Resolutions: Avoid shipping anything by USPS.
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I couldn't agree more!

After they lost one sewing machine and broke three more I'm plenty fed up with them. I'm filling out insurance forms right now for the last one they broke. I'd bet Greyhound doesn't break things the way the USPS does.
 
Hi Guys: Here's a couple of pictures fixing the frame sag on a 30 Coupe.

The great thing with a "A" is the top of the frame is flat so a long level is a great tool to check and see how much sag you have. A long straight edge works well too.
I learn't the hardway over the years that this is the first step to a successful restoration. As well as getting the frame level you most also check it for square. A diagonal measurement from the front crossmember to the rear crossmember will give you this. The last step is to check and see if the crossmembers are level to each other. This you can eyeball, your looking for the top of the crossmembers being level to each other.
There are fancier ways but this works if your limited for tools.

J.Poole "The Old Tinbasher

P.S. Last picture!! it's taking shape.
 

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Yes, there is an article associated with the pic, i'm trying to make sence of the info on the back, hope to find the article.

Here is another of the trucks in a postal warehouse in Balt., first two are 29's third is a 31 cant see enough of the 4th. The 40's into the fiftys, the post office was pillaging the junk yards for parts to keep the fleet on the road....
 
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ctlikon0712 said:
Here is an older article that might shed some light.
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We've discussed that some on here in the past, --and on the old Fordbarn forum ...and if you think about this a tad, some part of that frame had to stretch when the frame bent/sagged. Bending it in the opposite direction in an effort to straighten it only bends (compromises) the metal in yet another area. Understanding how to manipulate the metal by shrinking it to return it to its former dimension is the best way to repair this. In the time it takes to set up using jacks & rigging fixtures to hold the frame stationary, I can heat and shrink the lower chord of the frame rail and have all the strength back. A bent frame that is "repaired" by re-bending it will never be as strong as it originally was.

.
 
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