Twatts44 Posted February 8 Report Share Posted February 8 I’ve finally sourced a 2 speed axle and fitted it to my truck, originally it had a single speed axle. Its a canadian built truck for the military, the twin speed for this year should have been a mechanical shift with a lever in the cab, does anyone have any pictures of the linkage etc? Alternatively I may make it electric shift, any pictures of the actuator set up on later trucks? I know I could go vacuum but that would be a lot more parts to find and there isn’t an abundance of parts in the UK!! Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Harrison Posted February 10 Report Share Posted February 10 Im not familiar with the connection at the axel with the two speed but If it were I I would first look at fabricating a cable assembly. Use silver solder on the ends come up with cable and shielding on line or use parking brake shielding coupled together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockingjd Posted February 10 Report Share Posted February 10 You don't mention your trucks year. I bought a parts truck a few years ago. The mechanical cable worked a vacuum switch on the firewall. The rear axle was vacuum controlled. The speedometer also had a switch that compensated for the 2 speeds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twatts44 Posted February 10 Author Report Share Posted February 10 I would say it’s about 1942, I’m not entirely sure. I’m pretty sure the Canadian built military trucks had a completely mechanical shift system, not a vacuum, fairly sure they had a lever lever come up through the floor to operate the rear axle shift. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
47 1.5 ton Posted February 12 Report Share Posted February 12 Plan on following your progress, hoping you go electric actuator! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBSoPaB Posted February 21 Report Share Posted February 21 Tom, here's a pic of the vacuum actuator from a '47 farm truck. Also, the lever in cab of a '41 mechanical 2-speed. I'll see if I have any pics or parts of the old mechanical I took out of my '42 WFMA ~15 years ago. They were brutally simple, nice formed steel hand lever, solid rod back to an intermediate dangling pivot from a frame crossmember, and another solid rod back to the mechanical 2-speed. I can get specific pics of the latter from my buddy's '41, but it sounds like you've some decisions to make before I go randomly flooding your thread with pics. Thoughts? Brian A. (MBSoPaB) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twatts44 Posted February 26 Author Report Share Posted February 26 Hi Brian, I reckon I'll go mechanical shift so any pictures/info you've got would be brilliant thanks ? Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBSoPaB Posted February 27 Report Share Posted February 27 Tom, the following photos are from my buddy's '41 COE road tractor: the easiest thing in the yard to photograph without crawling around in the snow and slop. Best, Brian A. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBSoPaB Posted February 27 Report Share Posted February 27 Another 3 photos. Brian A. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve s. Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 You have a nice looking truck. At one time I had a 1946 Chevy with a mechanically shifted two speed rear axle. It used a short rod from the bottom of the shifter to a bracket on the frame, and heavy flexible cable from that bracket to the rear axle. It worked very nicely, and the cable allowed for plenty of free movement between the cab, the frame, and the axle. Sorry, no pictures. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twatts44 Posted February 29 Author Report Share Posted February 29 Brian, Pictures are spot on thankyou very much, was going to fabricate something up anyway but is nice to see what it should resemble! Will update with pictures/progress Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBSoPaB Posted February 29 Report Share Posted February 29 Sounds like a plan! I look forward to seeing your final solution, and am sure other owners to come will appreciate it being shared here on the forum. About the only thing I feel compelled to add is that the shifter handle mounting is different between the COE (bolts to the base of the seat frame) and the conventional truck (bolts to a bracket on the transmission, under the floorboard). That may not have been visible between the initial batch of pics and the later ones. Otherwise, nothing fancy, all the ones I've dissected or documented have had simple angle iron and flat stock bracketry, clevise-type ends welded into straight lengths of ~ 5/8" or 3/4" OD tube. The engineering of the pivots and joints appears to be ~1:1, as far as input and output movement in the joints; if it takes 3" of linear movement at the axle to make the shift, then it's 3" of linear movement at the shifter under the floorboard. Hope your project goes smoothly! Brian A. (MBSoPaB) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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