Antique Ford Trailer ?

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2013: Antique Ford Trailer ?
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard J Callerstrom on Friday, May 24, 2013 - 11:13 pm:

Last Month While I Was Looking For A Good Used Utility Trailer I Came Across This Old Trailer For Sale - I Really Liked The Wood Spoke Wheels On It + The Price Was OK So I Bought It Mainly For The Wheels - I Noticed It Was Not Homemade - The Wood Box Looks Original - The Frame Is Interesting With The Curved Support Braces + The 1 Spring - There Is A Little Bit Of Green Paint On The Frame + 1 Hook - The Axle + 1 Wheel Cap Has Ford On It - It Has A License Plate Bracket + Pin Hitch - Who Made It? - Ford? - + The Vintage? - It Rained Just Before I Took The Pictures So The Box Looks Damp - Thanks - Rich


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard J Callerstrom on Friday, May 24, 2013 - 11:15 pm:

More images:


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Royce in Dallas TX on Friday, May 24, 2013 - 11:19 pm:

Probably made in the 1930's - 1950's from left over junk Model T parts pulled out of a field.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard J Callerstrom on Friday, May 24, 2013 - 11:21 pm:

More images:


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard J Callerstrom on Friday, May 24, 2013 - 11:28 pm:

More pictures:


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard J Callerstrom on Friday, May 24, 2013 - 11:32 pm:

More:


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Wells on Friday, May 24, 2013 - 11:34 pm:

1919 or later. I bet there were a few of these around in the '30s and '40s. It would be nice to see an old in use photo. Pretty cool item.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Friday, May 24, 2013 - 11:34 pm:

As Royce says, it's made up of 1920's Model T parts. Front axle, spring, wheels, and wishbone; most of a 26-27 frame turned upside down.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Friday, May 24, 2013 - 11:42 pm:

Just for fun, you can look for a serial number. It's usually stamped on top of the right frame rail, which would put it on the left bottom with the frame upside down like this, somewhere near where the rail has been bent. If you find the number you can pin down the exact date of manufacture (of the car, not the trailer).


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Michael Mullis on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 07:29 am:

I would love to find one. I think it is awesome.
Richard, can you post a close-up of the coupler/hitch?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chester Leighton on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 07:43 am:

I would like to see a close up of how the wheel spindles are kept strait.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By john kuehn on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 02:20 pm:

Nice homemade farm or utility trailer. They are still around here and there. When I started getting interested in T's back in the 60's after I inherited my Grandfathers 24 Coupe you could find trailers of all kind of configurations made from Model T frames and parts. They were plentiful and many,many of them went to the junk yards.
I found a nice trailer that was made from a late 14 or early 15 that I stripped down to the original frame and running gear that I sold for 300.00 4 years ago.
I kind of wish now I would have kept it.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wayne Sheldon, Grass Valley, CA on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 02:53 pm:

Great probably-home-made trailer as others have said. One like that could be fixed up a little and kept as an non-restored historic piece. Or it could be restored and used along with a restored model T. Either way, it would be wonderful to have.
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 02:54 pm:

None of the pictures show how it's done here, but on a lot of these trailers the spindles are held straight by bolting the steering connecting rod to the axle.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 03:00 pm:


I didn't get a close-up, but here you can see the U-bolt that anchors the connecting rod to the axle.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ricks - Surf City on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 03:01 pm:

I have a front axle with the spindle arms bent around to the axle, and each held by a bolt through the axle. It's the simplest, safest conversion I've seen. Would such an axle bring much on tbay?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Harold Schwendeman - Sumner,WA on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 04:26 pm:

A utility trailer like Steve's needs just a little bit of "tow-in" to track well. Interesting question in that regard,.....for a front axle to be used like Steve's trailer, would you call that "tow-in", or would it be "tow-out"? After all, that front axle IS being towed backwards,....ha,ha,.......harold


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ricks - Surf City on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 04:41 pm:

Harold, I learned that the hard way when I made a trailer from a '48 Anglia frontend running backwards. The fishtailing was more than exciting until another guest at a motel in Missouri showed me the toe-out. I tweaked the toe with a jack under the tie rod, and it was smooth sailing the rest of the way from Champaign, Ill, to San Diego.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 04:52 pm:

Not my trailer, guys. I saw it at Chickasha. I haven't built mine yet.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Harold Schwendeman - Sumner,WA on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 04:53 pm:

Yeah Ralph, I learned that from my Dad who learned it "the hard way"! He built a trailer with a '37 Plymouth front end when I was a kid, and found out how poorly a trailer will track with the wheels parallel! He took the axle to a welder who welded the spindles with about 1/8th" tow-in and it tracked like a dream. Dad told me the welder actually had some sort of a jig to ensure just enough tow-in when welding the spindles solid with the axle.

Actually, I was making sort of a dumb joke with my post about "tow-in" or "tow-out", but actually, I don't know but for a trailer, I think a bit of tow-in or tow-out, either one, would probably work just fine,....as long as the wheels are not perfectly parallel, right?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Harold Schwendeman - Sumner,WA on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 04:57 pm:

Yeah, I should have figured that out Steve. You'd have done a much neater job on it than that! At least without any "sag" in the tongue of the trailer, right?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard J Callerstrom on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 04:59 pm:

STEVE - I Looked Underneath The Left Side Of The Frame By The Bend And The Only Thing I Could See Looked Like " TA ". - Rich


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard J Callerstrom on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 05:34 pm:

MIKE - Here Is A Picture Of The Pin Hitch - It Is Slightly Off-Set Of The Frame - Rich


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard J Callerstrom on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 07:46 pm:

CHESTER - Here Are Pictures For You Of The Left + Right Wheels - Rich


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard J Callerstrom on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 09:05 pm:

My daughter helped me make an online photo album - you can find all the pictures I have taken in this album - The pictures are larger with higher resolution - Rich

http://imgur.com/a/vVnZ7#0


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ronnie Wehba on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 09:06 pm:

here are two pictures of a frame i got last summer, not sure why this was done ,,except for towing??


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Garnet on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 09:08 pm:

It becomes steerable that way. The one I bought a few years ago was just welded in place.

Garnet


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ricks - Surf City on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 09:26 pm:

I have one of those steerable tongues that I would trade for something of value to me...


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard J Callerstrom on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 11:10 pm:

While Under The Trailer Looking At The Frame I Noticed The 4 Wood Cross Supports Are Each A Little Different - The Front + Rear Supports Are Both Mounted On Top Of The Frame - The Front One Being Not Quite As High - 2" - As The Rear One - 2 1/4" - The Middle 2 Supports Are Also 2 1/4" But They Are Slightly Notched Over The Frame - As To Create A Slight Pitch Down To The Front Of The Deck - For Drainage? - Rich


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard J Callerstrom on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 11:40 pm:

More Pictures Of The Wood Supports


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard J Callerstrom on Saturday, May 25, 2013 - 11:48 pm:

Last Left Side Wood Supports


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wes Nelson ........Bucyrus, MO on Sunday, May 26, 2013 - 08:55 am:

read John Tannehill's post on this thread:
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/331880/349656.html
and you will find that Kirk Hill owns the trailer that Steve pictured on this thread. Last year and this year I had the spaces directly across the isle from Kirk at Chickasha. We talked about that trailer and he told me the front axle is mounted in it's normal position, the frame and wishbone are turned around. This allows the trailer to track correctly. The draglink has a loop bent on one end and a muffler clamp holds it in place, at the center of the axle. If you look closely at the second picture Steve put on the Chickasha Pictures thread you will see the tierod on the backside of the axle and the looped draglink.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob McDonald-Federal Way, Wa. on Sunday, May 26, 2013 - 02:25 pm:

This is the spring and axle that I found for a T trailer. I'm also using the wire wheels with welded wood hubs that were with it.

Bob


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard J Callerstrom on Sunday, May 26, 2013 - 10:24 pm:

STEVE - Here Is A Picture For You Under The Frame - Left Side - Close To The Bend - It Looks Like "T A" Followed By An Upper Dot. - Rich


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard J Callerstrom on Sunday, May 26, 2013 - 11:10 pm:

MIKE - Here Is A Side View Picture For You Of The Pin Hitch. - Rich


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard J Callerstrom on Sunday, May 26, 2013 - 11:21 pm:

CHESTER - Here Are Better Pictures For You Of The Wheels. - Rich


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard J Callerstrom on Sunday, May 26, 2013 - 11:28 pm:

The Wood Box Is Approx. 41" Wide + 61" Long - Rich


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard J Callerstrom on Monday, May 27, 2013 - 11:29 am:

It Looks Like A Well Done Homemade Trailer - The License Plate Bracket Location Would Make Sense For A Car But Not For A Trailer. - Rich


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Michael Mullis on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 - 06:19 am:

Thanks Richard.i would love to find one within a few hours driving distance.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 - 09:16 am:

Probably easier to gather the parts and make it yourself.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Nathan Bright on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 - 12:02 pm:

It would likely be worth saying that making brake lights for a trailer would be a real good idea. Also, I am under the impression that driving a T w/o accessory brakes is do-able... as long as you are not using an aftermarket tranny or pulling a trailer. Pulling a trailer w/o accessory brakes seems to be pretty dumb.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Peter Kable on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 - 09:03 pm:

Here is another modified T axle, this one I rescued from being taken to the rubbish tip.

Note it has similar features to Richard's, maybe a logical solution many would come up with or could it be an idea taken from a Popular Mechanic or similar magazine as this one is in Australia.

Either the builder went a lot further in his design or the axle was "updated" at some time.

Besides the spindle arms being bent and bolted to the axle there are two pieces of steel welded to the axle yoke to also stop the spindle turning. The perch bolt holes have a plate with holes welded on to allow springs to be bolted on with "U" bolts and note the wheels and the steel plate behind.

The spokes have been sawn off so they fit inside a later balloon tire pressed steel wheel and the plate behind has holes in it so the wheels can be bolted through with 3 bolts between the spokes. You can see one of the holes at 12 o'clock.
axle11

These type of conversions are so common it looks like people could not obtain an axle easily for a trailer in the early days or the prices of such was expensive.


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