MTFCA Forum

Gentleman,

This is Joel in California and I am hoping someone might have some info to help me.
I have a TT Chassis that was turned into a farm trailer years ago and it is an early model with
The cast bead where the cast iron housing meets the tube.
My question is I think this is a really early rearend because it does not have a provision for filling the oil at the worm drive....
Thoughts? Any idea what year it may be?

Joel, I’ll let the experts weigh in, but I’ve always heard that is a very early production axle. I just posted a free one in the classified with those ribs, however mine has an oil fill cap on the back. Obviously, my cap could have been replaced with a more convenient one at some point. I believe the cast ribs, the no oil fill cap,and ( unseen) two gear spider instead of 4 gear inside is an indication of very early production. How far beyond 1919, maybe someone knows or has studied that.

I have wondered the same thing too. I have not been able to find a definitive answer as to when the "bead" was discontinued, but it certainly dates it as an early unit. Mine has the numbers 6315 stamped into the top rear of each clamshell, another total mystery.

Like the beads disappearance, the rear cap fill hole appeared a little after production began. I suspect there is not an actual date of implementation. I imagine the new parts were introduced into the supply line and appeared in production once the old parts were exhausted.

My best guess as to the year of your unit would be 1918-21, but that's a pure guess.

P.S. I'm very familiar Saratoga. Born and raised in San Jose. I started my post-military working career at Saratoga High School in 1972.

One other indicator of an early TT is the rear cross member. The early ones are shorter and have only one hole for mounting a bed instead of two. Your photo field of view didn't quite cover this area of the frame. Pictured below is what I'm describing. Rich C.

Ah yes....I see that. Both my frames are like yours. Been so long since I put my 25 TT together I didn’t
Think about rear crossmember being different on these. Thank you...

There are internal differences too. The early units have a pinion shaft and 2 pinion gears. The later units have a pinion spider and 4 pinion gears. In each the differential housing is machined accordingly.

Another obvious internal difference is low speed gears vs. high speed gears. However, I have never been able to pin down whether this choice was available from the beginning of TT production or if it was introduced later.

Martyn Vowell has done a lot of research on this: app.php/gallery/album/59