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Dual Wheel Adapters

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: See more information on the Rapport, Flox Foy, and Welliver adapters here.

I’ve spent the past couple days working through the selective hub relationships between Free-Lock (Denver, CO), Dualmatic (Longmont, CO), Husky (Longmont, CO), White Manufacturing (Colorado Springs, CO), and Cutlas Tools & MFG (Vinton, IA). During that process, I ran across more information about dual wheel adapters for the jeep. I thought it might be worth listing the one’s that have been documented. Perhaps someone has more information??

1. Max Rappaport’s hubs: A patent on these hubs was filed in 1947 (awarded in 1953), making them the earliest known hubs. Max Rapportaport was the President of Northwestern Auto Parts Company (aka NAPCO).


Here is an example of them:

This December 1947 NAPCO ad promoted the hubs:

1947-12-popular-science-dual-wheels-dually

This July 1948 Popular Mechanics ad might be advertising the same dual wheels, but rebranded as “Du All” Converters. The design looks very similar to the Rapport models:

1948-07-popular-mechanics-du-all-dual-wheel-adapters-ad

 

2. Welliver Jeep Dual Adapters No. 3000: These adapters were available by 1949 and sold by the Welliver Machine Shop. This April 1949 ad from Popular Mechanics provides a documented date.

Thanks to Stefano Oddo, we have this brochure regarding these adapters:

jeep-dual-adaptors-no-3000-welliver

3. Hickey Dual Adapters: Vic Hickey developed his higher compression head, giving jeeps a power upgrade option. Then, he designed a set of dual wheel adapters. The first documentation I could find on his adapters was this July 1952 article in Popular Science about his hubs.

1952-07-popular-science-hickey-dual-dually-adaptersThe next month, this ad appeared in the August 1952 issue of Popular Science:

1952-08-popular-science-hickey-dual-dually-adapters

This Photobucket page has some good close up photos of the Hickey adapters. Continue reading

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Today is Jeep 4×4 Day!

• CATEGORIES: Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

wwjc-happy-4x4-day

Thanks go to Deborah for letting me know that April 4th is officially Jeep 4×4 Day (in the US).

According to http://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/jeep-4×4-day-april-4/: “JEEP 4X4 DAY On 4/4, Jeep 4×4 Day launches us into adventure! Fresh air and warmer temperatures lure us outdoors, and what better way to experience the thrill of an excursion than in a Jeep 4×4.”

As wonderful as this sounds, Jeep shares this “special” day of April 4th with several other honorees, because April 4th is also:

  1. National Chicken Cordon Bleu Day
  2. National Hug a Newsperson Day
  3. National School Librarian Day
  4. National Walk Around Things Day
  5. SAAM Day of Action – First Tuesday in April
  6. National Equal Pay Day – A Tuesday in April – Changes Annually
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Paul’s Trailer Update

• CATEGORIES: Builds, Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Paul’s continuing to make progress on his trailer.

I can’t remember if I explained about the lunette thread damage and what it took to get it repaired so here’s the brief story. Before I began disassembly of my M100 trailer I liberally sprayed all the fasteners with penetrating oil numerous times in hopes of easing the removal process. Most of the nuts and bolts unscrewed with normal effort (including the castle nut on the lunette) but I was disappointed to see some of the threads on the lunette were damaged by the nut when things came apart.

Once the lunette was cleaned and bead blasted I took it to a local machine shop to see what could be done to repair or replace the damaged threads. Because I didn’t know if the lunette was cast or forged the machinist said welding was out of the question and suggested I just buy a replacement lunette. I returned home and made numerous phone calls to military parts sellers, Jeep parts sellers and anyone else I thought might possibly have an M100 lunette for sale. Not only did I come up with a big fat nothing for a replacement lunette I also learned these things are harder to find than unicorns. I made a trip back to the machine shop and had another conversation with the talented folks about the lack of replacement lunettes before we brainstormed about the possibility of thread repairs.

After I answered all their questions about the M100 trailer weight, load capacity and the type of use it will be subjected to a solution was suggested. The plan was to carefully remove the damaged threads and then cut new threads on the slightly smaller diameter of the lunette. The thread pitch would be an uncommon type so they would have to make a castle nut of the correct diameter with matching threads but very little strength would be lost with this repair. I wanted one change made with their repair plan, instead of making one castle nut I wanted them to make four nuts. That way if I ever lost or damaged a special nut I’d have spare nuts on hand.

The attached photo shows the thread damage on the lunette, the focus is poor but the missing threads are still visible.

paul-lunette-repair

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Carson CarCraft & Dumas Center Seat

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Many readers are familiar with the Dumas Center folding seat, but I suspect many haven’t heard of the Carson Manufacturing CarCraft Center Seat. Here are brochures for both:

1948 Carson Manufacturing ad:

carson-carcraft-center-folding-seat1-lores carson-carcraft-center-folding-seat2-lores

1955 Dumas Center Seat Ad (I have pics from an NOS Dumas seat as well thanks to Pascal):
1955-dumas-center-seat-brochure1

1955-dumas-center-seat-brochure2

NOS Dumas seat:

dumas-center-seat5 dumas-center-seat6

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Philippines Looking at Removing Some Jeepneys

• CATEGORIES: Features This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

There’s a battle over older Jeepneys in the Philippines. The issue was raised as early as 2013, based on a BBC report, but has been revived according to the report below.

“The Philippines has revived plans to remove jeepneys that are older than 10 years from Manila’s gridlocked streets, stirring a fresh debate on the fate of the iconic vehicles that have been chugging along the streets since the 1950s.

The Philippine government and society have been talking about the “jeepney phaseout” for decades and the new “jeepney modernization” plan is an attempt to cut traffic emissions and ease the ever-worsening traffic congestion currently gripping the Philippine capital.

However, jeepney operators and drivers are up in arms over the planned measure, saying it is meant to kill off small transport operators in the country.”

Read more at http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-03/29/c_136167206.htm

jeepneys

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