Bradford CC Lorry (The Tramp)

[AlanBartlett]

Well its almost been a month since I last posted, and quite a bit of progress has been made! While waiting for wood supplies. Ive stripped down and painted a few parts ready for reassembly. Its decided its going to keep the overall scruffy oily rag apperance and just have nicely renovated running gear.

What is the common thread used on the bradford is it the same as a Pre war? Or had they moved on since then?

[StevenGray]

What is the common thread used on the bradford is it the same as a Pre war? Or had they moved on since then

Alan I presume you mean thread form rather than size.

In which case it is a combination of British Standard Whitworth (BSW) and British Standard Fine (BSF) and British Association (BA) for some smaller sizes

Steve

[AlanBartlett]

Well it has been a while since I have updated this thread, with the show season now drawn to a close. I can now get back on with The Tramp.

Though over the summer I have managed to strip down, clean up and repaint the back axle and re assemble all the front axle. So now both axles are all repainted and re assembled ready for the chassis.

Which is now my next job as you have seen from the photos of quite severe rust holes in the rear of the chassis, I'm about to start
getting the new steel channel for but I have a few questions.

1. Is the Bradford chassis meant to be straight/flat all the way from the back of the cab to rear of the chassis? As mine appears to be both bowed in between the two rear cross members, and now the chassis seems to bow through front spring mounting. I would imagine it should be for the bed to sit level on the back? Have I just answered my own question?

Although looking at the bed when it came off I think its either a shunt at some stage or has been very over loaded at some point for it to sink at the rear.

[Tony Fearn]

Hello again Alan.
I have a few photos of the restored chassis in the Bradford Industrial Museum.
To post them here will mean spending too much time reducing them all to some pixels or other.
Unfortunately there isn't a photo of the back end, but if you wish me to send you a CD with them on, let me know by email or telephone.
They might be of use.
Tony.

[Jack]

Hi Alan,

Great to hear progress is still being made.

On my bradford the chassis is definitely flat from the front leafspring hanger for the rear suspension, it is parallel through the rear springs with no bowing. I appreciate this may be bad news

Sounds like you need to get the chassis straight and right before going further, though the amount of work involved I'd ask around and see if you can pick up a chassis somewhere and build off that instead of what is going to be some fairly major engineering that despite best efforts may not handle like it should after all the work.

Worth maybe taking some measurements perhaps, if you have distance between rails at points we can measure on ours we can compare and see how far out we are. I suspect from your description some twisting of the chassis rails.

Jack.

[george garside]

Alan, there is a picture of chassis with springs etc attached in parts book and the lubrication chart gives some idea of shape

george

[AlanBartlett]

Well have spent a bit more time on the Bradford of recent and slowly getting somewhere. The chassis I've sent off to a friend of mine in the welding and fabrication trade so hes going to have ago at sorting out the chassis for me as he is a bit more equipped than I am. The spares book did have a diagram of the chassis which you can tell what it should be like. While that is being done I've been continuing with cleaning up bits and pieces. And stripping out the A posts. As intact as I can to copy them. I'll be heading down to the wood merchant next weekend so hopefully I can take them along source some new pieces so I can have ago at re making them.

[richard turner]

Hi Alan. Chassis should definitely be flat. Michael Koch Osborne supplied my A and B posts. (Other suppliers may be available) The rest of the frame is achievable in the home shop but I would look to outsource the posts. I built the frame repaired the scuttle and then adjusted the frame to take the scuttle. Even with the new A posts this required a lot of fettling. Good luck

[AlanBartlett]

Well progress is steadily being made a few photos from evenings and weekends of tinkering.



I know the instrument panel isn't the original colour, but I quite like it. A bit different.

[Chris Spencer]

I know the instrument panel isn't the original colour, but I quite like it. A bit different.

Ha - Wait until you see the colour that Jack has painted his Bradford instrument panel

[AlanBartlett]

Well here a few pictures from the weekends tinkering session.

Still awaiting the chassis, but I think it would look pretty different being this height instead!


Tea time, hearing a strange noise coming from the engine bay! A bearded welder trying to claw his way out!


Part of the old A post made from Pine. As is some of the rear of the cab.


Oh heck it came off in my hand!


And that concludes this weekends activities. Steadily making progress over the winter months.

[AlanBartlett]

Well finally we have some more progress on Tramp, after months and months of waiting for the chassis to be sorted. I now have a repaired chassis.
So now I can hopefully get back on with it now. Although while this has been away I have been making progress with other parts cleaning them up ready to be put back together.

[AlanBartlett]

I'm currently working stripping down the pedal shaft on the Bradford. And at present can't really figure out how it comes apart! Any ideas?

It is split pinned a both ends of the shaft,
From left to right there is the return spring for the clutch pedal.
Then the clutch arm which is free on the shaft.
Then a long spacer which has a smaller spring washer between this and the brake arm. Which then leads onto the other side of the lugs which hold the pedal shaft to the chassis tube.

The Brake pedal arm looks to be on a key way? Is this correct? But which way should it come out from?

I'm taking it apart to clean it up and service, but also the chassis tube requires a lot of welding in places and may need new tubing put in.

Any pointers/help would be great. Thanks in advance

[ian Howell]

Alan: -

Not really any help, just a compliment to your chassis fettler - nice job!

When I rebuilt my Bradford back in the early 60's I didn't have access to a portable welder so replacement body brackets were made up from sheet material (thick stuff - heated red hot to bend!) and then bolted into place.

No questions asked at MoT.

PS My chassis was painted pink as I used 50/50 red lead and white lead paint! Well it was free and I didn't have any money.

[richard turner]

All threads BSF apart from the captives on body which are whitworth. I have a couple of Bradford cross shafts in the shed if you are interested. 07717337242 or 01492532437. Rich