Posted by Clint Dixon on Thursday, April 17, 2003 at 0:42AM :
In Reply to: Re: 48 PW Cab Mounts 1 more time?? Thickness? posted by Willy-N on Wednesday, April 16, 2003 at 3:12PM :
The underside of the cab always sits parallel with the frame. The cab mounting brackets on the frames of the early Power-Wagons were lower in the front than in the rear. The rear mounting points just use the thin fiber pad between the cab and mounting brackets for cushion and spacing. The front uses the thin fiber pad and a block of wood between the cab and mounting brackets. During about 1951 or so, the rear cab mounting brackets were located to a new lower position on the frame. The wood blocks and thin fiber pads were replaced with thicker rubber donuts resembling those found between the transfer case and crossmember. If you try to use these donuts (or hockey puck replacements) of the same thickness on all four corners on an early truck, your cab will tilt forward. If you try to use the early wood blocks and fiber pads on a later truck, your cab will tilt rearward.
I believe Dennis Sherman or Dave Horvath were reproducing the early wood cab blocks at one time. I have drawings if you need them.
Also, the early cabs with wood blocks in the front (and maybe the later ones with the rubber donut mounts at all corners - I'll have to look tomorrow) use springs at the threaded ends of the mounting bolts to provide a means for the frame to flex without twisting the cab.
Here is the order of assembly from top to bottom: Bolt (head up - threads down), Washer, Cab floor, wood block (both front corners only, fiber pad, mounting brackets on frame, flat washer, spring (all corners except the driver's front), flat washer, castleated nut, cotter pin. The driver's side front corner of the cab uses a shorter bolt and no spring. This is the one out of the four mounting points that is held tight to the frame and is not allowed to flex. This is because of the steering box and column being mounted to both the frame and dash at this corner.
Clint