Posted by Marty [162.158.146.109] on Monday, February 19, 2018 at 22:58:13 :
In Reply to: marty posted by dan m [162.158.78.187] on Monday, February 19, 2018 at 13:03:16 :
Thanks Dan. I'm slowly putting it all together I think.
Pretty sure all the Truckstell swivels had the angle underneath supporting the lines. My guess is that since the Willock swivel hangs as low as the transfercase, they decided that was too low to run Brake/fuel lines.
So...somewhere I thought I saw a Willock swivel with the lines running through the pin but I don't remember where I saw that? All the Willock units I have seen have the lines running on top with brackets supporting the lines similar to the ones that support all the other brake hoses on a PW.
I read somewhere the history of the articulating frame. It might have been an article Jonas wrote but apparently Willock in Canada designed & installed the articulating cross members first. Then In the 50's Truckstell began doing the same in FL. I gather there was a patent infringement & so Truckstell was forced to pay Willock a licensing fee in order to continue installing them.
So they call them a Willock Truckstell but my understanding is that Willock invented the joint, Truckstell made a completely different unit but since Willock held the original patent, a licensing fee was paid & the Willock name had to be attached to every unit.
Willock was a big company up here. According to the BC loggers I've talked to...virtually every truck from that vintage working across Canada had a Willock articulating frame. It would be fun to see a side by side comparison but the folks I've talked to claim that there was no comparison. The articulating frame was miles ahead but they were not designed for road use & in fact miles behind in that department :)
That's all I know.
I remember talking to Jonas & he had told me the swivel frame really needs a locker in the back because as it swivels, it doesn't get the same traction a none swivel truck gets. He should know...he's had lots of them so I'll give my opinion once I'm on the road.
Thanks for the pic