1928 Dodge Brothers 1 1/2 ton dump truck help needed

[Larry Lord]

I'm new to the forum and am not sure if I'm posting in the correct section but I need some help.

I recently purchased a heavily rusted 1928 Dodge Brothers dump truck for a yard art project.
My truck has dual rear wheels on what appear to be early Budd style hubs.
My wheels are so badly rusted that they cannot be used.
I need to find some replacement wheels or will have to make my own. This truck will never again be on a highway and a couple of pounds of air are all that's required to hold the tires into shape . The truck will be on stands but will appear to be on the ground when finsihed.

Can anyone give me some advice or suggestions for tire and wheel options? I would prefer to stay with very used tires and wheels to keep the look correct.

Thanks in advance!
Larry

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._5923058_s.jpg

[Silverghost]

ART RROJECT ~~~~

OH~~~ BROTHER~
ARE YOU KIDDING ???

This is not some crazy modern art website !

We collect and actually RESTORE autos & trucks here ~

Sell it to someone who will actually RESTORE and drive this great old truck !

This truck should be restored and saved !

[keiser31]

Do you have a larger photo of it? It looks like a 1931 Dodge to me.

[Larry Lord]

Do you have a larger photo of it? It looks like a 1931 Dodge to me.

I posted more pictures of the truck on my gallery page on this website. If you don't mind taking a look at them, please let me know what you think.

There is a data plate on the inside firewall above the transmission tunnel of the truck and it says it's a 1928. Is this the correct placement for the data plate?

Thanks for you help.

[Larry Lord]

ART RROJECT ~~~~

OH~~~ BROTHER~
ARE YOU KIDDING ???

This is not some crazy modern art website !

We collect and actually RESTORE autos & trucks here ~

Sell it to someone who will actually RESTORE and drive this great old truck !

This truck should be restored and saved !

Not wanting to get into a peeing match here but this truck is beyond restoration.
I own a sheet metal shop. I build and restore cars and I love the old truck.
I would have loved to be able to save it but it's not going to happen. The only hope for saving this truck for anyone to enjoy in the future is as yard art.

I'm a truck guy! My business manufactures tool boxes for trucks, I sell truck equipment, I sell truck accessories and we do complete setups of contractor as well as government vehicles.
I deal mostly with contractors. I have a very large and very visible building located alongside interstate 10, the busiest freeway in the U.S.
When I make this truck into yard art, over 230,000 cars per day will pass by and have a chance to relive a part of our history.
Not that your opinion really matters to me but I'll also add that this project is being done in partnership with Lowell Davis (sometimes referred to as the Norman Rockwell of Rural Art) from whom I purchased the truck.
Do a llittle research and you will discover that this truck is indeed being saved not scrapped.

http://www.google.com/search?q=lowel...e=utf8&oe=utf8

Thank you very much for your valuable input. I'll try very hard to remember to ask for your opinion and permission the next time I feel I really truly need it.
Larry

[keiser31]

I posted more pictures of the truck on my gallery page on this website. If you don't mind taking a look at them, please let me know what you think.

There is a data plate on the inside firewall above the transmission tunnel of the truck and it says it's a 1928. Is this the correct placement for the data plate?

Thanks for you help.

Cannot find your gallery of photos.

[Larry Lord]

I'm not sure what happened but I just reposted them. I couldn't find them either.
The data plate did not have the year of manufacture on it.
You may very well be right about it being a 1931 instead of 1928 as I was told.
Thanks for taking the time to look.

[keiser31]

I'm not sure what happened but I just reposted them. I couldn't find them either.
The data plate did not have the year of manufacture on it.
You may very well be right about it being a 1931 instead of 1928 as I was told.
Thanks for taking the time to look.

You can send them to me if you like and I may be able to shed some light on the vehicle. keiser31@charter.net

[Larry Lord]

Thank you!
E-mail is on the way

[keiser31]

From the photos sent, it appears to be a 1930 Series UF truck with a 1929 DA passenger car hood and a 1931 DH passenger car radiator shell and grille.

[Larry Lord]

Thank you very much for your help!
I knew the hood was incorrect as someone has shortened it with a pair of snips to fit the cowl but I didn't know the radiator and shell had been changed. The body lines of the hood do not match the cowl and the lower half of the radiator shell is about as thin as paper but everything still sort of works together.
Do you have any suggestions for finding or building wheels? All 6 of mine and completely rusted through and 4 have the lock ring grooves rusted off.
I may be able to salvage 3 or 4 wheels by using foam inside the tires after I do some patch work on the wheels and if I can find some tires.
I'm looking for some well used 20" tires also.

If there is anything I can help you with, please let me know.

[keiser31]

Thank you very much for your help!
I knew the hood was incorrect as someone has shortened it with a pair of snips to fit the cowl but I didn't know the radiator and shell had been changed. The body lines of the hood do not match the cowl and the lower half of the radiator shell is about as thin as paper but everything still sort of works together.
Do you have any suggestions for finding or building wheels? All 6 of mine and completely rusted through and 4 have the lock ring grooves rusted off.
I may be able to salvage 3 or 4 wheels by using foam inside the tires after I do some patch work on the wheels and if I can find some tires.
I'm looking for some well used 20" tires also.

If there is anything I can help you with, please let me know.

Yep....I will trade all of my knowledge for that yellow Prowler in the background in those other shots...

As far as tires...check ebay or the buy/sell forum here. As far as the wheels...cannot suggest anything except a good welder. If it is going to be a static display, you can fill the tires up with almost anything.

[keiser31]

You might check with some other guys. i am guessing that the UF is 1930. I am fairly certain about the other stuff....especially the '31 radiator setup. By the way...the 1931 truck radiator shell and grille is nothing like the 1931 passenger car shell and grille.

[Larry Lord]

Thanks for your help.
If you get to Southern California, just give me a call and you can take the Prowler for a drive.

[keiser31]

Thanks for your help.
If you get to Southern California, just give me a call and you can take the Prowler for a drive.

I have children in southern California, so I could very well take you up on that next visit. Anywhere near San Diego?

[Larry Lord]

I'm in Colton, near the intersection of the 10 and 215 freeways.
I meant what I said. Stop in anytime and bring your welding hood.
You might even find a Dump Truck in my planter when you get here if it's not too soon.
I'm planning on placing the truck in the planter under the street address to the right of my main entrance. It will be tight but it's going to fit. The will be three of caricatures included when the project is finished. One will be the man cranking the dump bed up, another will have an old wheelbarrow loading some of the rocks the truck is dumping and another will be a dog hanging out the window.

I just had a thought,,,maybe I need to eliminate the guy with the wheelbarrow and replace him with 3 or 4 guys standing and leaning on shovels. My CalTrans and municipality customers would appreciate that I'm sure.

FMB Truck Outfitters

I sure wish I had as much energy as I do ideas.
Looking forward to meeting you someday.

[Larry Lord]

A concept picture has been added to my gallery.
Opinions are welcomed.

[nearchoclatetown]

Do a llittle research and you will discover that this truck is indeed being saved not scrapped.

lowell davis - Google Search

Thank you very much for your valuable input. I'll try very hard to remember to ask for your opinion and permission the next time I feel I really truly need it.
Larry

I see I'm missing some good times by not coming to the truck side very often. Larry, your truck should be a good advertisement. How about faking wheels and tires with sheet metal and painting it black? Are you too close to the hiway that it could be seen that way? Laser or plasma would burn out some spokes on the wheels.

[truckdog62563]

Larry - Back to your original question, I think the place to start is to identify the truck's bolt pattern. Since you say it is a 1.5 ton and has Budd style hubs, that says it should have steel disc wheels. I researched this a while back for another fellow, and IIRC, it turned out that these early Dodge Bros. trucks had a 5 lug x 6 7/8" bolt pattern. Same as a Ford Model AA. If that's correct, you'd be able to widen your search parameters.

You measure the bolt circle by putting your tape on the far edge of one stud, then jumping the second stud in the circle, you measure to the middle of the third stud. Assuming it's a 5 lug pattern, that measurement should be right on 6 7/8". If it's a 6 lug pattern you just measure across the studs middle to middle. That measurement might be 7.25".

I don't know squat about early Dodge Bros. trucks, but do have a pretty good library of old wheel literature that takes me back to 1927. If you can get me the measurement, I can confirm or correct my recall then hopefully aim you in the right direction.

As for finding suitable wheels, I'd think being in California would be helpful since there's more big swap meets there than out here in the middle of the country. But that said, I go to Iola every year and there is a Ford Model A parts vendor always there that has wheels for the AAs. I generally gather up later wheels having the 5 lug x 8" pattern when I find them, but haven't had need to do so with these earlier ones. So, if you can take a measurement, I'll see what I can find in the books. Stu McMillan

[Jim_Edwards]

I sure don't know squat about Dodge Brothers trucks of any year, but I have a feeling that getting passed various sections of the Colton, Ca. Municipal Codes with this "Yard Art" idea is going to become a very costly litany of legal processes with the City. I personally see no possible way around aspects of Chapter 5.1, Chapter 8.04.030, Chapter 15, and Chapter 18. It's going to be a very hard sell to convince anyone a pile of rusty junk is in anyway "art" or advertising regardless of cutesy the idea may be.

Aah the joys of being located in California where everyone believes they have the right to govern how everyone else should live and/or enjoy their property.

Jim

[keiser31]

I sure don't know squat about Dodge Brothers trucks of any year, but I have a feeling that getting passed various sections of the Colton, Ca. Municipal Codes with this "Yard Art" idea is going to become a very costly litany of legal processes with the City. I personally see no possible way around aspects of Chapter 5.1, Chapter 8.04.030, Chapter 15, and Chapter 18. It's going to be a very hard sell to convince anyone a pile of rusty junk is in anyway "art" or advertising regardless of cutesy the idea may be.

Aah the joys of being located in California where everyone believes they have the right to govern how everyone else should live and/or enjoy their property.

Jim

Here in Oregon, you have to be careful what you put on your lawn. I helped a friend with picking these up and displaying them on his lawn. His homeowner's insurance was cancelled because he had what they called an "attractive nuisance". They were afraid that kids would come by and climb on them and get injured.

[truckdog62563]

Well heck. Please ignore my above wrong comments. I might have looked better at the enlarged picture, huh? Those are demountable rims. There were dozens of styles made by Firestone, Kelsey, Hayes, Jaxon, and several others. I think Coker and Universal sell new ones, but doubt you want them. Probably any make would cover your needs as long as the diameter was correct. Tires and rims both will have to come from another collector's junk pile. Stu

[Jim_Edwards]

Here in Oregon, you have to be careful what you put on your lawn. I helped a friend with picking these up and displaying them on his lawn. His homeowner's insurance was cancelled because he had what they called an "attractive nuisance". They were afraid that kids would come by and climb on them and get injured.

That is about as ridiculous as anything I've heard. Sounds like the insurance company was just looking for a reason to cancel or to refuse a renewal. Using the criteria and reasons stated it would be 100% impossible to get insurance coverage for virtually any rural dwelling where any form of agricultural equipment or even minimal facilities for maintaining such equipment was obvious.

That company would probably find a child or someone would be likely to step in a cow patty because there were cows, all the while forgetting the possible existence of Cougars, Wolves, or Bears being in the vicinity.

Jim

[keiser31]

That is about as ridiculous as anything I've heard. Sounds like the insurance company was just looking for a reason to cancel or to refuse a renewal. Using the criteria and reasons stated it would be 100% impossible to get insurance coverage for virtually any rural dwelling where any form of agricultural equipment or even minimal facilities for maintaining such equipment was obvious.

That company would probably find a child or someone would be likely to step in a cow patty because there were cows, all the while forgetting the possible existence of Cougars, Wolves, or Bears being in the vicinity.

Jim

The photo that I showed is in their new location out on a ranch. They used to be in a subdivision here on the guy's front lawn. That is where he had the problem with the city. Yes...it IS ridiculous. You cannot protect EVERYONE from THEMSELVES all of the time!

[Larry Lord]

Thank you to everyone for your comments and suggestions.

I've finally found some wheels that will work with modifcations.
I was told the wheels are "combat Wheels" circa 1940 and were used on some type of military vehicle.. I've had to remove the centers from the wheels and use the orignal dual wheel spacer ring from ther ear as a shim to meet the rear hub circunference. The fronts are a little less work since the front hubs already have an outer ring around the spoke hub. I'm very happy with the industrial look the wheels give the truck.

Now comes my next challenge.
Does anybody have or know where I might be able to find some 600 x 20 tires for my truck? I can't afford to put $1000 dollars worth of new tires on the truck to have it sit in my planter. I'm looking for used tires, the more worn and the more truck looking tread, the better they are for this project.