1917 & 1918 DB owners

[businesscar1917]

A very unusual request--- I have a 1917 DB commercial car (screenside) that I believe is sitting on a touring frame, my frame has has a single plate (13 inch long) on the driver side of the frame on the bottom with nothing on the passenger side. I'm asking for you to look at your frame inside along where the driver and passenger sits this is where the reinforcement was installed.  Some vehicles have a single plate and some have a insert u shape that fits inside the original frame. Please let me know year, model and reinforcement you have.  I have a 1917 DB screenside that I've been told its a factory production but I think its sits on a touring frame production with frame number is June 3 1917 DB didn't start production on commercial vehicles till October 1917 --- yes makes no sense your opinions are also welcome.

 

 

 

[Jbjgo]

I have a 1918 touring frame, made in March 1918.  Other than the battery box there are no reinforcing plates.  

[businesscar1917]

Area that I'm talking about a person might see the rivets on the bottom of frame. First two pictures are driver side with single plate on bottom of frame, next two are passenger side with no plate  

[Jbjgo]

Looked at my frame having pictures above.   I do have the plate on the drivers side.  Has 4 holes and the plate is riveted to the frame.   The middle of this bracket is where the battery box is attached at the front.  My assumption was this was reinforcement for the weight of the battery box.   The rear two holes are where the front running board bracket is attached using the same two rivets.   There is a fifth hole in the bracket and frame between the rivets and this is where the battery box bracket is attached with a long bolt thru the frame and bracket.   Interesting my frame had two cracks about where the frame turns at this point, one on each side so must have been a somewhat weak point, thus the reinforcement.  Hope this helps.  

[businesscar1917]

Yes I also do believe this was a weak point in the frame later models this was replaced by a u shape insert that fit inside the original frame to prevent the top of the frame from cracking my passenger side that does not have a reinforcement the top and is cracked I have had it welded up, my 1919 touring has the u shape insert on both sides and has no cracks in the original frame.  The reason for this question is I have a screenside that the body I believe is sitting on a touring frame why nobody knows DB started productionon on the screensides in October 1917 but my frame number shows  my production date between  June 2 or 3  1917 and all the screensides I heard of has the 2 u shape inserts so trying to find out when DB made the changes no records of it.

[72caddy]

My 19 has the added plate only on the driver's side. I have a later frame hanging in my shed that has it on both sides.

 

off topic, but should the battery box be bolted to the top of the cross member and frame or below the cross member and frame? Mine is mounted above and There is not room to add the battery box top cover as it is so close to the bottom of the floorboard.

[businesscar1917]

Interesting my 19's  frame number is 352694 and my frame number on the 17 is 159389 it would be nice to have a time machine to go back in time. Whats is the frame number on the 19 that has one plate on the bottom of the frame. My 17 is a screenside that I thought was on a touring frame because production was before factory production of the commercial vehicles in October 1917 but I'm now thinking all frames were the same they had a weak point in this area but because of high demand they used parts that were on hand to keep production moving. When commercial vehicles started production the u shape insert was installed to reinforce this weak area later years the frame was changed to be stronger. Battery box rear of box is bolted on the top of cross member between frames on the front of the battery box the top mount is bolted under the top of the u shape frame on the bottom mount it is on the top of the bottom u shape frame. Hope pictures might help

[72caddy]

Many thanks for the photos of your battery box. My frame number is 282609.

[72caddy]

Looks like battery box top will not fit on yours either due to the overlap of the body "sill".

[businesscar1917]

Pictures of battery box and with battery cover, floor right and left side fit is nice took patterns off old floor drivers side was worn down into the wood with no gray linoleum covering at the driver feet.

[72caddy]

Looks like I have project to figure out! Thanks for the photos, very helpful.

[businesscar1917]

If I measured the battery brackets to the frame could that be of help. I don't know if Dodge had different battery holders. My 1917 screenside the battery container was gone rusted just about 4 inches of the supports bolted to the frame was left they had bolted some wood to hold the battery in place with bailing wire it was a farm truck. I'm going to have to get another battery holder when I get to that point of the restoration or copy the one in the 1919 it is in good condition.

[nearchoclatetown]

Jim, DB used a group 3 battery until 1926, measures 11 5/16 X 7 1/4 X 9 7/8 high. May be different then a modern group 3, don't know. This is from a 1929 Willard catalog.