1938 Maple Leaf Truck Repairs
1938 Maple Leaf Truck is a Canadian made truck by chevy and it is basicly an assortment of parts and pieces put togther. it is a heavier truck them my 1938 GMC 2 ton which makes it hard to find parts. in 2012 i attempted working on the truck and got mad and walked away because it too hard to find parts and the internet was not helping either. then in 2019 i decided it is now or never and the internet and my friends around the world helped with finding and cross referencing parts. the goal is to get the truck on the road and as an everyday driver.
thansk
April 2019
work began on the 38 Maple Leaf truck after a long wait because I was not sure what to do with the truck. The grain box came off when I acquired a welding deck which has more use when you live in the frozen north. The welding deck work out good because the frame is too long and by shortening the frame I can get rid on the bend in the frame.
the truck is in the little shop to have the fenders, cab and motor removed.
the new to me green forklift better known as the Rut Maker because it is always stuck in the Kingdom was very handy for popping the cab and motor off the truck.
with just the frame in the shop I used a straight edge to see how much the frame was bent from when the truck got ditched back in the 1950s. They never straightened the frame only added steel to the outside frame rail in hopes of giving it strength.
I knew the frame was bent to give the truck a banana look but it was almost 2” of a bend.
once it was decided where to cut the frame it was an easy 45 degree angle and the mini Hoe is handy for jobs like this.
buff it clean with the grinder then come-a-long the 2 pieces together.
the first welding pass is the important one and it has to be done correctly.
after the frame was welded and before the frame was flipped on it's side, we popped the 1985 chevy 350 small block motor and transmission in and whipped up the new brackets.
next the truck frame was tossed on its side and put on a wagon to go in and out of the shop. This makes for welding a little easier.
the patch plate is cut with all corners for the flexing of the frame.
nice welds are done and no under cuts when welding because this will crack the frame when it flexes.
with the frame on its side, the paint was splashed on.
the truck frame got set outside while we worked in the little shop on the smaller things plus parts were ordered. the brakes were all laid out because it was too wet to work outside.
after 81 years the brake wheel cylinder adjustors were a little worn out so they had to be built up to be able to adjust the brakes.
the new wheel cylinders and the new brake shoes will make the truck stop like new again.
now we waited from may 2019 till october 2019 to get back working on the 1938 maple leaf truck.
through out the summer the parts slowly arrived from the parts stores and the machine shops and we just need shop weather to work inside on re-assembley. we started with the king pins which required buying 2 sets to get enough pieces.
a bigger reamer had to be purchased just for these king pins because they are bigger then the 1938 GMC and the 1939 chevy truck.
the reamer is easy to use just double check all your measurments and take your time.
now the axle is done and the king pins are tight and take good amounts of grease.
the next problem on the 1938 maple leaf truck is they used felt seals on everything. my 1938 GMC has lip seals and is simple to work on and order parts.
now to change out the felt seals with modern lip seals a little bit of machining had to be done 1200kms in the south. the front wheel required and new lip seal and a machined bushing for the seal to run on. plus all the measurements on the spindle and hub are odd ball and not common which is strange.
the felt seal was removed and the new seal and bushing installed on the spindle.
then brass shim stock and liquid weld were used to hold the new lip seal in place since the hub is a none common size.
just a quick picture from 2015 of the front brakes as they were on the truck and i never got working on the project till 2019.
1938 MAPLE LEAF TRUCK starting in 2012