Might anyone recommend a donor kit to obtain a non-driven front axle suitable for WW2 American trucks? I've got an ICM Studebaker US6 kit and I'd like to shorten it and convert it into a semitrailer tractor version. But those were all 6x4 trucks, not 6x6.

Do you know what it looks like? It was a rather conventional I-beam cross-section dropped axle. This ZiS-6 uses one that looks essentially the same, but I'm sure with some digging you can find a web pic of a US6x4.



KL

I don't have much in the way of pictures, so I'll have to troll the 'net some more. But I think that it is very much like the photo you posted. I was hoping for a kitbash solution, but as you allude to I'll probably wind up having to scratchbuild it. The really fun part will be working in the drop section... Thanks, Kurt!

I'm building a US6 U12 Dump truck which had the same fuel and stowage tanks as the tractor. I can share with you my tweaks and the single pic I have which shows the front axle rather clearly. I'm away from my desktop but can get with you offline in the next few days.

Roy Chow
AMPS President
http://www.amps-armor.org

Maybe this can help as well (just click on the picture to enlarge it ) ?



http://www.konsulavto.ru/acat/model443/group58.html


H.P.

Roy, I'll be in touch to get your advice and counsel.

Henri-Pierre, thanks for the photo! Scratchbuilding this will be a bit of a challenge, I think. I see that the top-to-bottom cross section tapers as the axle curves up at the ends, and that the top flange is wider than the bottom one. At least the spring spacers looks straightforward. Looks like I'll need to take calipers to the kit part to establish overall width, and draw up a crude sketch to work from.

Many thanks to you both!

Greg

You're welcome Greg. Here's a drawing from the US6 Part catalogue that may help with the width. Just copy and past this loooong link to your browser, then remove the final x ) :

http://home.agalakov.spb.ru/Shared/Documentation/RBHZ.ru/%d0%90%d0%b2%d1%82%d0%be%d0%bc%d0%be%d0%b1%d0%b8%d0%bb%d1%8c%20%d0%a1%d0%a2%d0%a3%d0%94%d0%95%d0%91%d0%95%d0%9a%d0%95%d0%a0.%20Studebaker%20US-6%20Parts%20Catalog%20%5bUSA%5d()32.9%20taranov/036.jpgx

HTH

H.P.

A very helpful drawing, Henri-Pierre! Well, I guess it is...it tells me that when viewed from above the width of the axle changes at several points. Scratchbuilding the thing is going to be more complex than I thought it would, and I already thought it would be challenging. Yikes! Lots of planning to do...