Need Information on rear accessory leaf springs

[foxfire42]

When I purchased my A it had a set of springs on the rear that are obviously used to support extra weight. They are on a Delivery (255A) that was originally purchased by a Dairy farm. It is believed the springs were installed at the time of purchase in 1931.

The springs run parallel to the frame with one end attached to the frame and the other end attached to to the rear end axle housing. Has anyone seen these and know anything about who manufactured them? They are currently off the vehicle while it's being restored. I'm considering reinstalling them but would like information before I make that decision. I plan to have it judged in Blue Ribbon. They would be judged in the Accessory section. Am I taking a big chance getting a deduction even though they will be flawlessly restored?

I have a picture but it currently on my computer that in the shop so don't know if it will survive.

Barb

[Tom Wesenberg]

Can't help with info on the extra springs, but couldn't you leave them off until the car is judged, then install them? This would avoid any possible point deduction for them.

[1931 flamingo]

I think I would first establish that they were an "authorized" accessory and not something cobbled together at the dealer or a blacksmith shop. FWIW
Paul in CT

[spdway1]

If you want to sell them, contact me.

[foxfire42]

I found a couple pictures. Since pictures work better than description, does anyone recognize these?

[aojo]

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very cool and certainly not someone's invention.

[Tom Wesenberg]

I've never seen them on an A before, but it sure looks like a stiff ride. Do you know what body style was on this frame?

Also noticed quite a bow in the brake rod.

[Mitch//pa]

very unique set up. i would give you full points it was built and modified for a specific use

[pat in Santa Cruz]

I have seen similar accessory springs, if not the same thing, on other trucks from the late 40's. I had a 49 Dodge 1/2 ton truck with them. So I would think they are after market accessories, but I'm not sure they are "approved" in that it would not cost you points.

[foxfire42]

The body's a Special Delivery (255A) and installed at the time of purchase by the College Dairy Company to haul milk cans

[pat in Santa Cruz]

your 255A is interesting to me, in that I have a 31AA parallel frame 157 in. wheel base flatbed that was in all likelihood used to transport dairy cans in rural Stockton. It has the longer spring shackles designed to lower the bed, which came out in April, 31 but its approximately a January truck ( Parallel frame 157" with a Sept 30 engine and frame stamp number) so technically it did not come with those shackles as they are more than 6 months from the frame number date. I can imagine the owner had them retrofitted when they came out. However, it is a custom bodied truck and was sold by Ford dealer or the factory as a chassis at a time when sales were dismal. It might have sat on the lot quite a while before going to the body company. So its possible the body builder had them put on while the body was being built. In that case, It would have been sold to the first owner with those shackles. Would the shackles be correct or not? Of course, without any proof, I'm stuck with the J.S. stating it did not come from the factory that way, even though it did not come from the factory with a body on it either. It has the cowl cap that indicates it came from the factory as a chassis.

however, in the case of this 255A, these are accessories, not Ford parts as on my AA. The J.S. acknowledges that there were "non Ford" accessories that were commonly installed by dealers. It allows 2 of them on a vehicle, with one point loss per accessory for more than 2. They must be correct from the era to be acceptable. The trick would be to find an advertizement for the spring helpers from that era. I suspect the purchaser ordered the truck with them on, or had them installed soon after driving the truck fully loaded.

[pat in Santa Cruz]

Looking in the Model A/ AA Truck Owner book, on page 121, there is an ad for Maremont helper springs, that look exactly like what your 255A has. These are for AA's. The fine print states that a set designated as 30x is for A trucks with different fittings. I think with this ad, you can claim they are era correct on your 255A. I am not a judge, however, so take it with a grain of salt, but I think you would be standing on good ground with a reasonable judge.

[foxfire42]

GREAT information. Many thanks...............The chassis is under restoration so the bend in the brake rod will be history in another week. Now that I have a possible manufacturer name I can see what info is out there. I'm still in a quandry whether to reinstall them or not for judging but once her show career is over they'll go back on.

[old car guy]

I believe western auto used to sell those back in the day. I have some very old western auto Catalogs from the late twenties and the early thirties that just full of aftermarket accessories for the model a and model t ford. I will look for you to see what I can find. Have a great holiday

[Manuel]

My Australian ute has something similar.

Manuel in Oz

[argChemE]

We are currently restoring a 255-A, and these springs are from the factory. We have them on ours as well. I will have to try and dig into some of the Model A books we have, but I believe they are mentioned in one of them. The judging standards do not talk about them, but there are some things about the 255-A that are not in there.

[Phil Brown]

Just too cool to not put back on knowing the history of your A
But then I don't always count points, sometimes I just appreciate a nice-looking A

[nkaminar]

Get some antique milk cans to put in the bed of the truck.

[argChemE]

I could not find where I saw them mentioned in the Ford literature, but if you have old copies of the Model A News from MARC, the July-August edition from 2016 has a write up about one. Page 34 shows the helper spring.