In 1939 Dodge presented a completely new designed line of pickups and trucks, with streamlined, art-deco styling front sheetmetal. Introducing the concept of "Job- Rated", Dodge tried to offer customers the truck that fit the job they were buying it for. As a result, the Dodge pickup / truck range from 1939 onwards offered an exceptionally large number of available variants -- six different payload ratings, a wide range of bodies, more than twenty different wheelbase-lengths were manufactured, and fitted with different sized versions of the Chrysler-sourced inline six-cylinder side-valve engines -- from the half-ton TC pickup on a 116-inch wheelbase to three-ton tractor cabs. Nevertheless, mechanically, the trucks were all very similar, with solid axles front and rear and leaf springs at all four corners. With World War II taking up most of production capacity from 1942 to 1945, the 1939 styling continued largely unchanged through 1947, as engineering and production became the main focus.
The Dodge trucks enjoyed some popularity before the war, and the last of them built in 1942, before Dodge turned to mostly military production, had progressed to the W-series model name. When they resumed sales post-war, they continued as the 1946 Dodge W-series.
Video Dodge T-, V-, W-Series
General
Dodge rolled out a striking new design for 1939, featuring an all-steel cab with a two-piece windshield that could be opened for increased airflow. The unique front- end design: a barrel-shaped grille, crowned front fenders, and free-standing headlamps mounted in bullet-shaped pods, was only really changed in 1940, when Dodge trucks began using sealed-beam headlamps and were equipped with marker lights mounted on the headlamp housing. For the most part, after 1940, year-to-year appearance changes were very minimal. The Job- Rated trucks had stronger frames than previous Dodge trucks, using steel with a higher tensile strength, the rails extended further forward past the engine than before, and the trucks beefy channel-type bumpers helped to tie the frame rails together. After WWII, there were some changes made to production truck chassis parts, based on reliability experience gained during military service, for instance stronger differentials and larger axle shafts were used in post-war trucks, and steering boxes were beefed up as well.
Introduced as the T-Series for the 1939 model year, the line evolved into the V-series for 1940, and W-series for 1941, but the 'W' was retained until the end of sales in 1947. The bottom of the range TC, and its successors VC and WC were 1/2-ton rated, on a 116 in (295 cm) wheelbase. As the second letter in the model code progressed in the alphabet, the payload rating typically also went up, however this was not implemented consistently. Although the TD-15, VD-15 and WD-15 were 3/4-ton rated, the TD-20 and -21 and its later VD and WD versions were one-tonners. The -15s and the -20s had a 120 in (305 cm) wheelbase, but the 1-ton could also be had with 133 in (338 cm) (the TD-/VD-/WD-21). Second letter 'E' models only existed in the form of the 1939 TE versions. TF-, VF-, and WF-models were either 1-ton or 1 1/2-ton, ranging in wheelbase from 126-190 in (320-483 cm). Second letter G- and H-models were consistently 1 1/2-ton and 2-ton rated, respectively, ranging in wheelbase from 136-220 in (345-559 cm). The 2 1/2-ton rated J-models weren't introduced until the 1946 WJ-55 through WJ-59, ranging from 136-235 in (345-597 cm) in wheelbase. The K-lettered models were consistently 3-ton rated, but the L-lettered models went against the naming pattern - they were only 2-ton rated. Both were offered in wheelbases ranging 152-205 in (386-521 cm) through 1942. From 1946 instead there were 3-ton WK- and WR-models ranging in wheelbase from 136-196 in (345-498 cm).
Maps Dodge T-, V-, W-Series
Drivetrain
Dodge's Job-Rated trucks used flathead sixes, originally developed by Plymouth, throughout the 1937-1947 range. In the light half-ton trucks initially a 201.3-cu.in. engine was standard; with 70 Hp in 1939, but uprated to 79 Hp in 1940, and 82.5hp by 1941. The three-quarter and one-ton trucks used a 217.76-cu.in. engine from 1939-1941, rated at 77hp, then at 82hp and at 85hp in 1941. From 1942-'47, the 1/2- trucks were also equipped with a 217.76- cu.in. engine, while the one-ton trucks stepped up to a 230.2-cu.in. with 102 horsepower. A three-speed manual was standard issue, while a four-speed with a compound first gear was an option.
The 1939-1947 TK- and TL- through WK- and WL-models were also available with a diesel engine - Dodge's own diesel engine; Dodge and Mack were the only two American automakers of the period before World War II to use their own diesel engines. An additional 6-volt auxiliary generator debuted in 1941 on the diesel engines. The unit furnished power for lighting, instruments, and horns. Diesel sales were very limited however, counting 75 sold in 1939, 134 units in 1940, and 195 rigs in 1941.
Bodies and options
Besides the "Express" pickup bodywork, the series was available in chassis, cab/chassis, and cowl/chassis versions. Additionally, the lightest models in the range, the half-tons, were also offered as a delivery truck, either with solid steel "panel" body, or open canvas-covered canopy or screenside configuration.
Post-war, extra-cost equipment included a larger clutch, four-speed transmission, oversize tires, electric driver's wiper, heater, chrome windshield frame, adjustable visor, driver's armrest, dome light, turn signals, "airfoam" seat with leather upholstery, and an AM radio.
Models used by the military
Purpose-built four-wheel drive
After Dodge supplied the U.S. Army with its first four-wheel drive truck in 1934, more modern 1 1/2-tonners were developed, and 1,700 RF-40-X-4(USA) trucks were supplied in 1938, and 292 TF-40-X-4(USA) in 1939. In 1940, Dodge gained an Army contract to design and build 1/2-ton 4×4 military trucks in several styles using many commercial truck parts. Based on the VC-Series, and internally called the T-202 series, the VC-1 through VC-6 came with essentially stock front-end sheetmetal. Similarly, their 116-inch wheelbase and 201-cubic-inch 79-horsepower six-cylinder engine shared much with Dodge's civilian 1/2-ton VC. The following year, the T202 was replaced by the T-207 series trucks. Again rated as 1/2-tonners, they featured a military-specific hood, grille, and fenders. These trucks were powered by the 218-cubic-inch six of 85 horsepower taken from Dodge's 3/4- and one-ton commercial models. Eventually, the military trucks were substantially redesigned, and uprated to 3/4-tons with a 230-cubic-inch engine with 92 Hp. Together with the 1941 1/2-tons, these were built from 1942 until the end of the war as the Dodge WC series military trucks.
Stock models and specifications
The U.S. military also used some of Dodge's light truck models in mostly stock, two-wheel drive form. Technical manuals of U.S. Army military vehicles offer some more detailed specifications on three such models: the 1947 model year WC and WD-15 models, and the 160 inch wheelbase version of the SNL G-number 618 aka the WF-32.
Additionally there were 4x2, civilian based variants built either as Canadian "Modified Conventional Pattern" or "Canadian Military Pattern trucks", called the D15 (15cwt, or ¾-ton - engineering code T-222), and the D60S and D60L (60cwt, or 3-ton, engineering code T-110, with a short 136" or long 160" wheelbase). The Canadian models were built with a 236.6 cu in (3,877 cm3) engine with a 25" block, that was unique to them, and they had beefed up rear axles. Chrysler Corporation of Canada produced a total of 180,816 military Dodge trucks during 1939-1945.
Dodge T-234 "China / Burma" truck
A special case in between stock commercial and dedicated military trucks, was the T-234 "China / Burma Road" truck, which was built as part of the Allied cooperation with China against Japan, in the war and just thereafter. From October 1944 through March 1946, Dodge built 15,000 trucks, that used a special order combination of their most heavy-duty off-the-shelf components, to overland supplies from India to China over the very rough Stilwell / Ledo Road, to an extent to specifications personally drawn up by Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, then commander of the Nationalist Chinese forces. Chiang Kai-shek asked Roosevelt himself for 15,000 two-and-a-half-ton trucks capable of handling the Burma Road, requiring them to have an engine of at least 300 cubic inches and a 5-speed transmission.
The trucks were built with a near standard civilian closed cab - right-hand drive because the British were in command of Burma - but fitted with a military-style grille and wide open, almost flat fenders, to avoid mud build-up clogging the wheels rotating, and otherwise stood out by having a 60-gallon fuel tank. In order for the trucks to function on the gruelling 4,700 mile journey over the Himalayas, Dodge fitted not only heavy-duty springs and steering gear, but went sofar as to fit tri-metal aircraft grade bearings and shock absorbers. Radiators were fitted with an overflow tank, to return the cooled water to the sealed cooling system. Nevertheless, the average life of the trucks was only about five trips.
Model table
Dodge offered their 1939-1947 'Job-Rated' trucks in many variants. This table was compiled based on scanned images of parts books pages, showing model numbers, payload ratings, engine numbers, wheelbase and other information from factory MoPar parts books, covering Dodge and Fargo trucks manufactured from 1939-1977, complemented with information about Dodge engine & engineering codes from the same website, the Dodge truck wheelbase table on the "Town Wagon '39-'47 site, and various other sources.
Models with a "D" as the third letter in the model code, and marked with D behind the engine code, indicate models that were offered with a diesel engine.
See also
- Chevrolet AK Series - a contemporaneous American truck series
Notes
References
External links
Source of article : Wikipedia
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