The GMC CCKW

What kind of towbar did they use for the cckw? There must of been some way to self recover a broken down vehicle and tow it besides chains or ropes that did not require someone to steer and break for the dead vehicle, besides the use of a tow truck. And as there is no shackles on the bumper only tow hooks how did the bars bolt or clamp to the frame or bumper? Just wondering.

there was a special tow bar that was shaped something like a banana. It bolted to the front axle of the truck being towed, and had a lunette eye at the other end. You don't see them available very often...

Doc,

I believe that towbar was standard equipment on the Diamond T wrecker. It was usually attached to the side of the wrecker body.



Picture is from a quick google search. Used without permission.

It had 2 pieces of angle iron that bolted together to form a box around the axle and then fastened to the draw bar.

I will see if I can find better pics.

Bill

Man, that is a lot of truck there. Thanks for the photo Bill.

Hi Doc,

There are actually two different tow bars that were carried on the 4 Ton Wrecker either one can be used to tow a CCKW or other truck.

One is the "straight" or Banana shaped one and the other is called the Vee Tow Bar. The Vee Type is chained to the CCKW bumper in front of the tow hooks.

Here is a picture of the wrecker gear on the 4 Ton showing both types. The vee bar is item K. Note the clamp (item AC) next to the Banana Bar Item AE. The other photo is from a 1943 Ord School text booklet - "Notes on Recovery". It shows the Vee type chained to an AFKWX bumper.

The little manual says that when using the straight-bar type, steering gear clamps are to be installed on the tie rods or a driver must remain in the towed vehicle.

Hope we never need to rig one on your CCKW!





Cat Man

Dr Deuce sent along this picture of the axle side of the towbar mount. It is on his crane.



Hmm...is there a message in that?

>>>Hmm...is there a message in that?<<<

Well it does have my favorite split axles....



BTW: It almost takes 2 mean and a bulldog to lift the towbar!

That is real MAN stuff there. No weaklings need apply here. T
Great information and photos. Thanks.

Catman is it possible to post the picture of the vee tow bar again
I read the toppic just want to see how it looks like.

catman wrote:
Here is a picture of the wrecker gear on the 4 Ton showing both types. The vee bar is item K. Note the clamp (item AC) next to the Banana Bar Item AE. The other photo is from a 1943 Ord School text booklet - "Notes on Recovery". It shows the Vee type chained to an AFKWX bumper.

thanks in advance,

Rik

I made one years ago out of a 30kw mil genset trailer drawbar. The drawbar is a braced A frame that pivots on the wide end. I made a hinge on a big piece of angle iron so I could attach it and it could still go up and down. When I use it, I bring the bottom horizontal angle of this up to the bottom of the bumper with the vertical part up against the bumper. Then I wrap chains around the bumper and tow hooks so that It can't slide sideways.

It works quite well and I have towed a couple CCKW chassis and cabs with it. The ONLY problem is that w/o weight in the back of the towing CCKW, it is difficult to stop the towed rig The towing CCKW tends to lock its wheels and be pushed town the street by the towed one.

I have thought about a better solution of an A frame that would clamp onto the front springs right by the axle and be chained on and the other end naturally have a lunette. The difference in this one would be that it would lift the front bumper and get the front wheels off of the ground so that you would have weight on the towing HMV so you could stop...

Here are the photos from early WWII Ord School booklet that shows the WWII Vee type tow bar as caried on the 4 Ton Diamond Tee Wreckers.

The other scan is the wrecker equipment that shows both the Vee and I beam type tow bars - both of which were carried on the wrecker.

(Sorry my Photo bucket account "died" a while back and I lost some posts.)







Hope that shows what you were looking for.

Cat Man

Here is another way to use a later style US tow bar on the CCKW.

After WWII all the later US "M" series vehicles have nice brackets that easily mate with pins to a universal military tow bar. Jeeps and on up thru a 5 ton models.

I salvaged a set of matching eye brackets from a wrecked M-35 6X6 bumper and keep them loose in the tool box for use with older vehicles like the CCKW.

To flat tow a CCKW I remove the pull hooks and bolt the M series adapters on the CCKW bumper and flat tow the CCKW home. For smaller vehicles, I keep a couple sets of long bolts that allow the M series brackets to be clamped to the top of a Jeep or Dodge bumper as well. Just put them outboard of the pull hooks.

Not official WWII kit, but when you're trying to get off the road and home, it makes the later tow bar quickly adaptable to most early and later military vehicles.



The tow bar is then available for later trucks without modification. And you'll be very popular with your mates who know you have the equipment to help them. Someone is always asking to borrow mine.

REMEMBER: Read the Technical Manual!
Safety first!!! The towing vehicle MUST always be equal to or larger than the vehicle being towed.

WITH TWO - SAME SIZE VEHICLES, THE STOPPING DISTANCE IS TWICE AS MUCH WITH A VEHICLE IN TOW.

Keep 'em Rolling

Cat Man

Thanks a lot for placing the pictures again.

We have a v shape towbar like your last picture. I just was wondering how it should be fixed to the hooks on the GMC. Your picture shows that.

Rik

Anyone planning to do any towing with the WW2 v-bar depicted in the above posts should have a close look at the relatively small bolts securing the claw end to the other end.

It is not really designed for towing and is more of a spreader bar designed to stop suspended towed vehicles from swinging back and forward. That's why the Diamond T wrecker came with the banana bar too.

Does anybody knows a source for that mounting that goes on the front axle? I have the banana tow bar but miss the mounting to use it
I agree with Robbo : the V-bar is only to be used while the booms of the Diamond wrecker are lifting the towed truck.

Thierry.

We were at a surplus yard last weekend and I spotted one of the Big Curved WWII tow bars in the "We don't know what it is" iron pile. It followed me home.

It has the front half of the axle mounting bracket, the Very Hard to find casting part. Can Dr. Deuce provide us with another view of the back side of the axle bracket from the one he has on Annie the crane truck? I think I can fabricate the mating back plate without too much problem but would like to see an original.

Also in a WWII recovery manual I have, it explains how to use the tow bar and it states in two paragraphs "Steering gear clamps are to be installed on the tie rod of the front axle"....

Anyone know what that clamp looks like? It is not shown in the equipment in the Diamond T or Ward LaFrance manuals with the tow bar.

I plan to mount the tow bar on the side of the CCKW box. Just because it looks very big and heavy and is guy stuff. Saw one like that once at a show.

Thanks

Cat Man

Catman;
I have all the items you are requesting pictures of. I will take some pictures this week and post.

John Gott

Bill,
That would be my Diamond T wrecker! Here is a photo of the V tow bar sitting in the bed of the truck.
Steve