The TK Bedford was not THAT bad for working on really, for anything major the cab could be removed easily in less than an hour (even with a luton body) and everything was readilly accessible then. As has been said, clutch changes were simple and rapid with the four speed gearbox and the brakes were very easy to service as long as folk realised that the leading shoe had double the lining thickness of the trailing one and the trailing shoe wasn’t actually worn out!
Having said that myself, being tall, found the driving position cramped. Plus the ‘knacker catching’ handbrake lever needed careful negotiating when it needed adjusting!
windrush:
The TK Bedford was not THAT bad for working on really, for anything major the cab could be removed easily in less than an hour (even with a luton body) and everything was readilly accessible then…
Remove the cab you say!
We were never allowed such an indulgence!
I spent hours and hours under the cabs of our TK’s, changing anything from Alternators, compressors and injection pumps - each one only increasing my hatred of the wretched things.
Someone above touched on stiff steering in the TK. We found the non power assisted system needed greasing everywhere at least every 14 days to keep it free. Failure to do so made them a nightmare to drive, first to go was the self-centreing, then over a few days they just became so stiff that you would be standing up (if the roof wasn’t so low) to steer the things!. I really don’t know why this was, they just seemed to loose the grease out of the kingpins for some reason. Ours were kept in top condition mechanically, they weren’t badly worn, and we tried all different greases to no avail.
Thames Trader - early ones had roll pins retaining the spring shackle pins. These were replaced on later models by pinch bolts after a few lorries lost axles out on the road when their roll pins fell out.
The D Series (…at the risk of a written warning from Dennis) - light years ahead. Very well engineered vehicles, very comfortable to drive and a dream to work on compared to the TK. The early ‘parent bore’ Ford Dorset 240, 330 and 360 engines were exceptionally reliable units, only when the 360 Turbo appeared in 1969ish did reliability start to fall away.
Wow I’d forgotten all about the axle loss thing with Traders, by time I started work they had pinch bolts but one of the older drivers used tell a story of coming down “Death Hill” (A20 Farningham Kent) touching the brakes and front axle detached and ended up wedged under the chassis by the gear box we all thought just another drivers tall story
A lot of bother with the timing gears,but easy to work on after a lot of rehersals.Saw Percy from W.H. Phillips changing one on Whetmore Road in Burton.Shame really but Ford did help out with the cost.But sorted in the end.They also had trouble with the wet cylinder seals.There were two but can’t remember which came first two per cylinder or one. It was sorted on both counts and then look out Mr Bedford and the rest.They did sell quite a few !!!
The TK cab was easy to remove, three steering coupling bolts, disconnect the speedo, stop control and handbrake cables (or air handbrake pipes) gear lever gaiter, throttle link, brake and clutch pedals (one clamp bolt on each), a couple of electrical couplings, the pipe from the header tank, four cab mounting bolts and lift! A plank through the doors on a gantry we used, for luton bodies we removed the rear part of the mudguard and the cab slid off forwards without any lifting. it is 43 years since I took one off, I might have forgotten something!
Regarding heavy steering on TK’s, we found that some fitters had filled the steering boxes with grease instead of gear oil (there was a ‘grease’ ■■■■■■ on the box but it was for oil, not grease!) and that made them heavy! Otherwise the steering was very low geared compared to BMC’s especially the FGK range. Never had much to do with Traders apart from the small 3 tonners and never drove one, we did service a couple of 7 tonners for Union Cartage though and our greaser needed to stand on a box in the pit to reach the propshafts etc as they were a lot higher than the BMC equivalent!
windrush:
The TK Bedford was not THAT bad for working on really, for anything major the cab could be removed easily in less than an hour (even with a luton body) and everything was readilly accessible then…
Remove the cab you say!
We were never allowed such an indulgence!
I spent hours and hours under the cabs of our TK’s, changing anything from Alternators, compressors and injection pumps - each one only increasing my hatred of the wretched things.
Someone above touched on stiff steering in the TK. We found the non power assisted system needed greasing everywhere at least every 14 days to keep it free. Failure to do so made them a nightmare to drive, first to go was the self-centreing, then over a few days they just became so stiff that you would be standing up (if the roof wasn’t so low) to steer the things!. I really don’t know why this was, they just seemed to loose the grease out of the kingpins for some reason. Ours were kept in top condition mechanically, they weren’t badly worn, and we tried all different greases to no avail.
Thames Trader - early ones had roll pins retaining the spring shackle pins. These were replaced on later models by pinch bolts after a few lorries lost axles out on the road when their roll pins fell out.
The D Series (…at the risk of a written warning from Dennis) - light years ahead. Very well engineered vehicles, very comfortable to drive and a dream to work on compared to the TK. The early ‘parent bore’ Ford Dorset 240, 330 and 360 engines were exceptionally reliable units, only when the 360 Turbo appeared in 1969ish did reliability start to fall away.
Very rarely drove the lightweights but I do remember driving a rigid TK with heavier steering than a Leyland Titan double-decker! If it had auto-lube, perhaps it had packed up but I had to stand up and ■■■■ on the roundabouts.
And as for the D-series: well you have to give it credit for being a thoroughly modern unit of the late '60s, but the 6-speed synchro 'box was way harder work than the slick constant-mesh 'boxes of the day. I passed my HGV 1 test in one, by the way!
As for BMC, I ran a little FG drop-side farm lorry for a while with a BMC 2.2 diesel in it. Lovely little lorry! Robert
gingerfold:
It says plenty about the Bedford designers if the cab had to be removed to do any work on the lorry.
Only really for engine removal, same as the BMC FFK etc, though it did make life easier for piston out jobs. If you were 6’4" tall and crouched down under a TK cab you appreciated the extra space for the sake of 45 minutes work! Off topic but with the Foden S39 cab I usually tilted them at engine overhaul time despite the fact that it wasn’t a tilt cab.
I drove a 1965 FJ for a while in the late 60’s, it wouldn’t pull your cap off!! The handbrake lever had teeth The lever had a habit of nipping the skin between your thumb and forefinger, the result being a nasty blood blister until you got the hang of releasing it by just holding the top of the lever. 48 years later and its still imprinted on my brain . My next motor was a brand new Leyland Super Comet!!! What a difference!! Regards Kev.
Following my Reprimand from Mr Bewick earlier I am going to lie low for a while… Decided to go off on the P&O Britannia …heard she may be running on a couple of 8 LXB’s , so just going to find it out…
Following my Reprimand from Mr Bewick earlier I am going to lie low for a while… Decided to go off on the P&O Britannia …heard she may be running on a couple of 8 LXB’s , so just going to find it out…
Be good everyone see you all at month end.
E.W.
I suppose you will be dining at The Captains table every night then ! But don’t worry the letter will be waiting for you on your return Anyway do have a super holiday and we’ll look forward to hearing all about it on your return to Blighty, unless of course it is just a “taster” cruise around the Isle of Wight ( twice!) Regards Dennis.
Now then E.W. if The Great Leatherhead Keyboard Warrior turned up on a cruise I was on it would have to be either him or I being towed in a life boat 500 meters astern !! And I’ll tell you one thing for certain, it sure as hell wouldn’t be me ! But even as we type “CF” could be frantically e.mailing P & O to see if they have any last minute berths available !! He’s not bothered if it is in “steerage” with you ! Cheers Dennis.
the Captain’s gone overboard!!! Fed up with the yacking of how much better Britannia would pull if she had Detroit down below…
Over n Out 2nd Officer , further reports on 30/8 E.W.
To be fair horses for courses preferably means steam turbines in a proper ship.Although as I heard it first hand the QE 2 could go faster full astern than the Canberra could go full ahead even after she was fitted with diesels. On that note a proper liner on a proper sea voyage.While if you want a trip on the Med you can probably do it a lot cheaper with a better grade of accomodation for the price by just using GNV ferries from Genoa to Sardinia and back and using what you’ve saved to pay for a stay in a decent hotel when you get there.
windrush:
Blimey, we are discussing cruising around the Med now. And SOMEBODY complained earlier about D series Fords and BMC Laird’s being off topic…
Pete.
Look at it like a holiday from a boring job in the lowest dregs of the industry driving an S type,TK,or an FG.It all reminds me of being a council driver again.
windrush:
Blimey, we are discussing cruising around the Med now. And SOMEBODY complained earlier about D series Fords and BMC Laird’s being off topic…
Pete.
Look at it like a holiday from a boring job in the lowest dregs of the industry driving an S type,TK,or an FG.It all reminds me of being a council driver again.
You have amply demonstrated that you are nothing but a ■■■■■■■ cheapskate “CF”, comparing a round trip on a Ferry with a 5 Star cruise on a luxury liner ! And as you are quite clearly a greedy ■■■■ you probably wouldn’t even pay for a cabin on the poxy ferry, you would just lounge about in the saloon getting on every ones ■■■ ends and generally causing grief, probably by complaining about cold chips and greasy hamburgers ! You tight Wad ! Cheers Bewick.
Carryfast:
Look at it like a holiday from a boring job in the lowest dregs of the industry driving an S type,TK,or an FG.It all reminds me of being a council driver again.
You have amply demonstrated that you are nothing but a [zb] cheapskate “CF”, comparing a round trip on a Ferry with a 5 Star cruise on a luxury liner ! And as you are quite clearly a greedy [zb] you probably wouldn’t even pay for a cabin on the poxy ferry, you would just lounge about in the saloon getting on every ones ■■■ ends and generally causing grief, probably by complaining about cold chips and greasy hamburgers ! You tight Wad ! Cheers Bewick.
I reckon you might have got confused by the reference to a ‘ferry’ and as I said my idea of a ‘liner’ is at least a transatlantic crossing on a ‘proper’ one like QE 2 or now QM 2.IE cruise ships ain’t liners and using a decent ‘ferry’ to the Italian Islands and back with a stay in a decent hotel between doesn’t have to be a cheapskate option.
Decided to go off on the P&O Britannia …heard she may be running on a couple of 8 LXB’s , so just going to find it out… 
But don’t worry the letter will be waiting for you on your return 
Anyway do have a super holiday and we’ll look forward to hearing all about it on your return to Blighty, unless of course it is just a “taster” cruise around the Isle of Wight ( twice!) 
Regards Dennis.
