tool box bracket on frame

[Schorsch]

Hi AMCA Experts,
own a 1949 Wishbone Frame. May be it is an 1948. The horn blocks are not round, they are square and with the small 10-24 thread. The frame down tubes
are flattened at that area. The blocks itself are welded to the frame at the upper and lower end only- not on the left and right side.
What i want to know about the frame is in case of the vertical tool box bracket.
Question: How many holes for mounting the tool box or anything else has that bracket in the OEM style?
And how is the pattern of the holes?
George AMCA 2781

[Steve Little]

Hi George.
There were no horn blocks for 1948 as the horn was on the springer. And there are other distinguishing features for 1948.
1949 had two styles of frames. The horn blocks were placed on the down tubes for the 1949 production. Early to mid 1949 had no horn dents on the down tubes and the horn mounts were fully welded to the down tubes.
The later 1949 frames had indents on the down tubes and had square ended blocks that were tack welded on each end.

The original tool box bracket for 1948-51 has 3 holes at the top (this is a carry over from the punch tooling for rivited 1940 toolbox bracket) and 2 holes in the middle. The 2 holes in the middle are a carry over from the punch tooling of 1941-1947 when the cross bar was bolted to the main bracket.

The cross bracket is welded to the main toolbox bracket from 1948 though 1951 but still retains the holes from the earlier bolted period.
The main part of the toolbox bracket is 2 inches wide.
An easy way to identify a Taiwan bracket is 2-1/4" wide and 4holes drilled in the middle and 3 holes in the top.

[Schorsch]

Hi Steve,
thank you for your reply from "down under". As you described the horn blocks , i own definately a late 1949 wishbone frame.
But, the tool box bracket on it must be changed at any time - it is 2-1/4 inch wide and has 3 holes in the top, 2x2 holes in the middle
( 2 rows with 2 holes in each row) and one hole in the bottom.
I'm sure the frame is an OEM one. The casting numers are:
steering head left side > XE 35F
steering head right side > hallmark 21
sidecar loop left side > 48E-762
sidecar loop right side > 48E-761
motor mount front > 48E-621
jiffy stand mount plate > A
brake cross over > XE-624 , above hallmark 6
rear axle support left > XE-7 hallmark 14
rear axle support right > XE-6 hallmark 9
What do you think - is it corrcect?
Could send some fotos of the frame to you email address....
George

[kg993]

I allways thought late 49 and 50 and early 51 were identical. Are there any differences?
Kerry

[Steve Little]

Hi George.
V-Twin, Paughco, Santee and a few other suppliers have been selling these poorly produced Taiwan units for about 20 + years.
These companies buy the toolbox brackets from the same manufacturer in Taiwan.
I cant remeber her name but the owner (a woman) has a large factory in Taiwan and makes a lot of Harley reproduction products and sells to all the US Harley supermarkets (V-Twin, Paughco, Santee etc).
The end result is that people have been replacing the missing toolbox brackets off original frames with those Taiwan brackets for a very long time.

Due to the amount brackets that have been replaced on frames, it would be easy for a lot of people to assume the bracket on their frame is original.
See the pictures for a clear outline on the difference between OEM original and the Taiwan tool box brackets. The cross bars shown are as follows, the bar that is marked Original is a 1940 rivited model. The bar marked RFE is our 1941-1951 unit. The newly blasted bar is a Taiwan unit. The end radius on the Taiwan unit is too pronounced. The picture showing the back of the bars is to illistrate that they should have a pad spot welded to the bracket. The pad is tapped 5/16 unf. The taiwan unit has an incorrectly peirced hole and is tapped.

[Steve Little]

These pictures show a clear difference between the nice deep stiffener depressions on each end of a the original toolbox bracket, and the poorly formed shallow depressions on the Taiwan tool box brackets.
George.
The cross bar for 1948-51 is welded to the main bracket.

kg993 There are some small differences in the frames you have listed, but nothing a AMCA judge would ever wory about.

[c.o.]

It's always nice when you weigh in on the frame questions Steve. I learn something everytime. Thanks!!!! The only problem now is I wanna go out to the shop and tear off the the toolbox to have a good look at the bracket....

[Schorsch]

HDWishboneFrame1949 017.JPGHDWishboneFrame1949 004.JPGHDWishboneFrame1949 003.JPGHDWishboneFrame1949 018.JPGHi Steve,
very interesting - i will send some fotos of my frame to your email address and i will order your correct tool box bracket with welded on cross bar and finally chande it on my frame to be more correct.
But, what are "the some small differences...."
George

[kg993]

Hey Steve, the bracket I bought from Tedd in 08 looks like the RFE in the picture except the rolled ends point forward on my bracket. It's a 2" + .014" width and .100" thick. The stamped areas are not exact but very close to my 51 bracket. I'll add a little metal to the short sides of the roll and take off the point and it will be really close then.
The box mount has the lugs and two mt. holes. Spot welds on the lugs look like they need to be filled in and filed flush.
Kerry

[Sidehacker]

I just finished a stock bull neck and after checking and rechecking I put a 2.25 in, toolbox bracket on my frame now I just want to rip it off and do it again. Which really sucks because I was ready to start putting it together. Sometimes I really dislike you guys..... Just kidding ..... Thanks for the info. I need to buy one of those toolbox brackets that are two in. When I went to your web site a punched up bull neck frames I didn't see the tool box bracket, everything but . Can you help me out and can I pay with PayPal since I have money on it. Thanks