Details of Cars

Willys Jeep Truck: the one-ton four-wheel-drive pickup

WILLYS

Willys Jeep Truck
Willys Jeep Truck pickup. Photo by Ethan Long, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The Willys Jeep Truck was made by Willys-Overland Motors from 1947 to 1965. Its styling and engineering were based on the Willys Jeep Station Wagon and the Jeep CJ-2A. More than 200,000 were built.

Willys Jeep Truck at a glance

Willys Jeep Truck key facts
Maker Willys-Overland Motors
Production 1947–1965
Based on Willys Jeep Station Wagon and Jeep CJ-2A
Type one-ton four-wheel-drive truck
Wheelbase 118 in (2,997 mm)
Bodies pickup, platform stake, chassis cab, bare chassis
Two-wheel drive 3/4-ton version from 1949
Engine flathead four, 63 hp; Hurricane, 72 hp from 1951
Gearbox Borg-Warner T-90 three-speed
Transfer case Dana 18 on four-wheel drive
Rear axle Timken 51540, later Dana 53
Built over 200,000

Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article; the material is thin, so the article is shorter than usual.

History of the Willys Jeep Truck

The Jeep Truck was introduced in 1947 as a one-ton four-wheel-drive truck with a wheelbase of 118 inches (2,997 mm). It was available as a pickup, a platform stake truck, a chassis cab or a bare chassis, and by 1949 a three-quarter-ton two-wheel-drive version had joined the range.

1951 Willys Jeep 4WD pickup
1951 Willys Jeep four-wheel-drive pickup. Photo by Michel Curi, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The truck was restyled in 1950 with a V-shaped grille carrying five horizontal bars. In 1951 the Hurricane IOE four-cylinder engine replaced the earlier flathead, raising power from 63 to 72 hp. Optional accessories included an engine governor, a power take-off and a pulley drive, and a Dump-O-Matic hydraulic hoist became available for 1957.

Only one transmission was offered, the Borg-Warner T-90 three-speed manual with synchromesh on second and third. Four-wheel-drive models used a Spicer/Dana 18 transfer case. The heavy-duty Timken 51540 rear axle served in the early years and was later replaced by the Dana 53, while the front axle was a Dana 25. Production continued until 1965, and more than 200,000 trucks were built.

Design and features

  • One-ton four-wheel drive: a working truck built on Jeep running gear.
  • Four body styles: pickup, platform stake, chassis cab and bare chassis.
  • Hurricane engine: the IOE four of 72 hp from 1951.
  • Dump-O-Matic: a hydraulic hoist offered from 1957.
  • Shared parts: the cab and front end came from the Jeep Station Wagon.

Willys Jeep Truck versions

  • One-ton 4×4 pickup (1947): the original model with a 118-inch wheelbase.
  • Platform stake truck: an open-sided load body.
  • Chassis cab and bare chassis: for specialist bodywork.
  • Three-quarter-ton 2WD (from 1949): a lighter two-wheel-drive version.

The truck shared its cab and engineering with the Willys Jeep Station Wagon and the Jeep CJ, and Willys also built the Jeepster on the same platform. More cars are in the Willys collection.

Sources

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