As you can see in this early picture there is a wooden support arm protruding through the passenger side of the cab to hold the backhoe arm in place while in the travel position. This was a problem for two different reasons. First off, its composition and secondly it protruded through the passenger side cab cover making it hard to keep the elements out.

Here you can see the simple solution to the problem. A rear arm brace with saddle has been fabricated and installed. Seems simple, but this took a lot of planning to ensure that it was super strong, in keeping with materials and designs that would have been used back then, very lightweight (weighs 24 pounds), not too busy looking – i.e simple and purpose built. There is a horizontal piece of plate below the saddle to give it strength that is hard to see in the photo. Special brackets were made that the arms bolt into on the flooring of the deck behind the cab, all the work here is pristine, welds are all period correct.

Also notice they have begun to mock up a spare tire mount that will place the spare wheel on the rear deck of the truck in front of the pedestal, and behind the cab. The wheel will lie horizontal and bolt on top of the disc you see which will have studs in it to mount the wheel. The spare looks really cool here and is it out of the way of all operations, safely tucked away. There is a clasp that mounts the tire iron to it under the spare and out of sight, but reachable without removing the spare.

Here you can see the fabrication of a “connector link” that could be easily pinned into place and allow the truck to travel (and go on rough roads if ever necessary) while ensuring that the primary arm would hold the secondary (or front) arm in place.

Two small round anchor points were made and one welded to each arm so that the link could attach to them. Each of these has a step machined so that the link goes on and stops when it is perfectly parallel to the vertical surfaces of the arms. The connector link has a slot in the top to ensure you only need to get a “roughly close relationship” between the primary and secondary arms to put the link in place – and then when you power the truck down the front arm (due to the weight of the bucket will slowly lower itself until the link runs out of slack and stops the downward travel of the front arm. When you go to work the truck, you just raise the secondary arm a hair (with the hydraulic pressure) and quickly unpin and remove the link, there is even a handle on the link to make it simple to lift out of the way.

Here you can see the finished connector link setup. This is a very simple, bulletproof design that will ensure safe traveling even on the roughest roads.

When the arm is lifted the brace is made to rock back about one inch and when it is set down it slides under the arm about one inch until the studs that have been welded to the arm lock into place. Super strong. And hey the cab does not creak anymore due to that board coming down on the tunnel between the seats.