The restoration of Kettenkrad 116714
- Thread starter XRCD011
- Start date
It's not the dial-up days anymore, people here get grumpy if they don't get their dose of pictures!
Thanks for posting all this, when I'm honest with myself I know I'd work on old rusty army vehicles for fun.. even if I didn't already do it for a job. I love seeing the vintage iron come apart and go back together.
Thanks for posting all this, when I'm honest with myself I know I'd work on old rusty army vehicles for fun.. even if I didn't already do it for a job. I love seeing the vintage iron come apart and go back together.
Rehabilatating the Lower Front Portion
With the Kettenkrads body now cut down to the three portions (lower front and rear and section with steering knuckle) I determined to be saveable and important to the rebuild I start investing time into working at bringing them back. The first of the three sections I will highlight is the front lower as it has a large X shape pressed into the 16 Gauge sheet metal. In this picture you see the large X and how it was rotted, the panel with the X ran, when it was pressed at the NSU factory, the whole length of the kett from front to back and would incorporate the openings for the torsion bars, track adjusters, drive sprockets and was J shaped along the bottom where it is gas welded to the floor panels.
While alot of the X area looks sound the sandblasting reduced most to lace.
To repair these panels I took a large 3/8in thick plate and using a angle head grinder (Bubbas favourite tool) and a Dremel hand carved a female X to replicate the X in a new panel. On one side I just replaced a rotted X panel with new and on the other saved the top of the X and mated a new lower portion.
Hand dinging in the X to the new panels.
Before
After
Saving everything possible, after the sandblaster did its thing turning sheet metal into lace, the cutting continues to be replaced with new steel.
The three major sections (lower front/rear and steering knuckle) the lower front shows the all new X panel and the restored (new bottom area) X on the opposite side.
Next up, the lower rear section gets rebuilt.
With the Kettenkrads body now cut down to the three portions (lower front and rear and section with steering knuckle) I determined to be saveable and important to the rebuild I start investing time into working at bringing them back. The first of the three sections I will highlight is the front lower as it has a large X shape pressed into the 16 Gauge sheet metal. In this picture you see the large X and how it was rotted, the panel with the X ran, when it was pressed at the NSU factory, the whole length of the kett from front to back and would incorporate the openings for the torsion bars, track adjusters, drive sprockets and was J shaped along the bottom where it is gas welded to the floor panels.
While alot of the X area looks sound the sandblasting reduced most to lace.
To repair these panels I took a large 3/8in thick plate and using a angle head grinder (Bubbas favourite tool) and a Dremel hand carved a female X to replicate the X in a new panel. On one side I just replaced a rotted X panel with new and on the other saved the top of the X and mated a new lower portion.
Hand dinging in the X to the new panels.
Before
After
Saving everything possible, after the sandblaster did its thing turning sheet metal into lace, the cutting continues to be replaced with new steel.
The three major sections (lower front/rear and steering knuckle) the lower front shows the all new X panel and the restored (new bottom area) X on the opposite side.
Next up, the lower rear section gets rebuilt.
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- Location
- Leduc County, Alberta
+100 Internets to you good Sir! I applaud your dedication and workmanship!!! 
Dark Alley Dan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Darkest Edmonton
Kickass fab skills, mate. VERY nice work.
- Location
- West Quebec
Many of us would have quit long ago .. (Me) Hat's off to you.
This isn't just a "restoration" project - it's "resurrection"; bringing back the dead!
You have to marvel at the engineering ingenuity that went into the original design, built under war time conditions and the likelihood of slave labour in production.
You have to marvel at the engineering ingenuity that went into the original design, built under war time conditions and the likelihood of slave labour in production.
Hey, many thanks all for the kind words of this restore/resurrection/rebuild. I am in weekly contact with a fellow restoring a post war kettenkrad in the UK and another fellow in Norway restoring a VERY early wartime kett. Our theme song is Bachman Turner Overdrives "You Ain,t seen Nothing Yet", because just when you think you have seen it all, something else crazy to work on pops up. Doing this restoration was like reading a book starting each chapter all at the same time, while bodywerk was ongoing, time was also spent sourcing parts and info, attending to engine, transission and what at the time felt like a million details all at once. So with some BTO playing in the background I will walk you all through some more kett restore details.
The transmission was a special treat as it looked like hell on the outside.
Once opened it was in suprisingly good condition, and the old fluids came out relatively clean, but it still contained a ticking "time bomb" of sorts.
The "time bomb" is the kettenkrads reverse gear, for some reason they failed even during the war but new built gears are available in the Czech Republic from Michal at SKZ Old so no big deal. I was going to just live with it till I REALLY looked at it and figured better to spend a 100 Euros then blow up my transmission (like they did to a kett tranny in the making of Saving Private Ryan).
The time bomb, defused.
The transmission was a special treat as it looked like hell on the outside.
Once opened it was in suprisingly good condition, and the old fluids came out relatively clean, but it still contained a ticking "time bomb" of sorts.
The "time bomb" is the kettenkrads reverse gear, for some reason they failed even during the war but new built gears are available in the Czech Republic from Michal at SKZ Old so no big deal. I was going to just live with it till I REALLY looked at it and figured better to spend a 100 Euros then blow up my transmission (like they did to a kett tranny in the making of Saving Private Ryan).
The time bomb, defused.
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Rehabilatating the lower rear section
So much ground to cover I had better pick up the posting pace otherwise this could drag on forever. The issues with the lower rear half where 1. the floor, with its unique square pressed portions needed heavy repair 2. the four inverted U shaped torsion bar houses all needed faberication and repair and 3. about 20 inches of the rear lower had simply rusted away to nothingness. This picture, while previously posted shows the rear end at Day One.
Another previously posted pic showing the floor sections that need repair. Note the series of three holes punched in the body to drain the hull, Euro Bubba strikes again.
After sandblasting and final chopping out of rusted areas I now see what all floor wise has to be replaced, plus sections of the sides to extend rearward past the track adjusters. The rear most, and insanely difficult to repair torsion bar house is out at this stage, the first three torsion bar houses where repaired without removing, that back one was just to far gone to do that installed.
Lower rear floor and side sections fabericated. I had to resort to hotgluing chunks of rust together to get the radius of the side sections where the Kett muffler mounts off the residue to make new panels.
Repairing #4 torsion bar house.
To repair #4 it took 22 individual pieces fitted and welded into repair, then it had to mocked up with the carriers and torsion bars installed so the vehicle geometry was correct. I spent more time on and effort on that rear house then the other three.
Cut and welding what felt like forever, one one part (good old #4).
Repairing houses without removing, section of mocked in floor to give correct profile.
New made rear floor installed and next is replacing #4 house.
Ready to weld in #4 house rear metal werk largely done after about a couple thousand test fits I get the new to fit nicely with the old and weld together.
#4 back in, finally.
Done.
So much ground to cover I had better pick up the posting pace otherwise this could drag on forever. The issues with the lower rear half where 1. the floor, with its unique square pressed portions needed heavy repair 2. the four inverted U shaped torsion bar houses all needed faberication and repair and 3. about 20 inches of the rear lower had simply rusted away to nothingness. This picture, while previously posted shows the rear end at Day One.
Another previously posted pic showing the floor sections that need repair. Note the series of three holes punched in the body to drain the hull, Euro Bubba strikes again.
After sandblasting and final chopping out of rusted areas I now see what all floor wise has to be replaced, plus sections of the sides to extend rearward past the track adjusters. The rear most, and insanely difficult to repair torsion bar house is out at this stage, the first three torsion bar houses where repaired without removing, that back one was just to far gone to do that installed.
Lower rear floor and side sections fabericated. I had to resort to hotgluing chunks of rust together to get the radius of the side sections where the Kett muffler mounts off the residue to make new panels.
Repairing #4 torsion bar house.
To repair #4 it took 22 individual pieces fitted and welded into repair, then it had to mocked up with the carriers and torsion bars installed so the vehicle geometry was correct. I spent more time on and effort on that rear house then the other three.
Cut and welding what felt like forever, one one part (good old #4).
Repairing houses without removing, section of mocked in floor to give correct profile.
New made rear floor installed and next is replacing #4 house.
Ready to weld in #4 house rear metal werk largely done after about a couple thousand test fits I get the new to fit nicely with the old and weld together.
#4 back in, finally.
Done.
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This thread just kind of hit me with overwhelming anger/sadness.
Such disrespect the Europeans showed towards a beautiful piece of history.
You would think that if there was a war here and the losing side left tons of their equipment lying around, our farmers would take good care of it and use it. After all, free farm equipment.
Why the complete lack of caring? And don't say because they despised the Germans. If the Russkies or China invaded here and left equipment, you sure as #### would see their equipment being used and maintained by the locals. Maybe a different paint job but not left to rot.
Such disrespect the Europeans showed towards a beautiful piece of history.
You would think that if there was a war here and the losing side left tons of their equipment lying around, our farmers would take good care of it and use it. After all, free farm equipment.
Why the complete lack of caring? And don't say because they despised the Germans. If the Russkies or China invaded here and left equipment, you sure as #### would see their equipment being used and maintained by the locals. Maybe a different paint job but not left to rot.
Im sure the farmer was grateful to get it, but it WAS 70 years ago. A farmer isnt interested in sourcing odd ball parts or some freebie he got, or his dad got. And if you lived it, you may not see it the same way.
dont get me wrong, still a shame, but I dont think you can blame them.
BTW amazing work man. It looks awesome.
dont get me wrong, still a shame, but I dont think you can blame them.
BTW amazing work man. It looks awesome.
