Classic Dodge Power Wagon Flexes Harder than Modern Trucks

Classic Dodge Power Wagon could be equipped with the unique Willock Swivel Frame system.

If you have done any offroading in your Dodge or Ram truck, you know that a key to success when driving on uneven footing is keeping as many tires as possible on the ground. With modern trucks, advanced suspension systems which allow extreme levels of wheel travel offer the articulation needed to keep all four tires on the roughest ground, but these modern suspension systems didn’t exist back in the 1950s.

Back then, driving off-road was a whole lot more difficult, as most trucks had archaic leaf spring systems which offered very little wheel travel. That was why the folks at the Willock Truck Equipment Company of Vancouver, British Columbia came up with their unique Swivel Frame system. It could be fitted to all sorts of trucks, but the Dodge Power Wagon was one of the more popular vehicles to get the Willock conversion.

Discussions online suggest that anywhere between 40 and 100 Dodge Power Wagons were equipped with the Willock Swivel Frame and few remain today, but the Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California has one example on display. It is the yellow truck shown in pictures here and while it has some patina, it appears to be in great shape for a 68-year old work truck. The classic Willock ad and the Swivel Frame picture are from Mac’s Motor City Garage.

Dodge Power Wagon Swivel Frame

When the Dodge Power Wagon trucks rolled off of the assembly line in 1946 through 1968, they were among the most capable vehicles available to the general public. They were based on military trucks, so they were hard-working, low-frill vehicles meant to do anything that a truck owner could ask. They were remarkably capable offroad, but like all trucks from that 1940s and 1950s, they were limited by suspension technology. There were no fancy long-travel coilover systems back then, so the early Power Wagon worked its magic with leaf springs and solid axles.

To help improve the off-road capabilities of every truck, Willock Truck Equipment Company introduced their Swivel Frame, and it is exactly what it sounds like. The company would cut the factory frame a few feet behind the cab, installing two heavy duty crossmembers which each carried a portion of a massive bronze bushing system.

The front and rear sections of the frame would then pivot independently of each other, allowing for a shocking amount of wheel travel – with the bed traveling with it.

As you can see in the images here from the Peterson Museum and from the original Willock images, Dodge Power Wagon with the Swivel Frame literally twists in the middle, helping to keep more tires on the ground when covering rough, uneven roads.

This system also took some of the stress off of the frame and suspension when off-roading. Best of all, the Willock Swivel Frame used a pin system to lock the frame in its straight configuration for smooth driving on paved roads.

Unfortunately, there don’t seem to be many of these swiveling Dodge Power Wagons left, but the truck in the Peterson Museum gives everyone a chance to check out this unique technology in person.

For those who want a closer look at the Willock Swivel Frame in action in a Dodge Power Wagon, check out the video below from the YouTube channel of Chase Welcher.

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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