As France’s Thierry Becker, whose hobby is restoring U.S. military vehicles from WWII, worked to bring this 1942 Diamond T969 wrecker back to working order, he discovered that the truck’s original Timken axle bearings were still in good operating condition.
Indeed, the 72-year-old bearings were in such good shape that Becker only had to replace the oil seals on the axles. He contacted Timken about that and the company provided him the seals as a gift.
The U.S. Army used this 6x6 wrecker with 10-ton lift capacity to lift and tow disabled vehicles.
Becker aims to complete restoring the wrecker by June so it can be on hand for the 71st commemoration of the D-Day invasion of Normandy.
