Welcome to the fun and frustrating world of 3/4 ton ownership. I too, drive a 1952 3/4 ton chevy and have faced many of the same problems and frustrations that you are facing. You can find plenty of old trucks and parts in 1/2 ton but few in 3/4 ton. I drove the old truck in stock form for a couple of years, but no one wanted to touch the two piece rims, the old huck brakes were wearing out and I could not find parts for them and, because of the 4:57 rear gears my engine was screaming at 45 mph. The old truck has a 57 235 and SM420 4 speed. I am just an average guy on a limited budget, but here are some things that I have done down thru the years (I've driven the truck 8 years)to make my old truck safe and drivable on todays roads: 1. Switched from 6 to 12 volts. 2. Put in electric wipers. 3. Replaced old master cylinder with modern style master cylinder (still under the cab)and ran new brake lines. 4. Put disc brakes on the front straight axle (had to use an axle from a 1/2 ton since no one makes a kit to use the 3/4 ton axle, but it bolted right up). 5. Since I now had a 5 lug front and 8 lug rear, I replaced the rear axle with one from a 76 Nova (correct width and with new pads welded on it bolted right up)The only blessing of owning a 3/4 ton truck is that you don't have a torque tube rear and can switch axles easily. My last upgrade was to add power steering, and tho it works well, if my steering parts had not been so worn out and sloppy, I would have stayed with the original steering system. The upgrade to power steering just demanded so many more modifications than did the other upgrades. Don't let these upgrades overwhelm you. I did it over a period of several years and was able to do it at home by myself and so can you. The truck isn't stock (due to parts availability it's easier to keep a 1/2 ton stock than a 3/4 ton), but it is a safe and reliable daily driver. As always there is a story behind each of these upgrades and if I can help, just let me know.
Bill
