There is an urge to upgrade a lot of the equipment on these old trucks that I think is misguided. Many but by no means all of the factory "upgrades" over the years were done for manufacturing efficiencies or cost saving on parts from suppliers. The process goes on today. But there was a time when the corporate brass listened to the engineers rather than the been counters.
As an example take the chassis components of a 1-ton pickup: Frame- also used on short wheelbase 14,000 gross 1-1/2 ton; Hydrovac - standard on 2-ton optional on 1-ton; Brakes - 14" rear 12" front; Springs - 2 stage with optional overloads.
I ran the factory setup for many years and never overheated the brakes. In 200,000 miles I've changed the shoes once and never ground the drums. I and many other owners grossly overloaded these trucks, as the factory apparently knew we would, with rocks, sand and gravel, cordwood, wet topsoil, barrels of motor oil, etc. One time I scaled out of the rock quarry with 13,700 gross. White knuckles on crowned rough road but no lasting ill effects.
What got me to install a hydrovac was a trip through Vancouver weekend traffic with a camper and pulling two motorcycles on a trailer. By the time we got out of the city my right knee was pretty sore. At 65 years old in retrospect that wasn't too surprising.
In the thirties, the roads were nowhere near as good, the hills steeper, the potholes deeper, the washboards just at tall but many more miles of them and the loads often exceeding the ratings of the trucks. For hobby trucks, used occasionally on much better roads and seldom loaded near capacity, I think the original equipment usually is sufficient. That is unless you just can't get replacement parts, like, say, Huck brake drums. Fast city or suburban traffic is another matter and maybe we just have to drive slower with an Ag. Equipment Triangle on the back.
