Background: My son is a stonemason, and he is looking for a truck to use as advertising as well as to drop off materials (nothing really heavy) at job sites. He wants to get a long box truck with a dump bed, and really likes the AD series. Here in Ontario, the selection of trucks with what he wants is limited, and the bulk of these are 1 tons. As I am retired, and am handy with both body and mechanical work, getting anything he buys into shape will end up being my problem!
My only concern is the availability of parts. I’m not concerned with the body or the cab/interior. Its steering/suspension/brakes that I am wondering about. I have done an absolute ton of searches both here and elsewhere, and I remain confused. As an example, I see a bunch of posts from people trying to locate brake drums, but I also see the tech guide here (Huck brake upgrade for Advance Design) that seems to indicate that later drums and brakes can easily be used. Ditto for the “14 bolt axle swap info” thread at the top of this page which shows how to upgrade the entire rear axle.
So my (hopefully simple) question is: Are there parts on AD 1-tons that are unavailable and that cannot be replaced by a “work around” solution? And by a “work around” I mean the use of stock parts (no IFS or stuff like that).
Thanks!
