Didn’t know that you could have ordered the individual frame parts, that was a real
surprise.
Well as usual, what I thought was going to be a clarification of the two examples of
Hydra-Matic options has turned out to be a knarled up ball of string. What I really need to
do is find one of each and take a whole rash of pictures so I can compare them to each
other. The parts books simply muddy up the waters more than it already is.
Example one: 1955 1st., 3104 H-M (H-M truck)
Example two: 1954, 3604 H-M (H-M truck)
The glimpses thru the fog that I do see tells me there was a lot more variation in the
standard vs the Hydra-Matic trucks for 1954-55 then is commonly known. And that there
is a lot more variation in the crossmembers between the 1/2 ton vs the 3/4 ton. None of it
apparently is going to be clear till I can actually crawl under and take some
measurements and pictures in person.
I do appreciate the effort guys, and I'm sorry if it didn't sink in, but this feels like the old
exercise we did back in 4th. grade. The one where the teacher whispered a story to the
first person in the right front desk then we passed it on back to the person behind us till it
got to the last person in the room. Of course the first and the last were two completely
different tales.
I simply can't see how the 23 3/4" crossmember from the donor 1/2 ton could possibly fit
in the 32 3/4" wide frame of the recipient 3/4 ton. And I can't see how the frames under
the cab could be so much different in width since the cabs mounting points are the same.
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/148948058 There must be another short
bracket on each side that’s riveted to the frame on the Hydra-Matic trucks.
That still wouldn’t explain how the rear of the trans would have been supported on the ¾
ton trucks, if in fact it was.
I was really hoping that someone with a ¾ ton H-M would jump in here with some
pictures but they must really be rare old gals.
So thanks again, but I gotta get the mutt on her leash and head out for our morning
constitutional.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL
