The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Tons 'o Fun Dual wheel to single wheel conversion

Hi Everybody

I am just getting back to my 1953 / 54 1 ton truck I bought this past spring. It came with 4 wheels on it....but the front hub/drum has a huge stand-off bolted to the brake drum. I am thinking with it having a dumping mechanism on the back it was once dual rear wheel truck. My goal is to have just 4 wheels on it when I am done with it.

Any ideas how to lose the off set hub and run just a standard front 8 lug brake drum???...

Are the front spindles longer with the dual wheel trucks? Any insight would be a wonderful thing.

MikeC

Hy mikec4193, the spindles are the same as the 3/4 ton spindles, you just need to find 3/4 ton front hubs and transfer your brake drums to them. Put the one ton hubs in the parts for sale forum, someone may be looking for them, hope that helps.

Those offset pieces just unbolt, don't they? Doesn't that leave you with a normal hub, good for ordinary single wheel rims?

Hy truckernix, the hub for dual style wheels does not just unbolt leaving a single wheel hub. The dual wheel hub is a totally different part from the single wheel hub, hope that clarifies.

Similar discussions in the past people have insisted it is or can be just a removable spacer on the front hubs. Don't think I've seen any pictures to prove it though?

I'll be watching, perhaps we can clarify and answer this question once and for all.

Grigg

So I went on Rockauto and found out that the model 3600 and the model 3800 both had similar listings...
The link for the part I think I need is here: http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=2590894&cc=1326473
If this is what I need I will pick up a pair and hopefully then my 16 stock steel wheel wont stick outside of the fender opening. I really am shooting for a look just like our founder on here has with his model 3800 Chevy truck.

If anybody else has any insight I am all ears.


Thanks in advance.
MikeC

Hy mikec4193, I believe your link shows a picture of a rear brake drum, I thought you wanted to convert from dual wheel style front hubs to single wheel style front hubs, or did I misinterpret something again?

Hi 3B

Yuppers you were right. I was just trying to get the same width track from front to back. It appears as tho this spacer is to keep the front track the same width as the dual rear wheels are. The rock auto photo claims this drum fits front or rear. I am new at this stock truck stuff. I am also thinking now about doing a front disc brake conversion. I have read that a 1979 K20 disc brake will work on this truck. I am still researching my options. I want to keep as much stock as I can but make it safer with better brakes and better rear gearing too.

MikeC

3B,
Mike refers to a "huge standoff" bolted to the front drum. What would that be? I have seen an AD dually 1 ton with a similar setup. The front hubs look normal but with the "spacer" attached, a dually wheel mounted like the inner wheel at the rear puts the track right where it needs to be.

Hy truckernix and guys, actually the brake drum is bolted to the flange of the dual wheel style front hub, this hub keeps the brake drum in the same position that it would be in if mounted to a single wheel style hub, while providing a much more outboard mounting surface for the reversed dual style wheel, hope that helps.

Oh, so the hub extends out and the drum is bolted on inboard. Thanks for the explanation. Without knowing that, it looks like an extension so that is why I thought it was.