The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts 1951-53 Road Tractor Information

Hello!

I have been doing some searching all day. I do not know if my google button is broken or if there really is not that much info about Road Tractors from the 1951-1953 era.
I have seen this ad of a road tractor:

https://houston.craigslist.org/cto/5018518699.html

I am looking at a 6100 as a project truck to make a road tractor with. Same short frame as the beaut in the listing. I would like it to pull a 28' pup trailer over the road with really only one big trip. (moving cross country and have extra time to get there). Would love to see 55 cruising- if only in my dreams.

Any bolters with knowledge in this elusive topic?


Thoughts I have:

Original engine may not be potent enough
Will need to add air brakes for trailer
four speed trans with 2 speed rear end may need to be swapped.
drum brakes should be fine on the truck when rebuilt
The big concern I have is that it might not even be an option!
Thank you! If all goes well, I will add pictures on Sunday.

Hy JustJake, welcome, firstly the truck in the ad you mentioned does not have air brakes, it has a compressor so it probably has air over hydraulic brakes. Many tractors of the early 50s were setup to tow trailers with vacuum brakes, and Chevy trucks of that era were not the most powerful and I've never seen one of that vintage with full air brakes. I think if you're looking for a truck with full air brakes, a 450 or larger GMC would be easier to find setup that way. Good luck with your search.

Its a very nice truck, but in my opinion its a show truck. The first truck I bought was a 550 GMC with 232 HP 4200 RPM. It had straight air, but it was way underpowered. It did well with a tank trailer.

https://plus.google.com/photos/1081...4965267442&oid=108197707187186692269

With a grain trailer it did fair. With a dry box it would slow down to 20 mph on level ground with a side wind. I got anywhere from 2 to 3 miles to the gallon.

Back in the 50's, moving companies used Chevrolets like you have pictured. Originally they were equipped with vacuum brakes which were totally unreliable. In the later 50's, a lot of Chevs were retrofitted with air. They usually retained the factory hydravac on the tractor and used the air strictly for the trailer. My guess is that this is the setup that is on this example. These things were used before the Interstate Highway system and I would not recommend getting on the with it. Many Interstates have 40 MPH minimum speed, and you will not be able to come near that in a wind. If you are willing to stay in the back roads and put up with a long line of traffic behind you, it will eventually get there. If you are contemplating buying it in Houston and driving to MN, IH45 and IH35, I would have it shipped. I've driven that route over a million miles, and there are a lot of places where the Interstate is the only option.

Nice SHOW truck. BIG price tag. Listen to Crenwelge.

Hey guys! Thanks for the responses. I do not want to buy the one I posted; I want to build one like it! Although I may not go the road tractor way, I still wanted to learn more about them as they look awesome! I was wondering what it would take to make one look like that and be able to pull and drive 55.

I am still reading more and more.

Thank you!
Jake

Jake, I hope you build a Road Tractor. And I hope you share your experience with the rest of us as you do. I, for one, am very much interested in 51-53 Road Tractors myself and have much to learn about them. The knowledge, experience and advice that comes out of this site is second to none. I'm not one of the guys that can help you much. I'm a new guy like you, but my truck, I think, started out as a 53 Road Tractor and I'd love to take it back to being one. Good luck on your journey. I do have to say though that 55 mph is probably not going to happen. Mine is working hard at 45. If you want 55 you'll probably have to pull the chassis and put some modern version in its place. Then it'll start and go and stop and all the things modern trucks do, but unfortunately it will no longer be an old truck. It'll just look like one from a distance.

Geo

Interesting truck.

I'm not familiar with a Watson Aux. Do you really need to move it 5 positions to get it from 1st to 2nd, or does it just look that way in the diagram?

Watson was the predessor to a Brownie, not as strong.

What Geo says. Or ... You could do like what Grigg is doing --

Take an AD 2-ton and make a highway capable hauler out of it

In the long run, putting the old sheet metal on a newer chassis might be easier and faster, but Grigg's way preserves much of the charm of the old truck while vastly upgrading the driveline. And what could be cooler than your original AD truck with a Road Ranger and a 2-cycle Screaming Jimmy/Green Leaker?

Absolutely nothing that I know of

Hey Guys!

Thanks for the responses!

So after many years of wanting one, shopping and driving all over to look at ADs, with some Big Bolts and lesser mixed in, I finally bought my first one!!

It came from a fellow Stove Bolter who bought it from another. Hopefully I will be the one to get it back on the road!

http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums...2%20ton%20Brute/IMG_1700_zpsdvum573q.jpg

So John, I have been reading up on Griggs change and I am going to try to pick his brain at some point. I really like the idea of a medium duty trans and 4 cyl diesel. I drive a diesel as my work pickup and have had quite a few over the last few years. They have a special place.

I thought more about the road tractor idea and I think I will be doing a 9 foot pickup instead. I did not know that the 1 ton and the two ton short wheel base share the same! Now I just need to fabricate (employ a fabricator) a bed and a duals fenders.

Like this (not my truck)
http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums...2%20ton%20Brute/IMG_1698_zpsdmbt74wn.jpg

I have the opportunity to buy a rear end and front end out of a bread truck for a pretty good price with disc brakes all around. The guy said he thinks it is a five lug which dumbfounds me. If I wanted, I could by the 4bt and the NV4500 out of it too for about $2500 more (good deal?). I am torn if the 4bt will be solid enough or not. I did like the idea of Griggs' silver Detroit yet that seems more like the golden egg in rarity and price.

If you're going to pick Grigg's brain ... you'd better pack a lunch. You'll be there awhile

You will find his Cummins 4BT engine swap tech tip pretty good reading, too.

Sounds like you are on the right track.

If you get the whole truck, you get all the goodies that will save time running all around town for, sell the extras when done. 4500 is good what ever engine you use. If a DD, then might want a closer(RTO-610 or 6610) ratio trans. 5/10 lug axles will use 19.5" wheels which work with 1, 3/4, 1/2 ton trucks.

Read Grigg's earlier posts about modern spindles on existing axle.

A 302 GMC will do a pretty good job doing what you want to do. 1952 and later 450 GMC trucks were born with a 302. A lot of the were born with straight air and a 5 and 2. Air over hydraulic is not reliable. The less you have to change specs, the more time and money you will have for the restoration.