The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline A ROUGH and LOUD ride!

Well, I got the '53 3100 running well, but man is it incredibly noisy and very rough riding. In the cab, it sounds like all the body panels are all loose, but they're not. Serious rattles all around. I'm sure it probably needs shocks, and the bed blocks are loose. I'm about half deaf, and I'm usually not very sound sensitive, but this ole rattle trap is excessively loud and rough riding. Do you guys have any suggestions how to quieten the beast?

(motor and muffler nice and quiet. Can't hardly tell if the motor is running due to all the rattles)

Um...it's not a 2016 Silverado. I'm assuming this is your first experience at driving such a vintage vehicle. If you think your half ton is bad you should slip over to Bremond some weekend and go for a ride my '50 4100. You may want to stop at Academy and pickup a mouth piece so you don't break any teeth.

I covered every square inch of cab with sound deadening material and it made a world of difference. As for the rough ride...its still a 1950's truck don't expect a perfect ride on the old chassis.

Actually, I've had two 1957 pickups and a 58 pickup....but this baby is a rough stretch of road..... I'm not really sensitive to rough riding vehicles, I have an old Camaro and an old vette, so I was just wondering if there's some hidden landmine in this body style I've yet to encounter and need to correct. Bang bang, bump bump!!!

Sounds like you need to address the kingpins. Good tight kingpins will quiet a frontend down pronto, as well as improving handling. Hopefully you justneed new bushings as they are the 1st to go.

Also check the leaf spring shackles and their bushings to make sure all is tight and lubed up.

My 49 rides like a, well, 49 1/2ton pickup truck but theres no bangs or bumps since I've addressed and repaired what I've recommended.

Sounds like a good goin' over of every moving part, and those parts which aren't supposed to move. A rubber mallet is a handy tool for finding loose body/bed parts. Just tap lightly on everything until you find the rattle.
Carl

"Rides rough- - - -makes noise- - - -leaks oil- - - -" It sounds like you might be driving a 1950's British sports car!
Jerry

Or a 1980's British sports car....

Noise on my 52 1/2 ton: Spring bushings(all of them). Bed mounts(rusted bolts, and bad wood blocks). Collapsed cab mounts(the front under the floor), and...loose glass in the wing windows. Then the best for last, a failed pinion bearing(driveshaft whip). King pins were worn(the bushings any way) and some crappy bias ply tires. Now? Not as quiet as a new car but I can listen to the radio at 60mph. Plenty of wind noise(still needs some rubber in the doors) and I did put sound deadener under the seat(that helped). Except for the Pinion bearing, it was typical old truck stuff.

Hey Steve, what color is your truck, and what part of Utah do you live, just in case I ever have to travel west of Utah, so I can drive clear around you?

Thanks guys. I put the news shocks on and that helped quite a bit. I have a feeling new spring bushings are in order. Are they pressed in, or can we (who are tool challenged- ie: no press) pop 'em out with a mallet and a punch?

Maddog, try this tech tip....

http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/bushingpuller.htm

Some are not so bad but my luck is that at least one of them will be a booger!

That Tech Tip is nothing short of brilliant! THANK YOU, Senior Chipmunk!!!!

The tool in the Tech Tip broke twice with some reluctant bushings on my 1954 3104 pickup. Here are the "beefed-up" parts that did not fail.

Gotcha! Heavier duty = good! Thanks, Tim!

....as "suitcase" says on the Jesse Stone movie series, "the information is out there, you just have to let it in"

All primer, black fenders, and top of cab. Brown every where else. Stop and say Hi.

I was able to use 1/2 bolt to pull the bushings from my springs. The 3/8 bolt just stretched and got soft. Above post was a ref to 52Carl so He can see me coming.

I'll start with the 1/2" bolt, Steve. I've always been a fan of a "bigger hammer!" Thanks for the help, guys!

Did any of you soak the bushings in penetrating oil for a day or so before attempting removal? I'm sure it would really help. I just don't think I'd could just watch it sit in oil for a day when the project is right in front of me. I usually don't have much patience ....just ask my wife.

...maybe a squirt of Sili-Kroil and a little HEAT would help if they are that stubborn.