The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk 1957 3600 1 ton or 3/4 ton?

Hi All!

I have a question regarding a truck I am in the process of buying. It is a 1957 3600, and the seller has indicated that it is a 1 ton truck, whereas all of the information I am able to find seems to contradict this information. Can someone please provide consensus/confirmation one way or the other for me? Thank you!

Here is one source. 3/4 ton NADA Guides

i always thought the 1-ton was a 3800.

Do you have a Vehicle Serial Number (Vehicle ID)?

As tomctomc posted:
3100 is 1/2 ton
3600 is 3/4 ton
3800 is 1 ton

Doe it have a 123.25" or a 135" wheel base?

Thank you for the information. I don't have the wheelbase measurement, but the title definitely agrees with the information plate on the truck, that it is a 3600. The seller was pretty adamant that it is a 1 ton, and my plans for it require that it carry my welders, compressor, materials, etc. so it may not work for me like I thought it would. Thanks a bunch!

1. the seller changed out the rear end to 1 ton specs

2. the seller lied about the trucks size

A 3600 is a 3/4 ton designation, no ifs, ands or buts period. If it was as you say, presented to you as a 1 ton you may have recourse for a return and refund of your money. For your stated purpose you might just want to consider a 4100-4400 series. Good luck with your project. Sounds like another one is going back to work. Can't beat that.

Thanks for the definitive info. I have the truck now, and have decided that I like it and can make use of it if I can change a few things. I have a couple of questions, though:

The engine has been swapped out to a 350. I like the way it sounds and drives, but it still has the 4 speed transmission. It appears to be original, and works just fine. It is incredibly slow, though, due to the rear end gearing, I presume. As far as I can tell, aftermarket gear sets are unavailable for the 3/4 ton axle, so I'd like to get a rear end from a modern truck.

I understand that the overall width of the assembly will be larger, but I can be OK with that if it's only by a few inches because I am putting a flatbed on it. Does anyone have a suggestion for which truck I can get this from at the junkyard? I'd like to keep the 8 lug wheels, and i'm hoping that by swapping this out, I can drive it around town without starting off in 3rd gear. Thank you!

Look for a modern 14 bolt, ff rear axle, they are cheap, plentiful, and have modern ratios.

Ed

I put a Dana 60 under my '53 3600. It was the narrowest I could find. Out of a mid 60's F#@%d. 3:70 gears, but 3:55's are swappable.

Your truck should have a HO52 rear end with 4.57 gears. If you stick with the 4 speed, you could go with a 14 bolt with 3.73 or 3.42 gears. Much depends on your tire size. If you will be doing a lot of highway driving consider a 700R4 automatic, OD is .70. With that you could use rear gears of 4.10, 3.90 or 3.73 depending on you tire size and the power band of the engine. Again, the 14 bolt corporate rear. Your best friend will be the old man at the junkyard.

There is more to a 1-ton than the rear end. A major ones are springs and brakes. There are a lot of folks that "geared-up" to find out the truck handles poorly at higher speeds. The suspension and steering were not designed for much above 50 (my 1951 47 mph in the specs). Not trying to talk you out of it, might just think about buying a 1-ton wrecked donor and swapping a lot of parts if you are thinking loading it heavy and driving fast.