The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Brake components

Where is the best place to source brake components and wheel bearings and seals for these bigger girls?

When a truck is called a 2 ton or 3 ton, is that it's carrying capacity?

Are the 2 speed diffs reliable units. Do they use the same housing as the single speed units or are they a whole new assembly?
Thanks

Digga,

What make, model, year truck do you have?
When you post that info, we can post links to size/weight/load information, and illustrations of the 1-speed & 2-speed units (probably).

"these bigger girls"?
Must be an Australian thing?

2 ton or 3 ton is really just a model designation - for relative size/weight-capacity.

The 2-speed differentials are as reliable as the heavy duty transmissions. It depends on what they were used for and how well they were maintained.

Digga,
I have a 1950 Chevy COE, model 5700. It is referred to as a 2 ton model by the factory. The cab and chassis weighs 6500 pounds and with the bed and hydraulic lift it weighs 7500 pounds. The gross vehicle weight (GVW) stamped on the identification plate is 16,000 pounds. Clearly it can carry much more than 2 tons. The heaviest load it has carried since restoration is when I was the designated driver for my two adult sons and 25 of their friends when they wanted to visit Whiskey Row in Prescott, AZ. That load did not even touch the overload springs.

I have a 2 speed differential and the housing is different than the single speed. I don't know how to judge reliability based on a single unit but it functioned fine when I got the truck, which had been worked hard on a farm all of it's life. It did need new spider gears which were not easy to find.

Regarding brake components, etc, brake cylinders can be resleeved and brake shoes can be relined. The seals, cylinder kits and such will require you to develop a close relationship with your local truck parts store where they greet you with calipers and a dog eared parts book, rather than asking what year your vehicle is, while poised over the computer keyboard.
Good luck and welcome to Stovebolt,
Kent

Many rear housings fit either single or two speed diff's in the same housing. Eaton 1890 for one. Need to find right guy to figure that out, though. Many 2-3 ton trucks only come with slow and slower ratios, none were made much higher than 6.6 to 1.

Ed

Ed is right. Let me clarify my comment. The axle housing will fit either single or two speed differential carriers. The carrier housing itself is different for the two types. He is also correct about "slow and slower".
Kent

Thanks for the replies, to be perfectly honest.... I don't know what model trucks I have.
I have one truck that has a Holden Id plate with a body S104 and model M15843. So, at this stage iam goi g to presume it was assembled in Melbourne on the 15th of the 8th 1943. I also have what I believe is a 41 American built wooden cab chev truck which apart from the wooden cab is an identical item.
If I compare tyre sizes and number of spring leafs using the gmheritage documents, I believe they have a gvm of around 10-120000 pounds.
It seems to me that the cabs and chassis are identical r through the size range, only the brake and suspension packages change along with gear box and a strengthening plate along the chassis rail over the 1.5 ton truck.
I have been getting cab parts from Chevy of the 40's and Jim carter. It is nearly time to have a look at the brakes and neither of these places list replacement parts for brake drums, they list for the smaller pick ups but not for these bigger girls. Iam not too stressed about the wheel bearings as such Mostly looking for replacement drums and inner wheel seals(they look to be a stemco type seal)
According to the gmheritage centre the ratios are in the 2 speed diffs are either side of the single speed units, so, at least in high range it should be faster then a single speed unit.

What size tires, 6.5 x 20" or thereabouts would indicate 1.5 to 2 ton.

Some axles have info stamped on the axle tube, r side.

Send us some px, we can get an idea of what you have compared to trucks in the 'States.

Brake drums may be hard to find. Many here are substituting modern axles for decent brakes and axle ratios. Hard to justify if you are looking for originality.

Ed

Hi Ed,
Tyres on the front are 7.00x20 and rear are7.50 x20.
The Aussie built one has 10 leaf plus helper springs the American built has 13 plus helper springs.
Iam actually lucky enough that one of the diffs I have is a 5.43.1 .

What engine do you have? The 5.43 gears with 20" tires may be to high of a ratio for the engine. I think most 7.50x20 tires were on 1-1/2 ton trucks with 6.17 rear gears.

Mike B

Iam not to sure what is going to power it in the long run just yet. Iam thinking with 5.43 rear end with 235/80/22.5 tyres and a .75 over drive transmission it will do 100kph @ 2500rpm which would suit a 292 or a 327 just about perfect I reckon.

Hello I believe you can find the wheel bearings and seals from Jim Carter trucks on the internet check with them also chicagotire for tires for it 750 20 best price around at chicagotire

I think you'll have trouble finding 750x20 traction tires, at least we do here in the US. Steer tires are available. You can find 825x20 traction tires which might suite you fine on the rear.

Mike B

What sort of H/P do you think the diffs in the big bolts could handle? 41-46 model

Coker tires has a good selection.
Universal Vintage Tire is also a great selection.


Pretty much all non-modern pattern 7.50x20s are made by one place in Pennsylvania:

http://www.stausaonline.com

Everyone else is pretty much a reseller

pfaber, Can you please provide the link to 750-20 Traction Tires (Mud/Snow, not steer)? I've searched all three sites you mentioned and can't seem to find them.

Thanks,

Mike B

Try chicagotire.com
I got my 750 twenties there good company to deal with

Mackr600, are the Mud/Snow traction tires or highway/steer tires?

Mike B

Regards your question about 1.5 ton diff. capacity. Most people who install V-8's have no trouble; of course anything can be broken with careless driving, even people who install diesels do not comment on failing diffs.

Ed