The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Sure is easy to find parts for those lil AD trucks...

Just got my first big truck yesterday, a 1947 GMC first series 1 1/2 ton with a stakebody-the perfect hayride truck!. What a fun drive home, down from 10,000 feet to 6,000. Ought to name her the Grinder, sure do wish the tranmissions were syncroed. Big question is, who are the best parts suppliers for big, Art Deco trucks? Are the cabs and everything on them forward of the bed pretty much the same? If so, I suppose most of the question is who are the best suppliers for Art Deco trucks of any size? Any good books or manuals to order up? Web sites? I've spent hundreds of hours on this site learning about my 51 1/2 ton, and the Advanced Design trucks appear to be the lion's share of what's talked about, but now it's time to start that learning all over again with the new one. Anything helps, and thanks in advance, I sure need the help!

Hey Dan51 I also have a 51 1.5 ton and I drive it every week. I need to make a new bed for it and paint it but for now I just drive it.

Mine's probably due for the same, Greg. The stakebody is the ORIGINAL one that was installed the day after the first owner bought it, it was made locally in Denver. The bed is still good, but I can't decide if I should replace it with some other wood, or stain it and seal it for another 57 years! I wonder what kind of hardwood is on there now. It still has the original, well worn paint with some minor dents, but I intend to have them worked out and have it redone. All I want is a really good looking, eye catching work truck that I can enjoy. It'll sure never see a garage!

The bed on mine was made of pine painted dark green. It was rotted away, my brother had welded an all metal bed over the wood then when I got to cleaning up I removed all the wood.
Have you reworked the back brakes?

Nope, haven't touched a thing, just drove it home yesterday, in the snow, with no wipers, and today it's been snowing and too cold to go out and play. It pulls to the right when I hit the brakes, so when it warms up in a few days, I'll get into it. The neighbors are thrilled that I have a new toy, but we've got no covenents in my neighborhood...

Double clutch work separates "The Big Bolts" from "TOT's".

"TOT's" stands for "Them Other Trucks".

C'mon, fellers, I love to drive my ton-and-a-half, workin' thru the gears. You'll get to where it is like brushin' yer teeth.

Alright Glenn, I'll bite. Does double clutching help the gears not to grind? I felt like a bonehead- so much for downshifting, everybody looks around like you do when somebody starts a car that's already running. Can those transmissions have parts added to be syncronized? Or is it a different one that's the way to go? One of a million questions I'll be asking... :p

Dan S double clutching is how you snchronize the transmission. On upshifts you punch the clutch just enough to relase pressure and move shifter too neutral release clutch let rpms die to match transmisson speed. tap clutch again and move to next gear. On downshifts you tap clutch move to neutral then lightly tap accelarator to bring engine speed up to match transmisson tap clutch and move to next lower gear. Don't even try to downshift into 1st gear if you're rolling you don't need it. It's mainly an issue of timing and developing an ear for the rpm. A lot of poeple skip the clutch but using it properly will help develop your timing and may save unnesasary repairs. Goodluck with your practice.
John

Don't skip the clutch.

Yee-haw! If you were shiftin' from second to third without taking your time and matching the engine speed to transmission speed, I can imagine your consternation with the grinder sound.

Don't worry, though, these old truck had tough gears and parts, and you didn't do any damage unless you just plain forced the shifting.

If you want to get an idea about synch, as you are slowing approaching a stop sign or a turn sometime, just ease the shift lever from 4th to neutral, but DON'T FORCE ANYTHING. If all is well, the shifter will move easily to neutral and you will be coasting, out of gear.

This stuff is Chapters 1 and 2 of "How to Fall in Love with Driving a Big Stovebolt."

Ssomewhere around Chapter 10 you will read about shifting using only the foot feed and the shifter. Yeah I know it ain't recommended, and I don't shift without the clutch (even though I can and have done so), but lots of people used to shift gears without the clutch, and it can be done. Its really cool, and you know you're driving a truck.

Like the YEE HAW in Glens post. When you get used to double clutching nobody will even notice the pause in neutral it will be mostly in your mind. If your truck has been converted to 12 volt you can temporarily install a tach to help develop your rythym. Glen is also correct when you have your timing down good it should take only light pressure to change gears. Since this is your first Big Bolt be very careful messing with the wheels. I make sure the lock ring is facing away from me and reach thru the holes to add air or check pressure so no part of my body is in the path if the ring should pop off. This is a little alkward but I've known people who were injured and a friends nephew was killed when one came apart and he was a gifted mechanic.

Hi Dan,
I am just down the hill fom you in Colorado Springs. I imagine the big GMC trucks will prove as difficult to find parts for as the big Chevy's. I have a 1949 Chev 6400, two ton. I picked it up in Kansas two years ago this July and have been picking away at getting it into shape little by little. I have not found a real good source for parts for the bigger Chevy's. A lot of the cab and electrical items seem to be common with the smaller trucks one ton and down. I have gotten wheel cyl repair kits and the like from Napa that fit my truck. I did buy the Shop manual and assembly manual from Chevy Duty ans they have been a lot of help. Hopefully this bulletin board will prove to be helpful as it is the 1st I have seen, dedicated to the larger trucks.

Jim

Cool replies, I'm looking forward to driving the new guy a lot more, but I think the first thing I'm going to do is convert it to 12 volt and convert it to a negative ground. We had to jump it a few times to get it home, and it needs a battery, so I figure now is the time, but I think I'm either going to get a 12 volt generator or have the existing one rewound. Does anybody know where to get this done cheap, or where to buy a 12 volt gen? I'll probably ask in the lounge too.

John, I'm looking really forward to figuring out the shifting, I want to treat it right and maybe not get laughed at :p .Dumb question for ya-what's a lock ring? I'm imagining when checking the tire pressure you mean not to get in the tire's way? Got lot's to learn for sure.

Glen, I don't think shifting without the clutch will be my thing, I figure not much is going to help me be much quicker out on the road, no point in risking tearing it up!

Welcome to the board Jim and thanks for the pointers. I just ordered some catalogs from Chevs of the Forties, Bowtie Bits, and a few others. I kind of figure(or hope) that most everything forward of the bed will match the smaller trucks and be available from some of these suppliers, and the stuff on or under the bed I can get from commercial truck places or NAPA.

I was up in Fort Collins this weekend and passed a great looking 51 2-ton that appeared unmolested. The guy wanted $5000 when I called him, but it was really clean, and all original as far as I could see. The wife just about lost it when I stopped to look. If I get another one anytime in the next ten years, I'll be sleeping in it!

My wife learned to double clutch so she can drive our 45 Chevy 2 ton. It's a lot of fun to drive and around here there you can get just about anywhere on lower speed limit back roads.

The lock ring on the tires is the dished metal ring that goes all the way round the rim just at the edge of the tire. You will notice that it has a little gap between the ends. That is what locks everything up.

If'n it ain't all locked up right, under pressure (in the tires) the lock ring can spring off and the whole shebang (maybe that's where that word came from) comes apart in a fraction of a second and parts go wherever.

Tire repair shops put these tires/wheels together and air the up in a cage. If you are forced to air a tire with out the cage (like when it is on the truck) exercise more than due caution.

The big danger occurs if a tire goes flat. The tire/wheel/lock rim gets loose, even though it may not look like it, and when you put air to the tire, everything starts to tighten up again. If things ain't just right, she-BANG!

I had a tire on my '46 go flat not too long ago. I put just enough air in it so the tire wouldn't come off the wheel and took it to a shop with a cage.

People (so I've heard) have lost legs, arms and even been killed when improper repair procedures are used. Just a dark thought, but if you loose a leg, you'll either have a tough time double-clutchin' or you'll end up havin' someone else reach his foot through the shifter and the brake handle to mash the starter and get 'er goin' then run the foot feed for ya.

Wow-that whole lock ring issue is kinda spooky, that must be why fellas on here have always shown a desire to get away from the two piece wheels. Hmmm. When it blows or releases, which way does it go? Are all six wheels put together similarly, and can they all come apart that way? Where can I learn more?

Dan S

Martin's Supply (Junk Yard) in Windsor, Colorado had some AD large trucks. 346-7158
I've bought a few parts and they seemed OK.

Hi Dan. Glen is right to be carefull around those split/safety rims. I will tell you a little trick that I have used for years when you dont have a cage to work with them. I will take a chain with the hook on both ends and run it through the holes in the wheel and around the tire and then hook it to itself leaving a little slack to allow for the expanding tire. Do this in two places opposite from each other on the wheel and away from the valve stem. If the ring blows, the chain arrests the bang and should limit the damage if any. I dont mind safety wheels as they are easier to change and fix the tubes if you dont have a tire maching. I also tap the ring with a hammer as the tire is filling to seat it properly. I recommmend using either a long stem filling valve or one of the valves that locks to the stem so your hands are away from ring while it is filling. I have done hundreds of these and have never had one pop. My 48 3/4 ton has safety rims and I do my own tires because they charge $18.00 here to fix one tire. Sorry for the long post. Paying for big tires is the hard part, not fixing them. Have fun.
Ralph

I like the idea of wrapping chains aroun the rims to keep them from blowing apart. Tire shop I got to remove the old tires wouldn't remount the new ones for my 38 so I did it myself but I was real careful. Napa and some of the family run parts stores keep old books around and can cross reference for some parts. Advance Auto Parts and the like are nearly useless when it comes to older bigger stuff. Ten years ago Napa actually had a pressure plate for my 38 on the shelf and only thrity five bucks.
John

Forgot about your other question. There are one wire alternators available in both12 and 6 volt verisons. If you decide to up grade to 12 volt you will have to protect or change some of your six volt components. A starter generator repair service facility could proably fix the one you have. Suggest you invest in a shop manuel.it will give you an idea if you want to attack certain procedures or not.