The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Brake parts for '49 Chevy 1-ton dually

I've been looking for new/used/rebuilt brake parts for my '49 Chevy 3800 - I have at least 2 wheel cylinders that are leaking and I have to pump the brake pedal several times to get enough pressure to stop (consequently I don't drive it much). I've looked in the manual that GM sent me and found that the drum diameters are -> front - 12" and rear - 14". Also, the manual calls for 12x2 front shoes and 14x2.5 rear shoes.

All that to preface this part of the story: I went to my local NAPA store to see if, by chance, they had brake parts to fit my 'bolt. To my surprise, what I found was they have the the master cylinder and all the wheel cylinders (back to '42 I think) as well as the 12x2 and 14x2.5 shoes available to a fit 3800/3900s but for those, their book only covers back to '53 . I know that a lot of the parts for the '47-'53s are very similar so my question is this: Will (or your best guess) the front and rear shoes listed for a '53 3800 fit my '49? If I've missed something really obvious, please feel free to point it out.

Also, I've been looking for those brake drums at a lot of the parts suppliers listed here and other places with no luck (yet). Has anyone found any sources for the aforementioned drums (front and/or rear)? I'm not sure if mine can be turned and I'd like to have a place to go if they can't.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Unfortunately, the '53 shoes will not work on the '49. The '49 1-tons used the huck-type brakes. The 1-ton trucks switched to the bendix-type brakes in '53. Jim Carter lists huck-type replacement shoes for the 1-ton (he may be the only one). Alternatively, you could have your original shoes relined.

You may be out of luck with the drums. It seems new drums are only available for the '53+ AD 1-tons, and even then maybe only for the front. If yours can't be turned, you'll have to search for a good used set.

Curt;
Thanks for the info. I've looked on Jim Carter's web site and see what you're talking about. Now that I know they're "huck-type" shoes I've got something to work with and can be specific. I guess now I'll have to get things torn apart and find out what I've got drum-wise. I hope the existing drums are OK!
Thanks again.
Jim

DON'T turn the drums if they are fairly smooth! The shoes can be relined by good local brake supplier, and be like new. My shop even blasts and recoats the metal part to look like new. Have them riveted if you can, I have seen new linings come unglued on bigger trucks. The cast number on the cylinders is your best ID, but not always the part number, but close. Sometimes rear of one truck, can be front of another on the cyls.