Stovebolt.com Forums The Parking Lot Tons 'o Fun 52 1 Ton

Going Saturday to check out a 52 one ton and wanted to know if there's anything specific I should what out for. It's a driver so, I will put it through it's paces.
My uncle is concerned it will be extra stiff being a long bed one ton. By the pics it's complete and not rotted. In person will tell if that's true.

Here's some pics of what I'm going to see. This is one time playing 52 pickup won't mean picking up a deck of cards.

Looks like a decent unmolested truck.

Well I have a 51 1 Ton and my concern is that someone might get there before you get there!!!

That looks like a great truck to start a project with. Glad to see another 1 ton out there. My truck is a 1950 1 ton with the 9' bed, been in our family since new. Specific parts to the 1 ton are the 9' bed sides, longer running boards, longer filler panels between the bed and the running board, and a bit different front bed panel (is available new). The tailgate and most other body parts are shared by the 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks. Mechanically, the rear brake drums will probably be the hardest thing to get ahold of. Wheel cylinders, master cylinder, brake shoes are all available. These 1 tons will ride pretty stiff, not much comfort was ever built in to them, but it's great driving them, You get a lot of looks when driving them around, I'm sure most young guys today never knew a truck with a stock 9' bed ever existed. I know I will never get rid of mine, good luck on Saturday, don't be scared to take a chance on it just because it's a 1 ton. It is certainly worth restoring, hope you can swing a deal on it if it's something you really want. Thanks, Tom

Definitely loooks to be pretty complete, which is a great starting point.

Assuming that you are not planning to use it as a daily cruiser the rougher ride shouldn't be a problem.

OH47pickupman It's not a 1-ton,no duals,looks like a 3600 3/4 ton 9 foot bed ,truckernix is right...get on over there and get a grip on that title take cash !! With tire and suspension work you can make that ride like a baby buggy.

Just because it doesn't have duals doesn't mean its not a 1 ton. The 9' bed came on 1 tons with single rear wheels, like my '58.

OH47Pickupman.

If you don't already have it, check out 1952 Chevrolet Truck Data [gm.com].

It's a downloadable/printable PDF file with all the original GM data and specs you can use to help identify/confirm things on the prospective new truck.

Another resource with less technical but similar related info is 1952 Chevrolet Trucks brochure [xr793.com].

Looking forward to seeing how your visit and prospective deal turns out!

Dan

I would agree. We had a '46 1 ton pickup when I was growing up. It also had the long pickup bed and no dual wheels.

My ‘47.1 one ton had singles, also.
Ed

Possum I'm not a ton expert,had I think 2 in my fleet of 30 in about 50 years. Correct me if I'm wrong the ton trucks had a screw on hub cap (the little one about 2 1/2 inches) with a hex made on it maybe 8 flats. 3/4 ton had a drive on cap like a 3100 on the front hubs. I guess we'll see if oh47pickupman lands this one.

Ed Pruss Those are the same wheels my 51 3600 has on a rear axxle installed by a previous owner to haul heavy canned milk.Added spring leaves too. I somehow missed the fact that my ton wheels (same as yours ) are chevy. After several years needed tires,my local tire guy said since that is not a hiway truck we could put on rib-imp worth the money. I cleaned them up with a needle scaler painted with por 15,there still just fine,sleep in out of the weather.

My 1950 1 Ton doesn't have duals!

My truck has the cap that taps on, I think it would be the same for oh47pickupman's '52 as well.

According to the Dealer Data Book, on the 3800 model ADs (1-tons), DRWs were an option available on the:

3802/3812 -- Flat faced cowl, and cowl and windshield
3803 -- Cab and Chassis
3808 -- Cab and Chassis with platform body (Flatbed)
3809 -- Cab and Chassis with stakebody

Not available on:
3804 -- Pickup
3805 -- Panel
3807 -- Canopy Express

On 1 tons the front wheel hubs differ from single rear wheel to dual rear wheel. The hub in the post above would be a single rear wheel. John

Probably because the "availables" didn't have rear fenders and the "not availables" did.

Mechanically, the one-tons are a different animal from their 3/4-ton cousins. The frame is the 1-1/2 ton one with pickup-specific axles and wheels, same wheel base. Springs, front and rear, are 2 inch, like the 1-1/2 ton; driveline is open with a carrier bearing in the middle, like the 1-1/2 ton; Front axle is unique to 1-ton as are king-pins and hubs, tie-rod-ends and drag link. Brakes are unique. Look for Bendix brakes, with which some of the earlier one have been retro-fitted. That's worth several hundred dollars extra. All in all, its a much heavier duty pickup and they are hard to wear out. With care it'll likely outlast any of us.

Spot on, Tommy! Here's my unrestored '49 3804 (the Stovebolt.com flagship ) working today. It is a much happier truck with some weight in the back. Huck brakes and bias plys even ...

3800's rock!

That's unrestored?! Wow. But glad to see the inside of the tailgate is more scratched up than mine.

Now thats a sharp 3800 John

Bill -- That could very well be the case. I have seen two earlier MY 1-tons (see pics below) that were duallie pickups. The '46 is owned by Jim Carter and is a beautiful restoration. It is very factory.

Not sure about the '38. It appears to be a factory job and missing its fender extensions.

I have never seen, smelt nor heard of an AD factory 1-ton Duallie. The data book would tell us that they were not made.

John-

The Jim Carter truck MAY be factory, but the fit and finish on the '38 has me doubting that it came from the factory. Would the factory have put "tubs" on the inside of the bed?

No particular knowledge on my part, just an opinion.

You raise a valid question, Bill. I think the truck may have been a 1.5-ton, too. An after-market bed then?

Hopefully Jim can bring his truck to the KC Roundup to tell us more?

Don

To further settle the point ...

Pulled the "hub cap" off one of my front wheels today at the show and grabbed a shot of the actual hub cap. the 3804's (or any of the SRW 1-tons) have the press in cap.