The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts More pictures, making room for the BIG block

The Truck that Grant Built
Ok thought I would spend some time to tell you about my 56 Chevy. First off it’s not your usual hot rod project although it will be a hot rod it’s a dump truck. A 1956 Chevrolet 6100 two ton. Plans are for it to be a showy working hot rod dump truck. I found this truck about 50 miles south west of my home in Roy WA. I t was advertised in the local auto trader for $1600. So headed out in a south westerly direction till I came to the town of Elma WA. where the truck was currently living. As I looked over the truck I found it to be in much better shape than I could have ever dreamed. The truck was covered with green from the trees that leered overhead and had no battery in it though over all in great shape. The guy told me that everything on the truck was functional but naturally I wanted to see for my self. He had a tractor near by so I convinced him to let me borrow it’s battery. Wow it fired right up and purred like a kitten. The box went up and down it drove around the yard fine, had to have it. I wrote a check and told him I would be back in a week or two.
Not even a week had passed and I could not wait any longer. So I pulled of the job I was on early, “oh I might add I drive dump truck” rushed home to drop my pup trailer and hook up to my {tilt top} equipment trailer and headed for Elma. Three hours later we had the old girl loaded, the now previous owner signed over the title and I was headed home with my prize.
With her at home the next few weeks of spare time where spent blasting her with the pressure washer. The more I cleaned the more I found her condition to be. Well just say to my amazement this truck has zero rust, even the battery tray was found to be sound and rust free. I put her on blocks and pulled the wheels and tires. Sent the wheels out for powder coating and had them shoed with new 10.00 22.5 rubber nice ribbed steers in the front and a heavy lug traction for the rear. I striped the interior and ordered all new body seals, a polyvinyl floor mat, glass, power window and door lock kits, and too much other stuff too list, from LMC Truck.
That brings us to where I am at today. In the mock up stage. The plans are too update the drive train and comfort factor to modern day. Originally the truck had manual steering that at some point in time someone added a Vickers power assist ram to the manual system. This system is not up to my standards so I am replacing it with a Saginaw power box from an International Scout and changing it to crossover steering. The stock power comes from a 261 straight six that will give way to a 496ci stroked big block Chevy. An Edelbrock performer rpm pro-flo EFI. will help bring the old truck into the twenty-first century . With the addition of big power plans for new heat and A/C are in the works. The original SM420 trans will give its space too a Fuller FSO 6406A six speed overdrive. For now I will be keeping the drum brakes all around however a complete rebuild and plans for a hydro-boost and modern master cylinder are happening now. After all this comes together and works how I want it I’ll take it all apart and start on the paint body and chrome.
When finished this truck will be asked to safely and comfortably pull a twenty thousand pound trailer on a daily basis.
Progress Updates
Today 12/27/06 I fabricated a model of the steering arm that will bolt to the right hand spindle via the upper brake backing plate bolts. If I had a Bridgeport mill I would make the arm myself but I don’t, so I will send the model that I made out of wood, the spindle and bolts with my uncle who will build me the piece I need.
New pictures of steering system at my webshots site (LINK BELOW)

Hy HevyHauler, that sounds like a great project, got any pictures you can post? Good luck with the rest of it, and Merry Christmas to all.

3B just click the link below.

looks like a good project.
In many ways like mine.
Keep us updated.

Merry Christmass Grigg. Yes ideas HAVE come from you. Like the Scout steering box. I will also be using hydro boost brakes. I have used the factory axle and have fabbed a steering arm for the right side atatching to the upper backing plate bolts. I will be adding pictures of this to my webshots page soon.

What a great looking project! That is going to be one awesome dump truck that non will have seen the likes of!

The original post above has been updated and there are new pics at my webshots. Take a look as the steering system gos together.

Link below

Pulled the hubs and spindles to day. Found I have bad wheel bearings. Got on the phone looking for replacements,can't find them. They are Hyatt part number 131224Z for the outers and 125298WA for the inners. If anyone know any outher brands numbers I would be for ever greatful. the bearing houses show nothing under the Hyatt number and have no cross ref. Napa and about 20 other parts stores have nothing. Please HELP.

Hey neighbor, fellow Washingtonian here with an eerily similar truck. Got myself a '56 GMC 370 series duece dump as well, picked it up in Stanwood last month. Not in as good condition tho, has been a farm truck it's whole life, but I plan on restoring her & makin into a transporter for my other money pit.

Anyway, have a freind in Bellignham that gave me a tip about a company up in Surrey BC that might have parts for the beast. He told me the one trip he made there impressed the hell out of him, they have all kinds of parts in stock for a wide range of years & may have a line on those bearings.
It's called 99 truck parts & equipment Ltd. Mapped it & the place is real easy to find, no website tho, just the info link I posted there.
As for the bearings, if those folks cant help a good bearing house should be able to take the dimensions & type and find you a suitable replacement.

Let me know what you plan on doing with that inline 6 when you pull it, I might be interested in it if you'd like to offload it. Lord knows my motor needs some help & looking at the shape of your truck I'd bet the motor is a might stronger than mine.

James

Thanx James and welcome to the Stovebolt page.

Make sher that you drop down on the page and visit the Event section in the Lounge. look up the Pacific Northwest Stovebolt Rally.

As far as the 261 from my truck gos it,s kinda promist to Tri5truking although I havet talked with him for some time.

I hope to hit the bearing house after newyears with the parts so that they can find me something. The guys at Kaman in Tacoma are real good. They are going to look into a differant iner bearing and seal that will change the hub to a oil bath system.

Oh We like pics here so we will be awaiting thier arival

Grant,

In case you are neaby ... I need some bigger images to go with your Gallery submission. That dump looks great in the Webshots. We can't have a dump picture only 1" wide!!

Send 'em to me as soon as you get a chance. Your page is ready to fly!

Thanks,
Peggy

New update 1/3/07 Not a lot of progress in the past week things have slowed do to money. I have striped the front axle to the beam. As soon as funds allow I will send the hubs out to be measured for new bearings and seals that will change them to oil bath hubs. The spindles will first go with the wood model I made of the steering arm to my uncle. After Uncle Billy has worked his magic the spindles will go out for new bushings and kingpins to be fit.
It’s not like I don’t have enough to do before spending more money, it’s just hard to get motivated right now. The heater needs to come out for the firewall pad and floor mat instillation. I have old style cab lights that need to mounted to the roof. Oh and my shop is a pig sty. I sure hope to have a better update next week.

Here is a little on the transmission that I plan on using. They have been used in Top-Kick and 4500 chevys for some time now. These trucks are basicly the modern version of my 56 6100.

All but AutoShift

Example: FS-5306A
First & Second Digits FS = Fuller Synchronized
Third Digit x 100 = Nominal Torque Capacity
Fourth Digit = Design Level
Fifth & Sixth Digits 06 = Forward Speeds
Sixth Digit A = Ratio Set

Above is a table to identify Fuller transmissions and below is the gear ratios for a Fuller FSO 6406
Gear Ratio
Sixth 0.78
Fifth 1.00
Fourth 1.59
Third 2.52
Second 4.13
First 7.06

So far this is the transmission that I plan on using. I am still looking for information on its weight and length. I do know that it has been used behind big block Chevys though.

I just bought a 55 6400 that is almost a spitting image of yours, except wooden grain box. I am real interested in your project, as most of what you are doing I would like to do. Exciting times....

Welcome to the bord nodanick I tend to get a little carried away with my projects. I am sure that I will have a good 15 to 20 thou in it befor I am done. But I should be every bit as nice to drive and reliable as a new $50,000 4/5 yard dump,and way cooller
The guys here on the Bolt are geat you are in the right spot for sure.

Just a little update on my 56 pulled the radiator core support and left hand inner fender well so I could begin the mockup on the steering box mounting. At first I was a little scared that the box was not going to work, do to pitman arm interference with the bottom of the frame rail. However I found that if I build a mount like the one that Grigg built for his. It will space it from the side of the frame enough so that with a drop pitman arm everything will clear just fine. I took some new pictures and left some links to them and some of Griggs to show how it will all work when done. Griggs and mine are very much alike. Some of the differences being Griggs truck obviously is an AD and mine is a TF. Grigg replaced his entire axle witch moved his center link from the bottom rear of the axle to the top front. So his draglink goes part way across and attaches to the center link. I retained the stock axle so my draglink will go all the way across and attach to a steering arm that I fabricated on the right side spindle. The last difference is I am going to move the mounting of my box so that the output shaft of the box is as close to center of the axle as I can. This should give a bit of a mechanical advantage having the travel of the pitman arm and the steering arm/spindles move in the same ark.

Here are some links to Griggs steering system

I give special thanks to Grigg. The steering system was a huge stumbling block for me. If it weren’t for Grigg I would still be falling down on it.

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1484187233080251109WGIFBu
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1484181543080251109EhfMez
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1484188642080251109QyWfxG
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1484203305080251109hWcwIV
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1484205568080251109KvyCLX
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1484207021080251109xOHMld
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1484227013080251109fWBVpW

For mine go to my Webshots link below. They will be to the end of the green 56 dump truck pics
If I knew how I would add the links in to the text where appropriate.

you've done some real fantastic work on your rig and i feel as I'm on the same page, i rehab buildings for a living and refuse to buy anything new due to price and over-engineering, my daily is a '71 c-10 and i have a 48 1.5T loadmaster i just picked up i'll be using to get refuse to the dump and pick up material in, my wife drives a 62 F@rd Falcon daily, bes tof luck to you, i'll be keeping up with your project

Went out and got the u-joints for the steering shaft and installed them today. Took some pictures but it was to dark already and they didn't turn out. I'll be taking some more tomorrow so stay tuned. I need to make a drag link and get my steering arm machined still. I will be fitting the inner fender soon not really sure what I am going to do here yet it needs to be trimmed to fit around the new steering box. I am thinking about TIG welding a little box to the fender well to cover the steering box on the wheel and tire side. It's coming along slowly but surely.

Oh thank you Vonguinness glad you like it. Hope to see some pics of yours soon.

Looks like you are well on your way to having steering.

What kind of u-joints did you end up getting?

What is the pitman arm from, a scout, or?

Grigg

I ended up using Borgeson joints. Don't know what the pitman arm is from. Something I had hanging around the shop. I did have to put it in the vice heat and bend it. The steering arm that I am going to use is kind of like the one from CCP but instead of coming striate off the drivers side it bolts to the passenger side and makes a 90* toward the front. I had to do that because I used my stock axle and my center link is still at the lower back of the axle. I think with the scout II box and the steering arm moved to the passenger side this steering system is superior to CCPs system.
Thanx for the idea of the scout box Grigg.

Oops I guess that’s CPP. Just a little dyslexic

Here’s the pictures I promised
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2378135140096773078HyJGGk
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2108058950096773078BVTTKX
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2766287490096773078lXUtEk
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2042094690096773078aYXUcM

A nice surprise when I got home from work today. On the door step was a big box from ABS Power Brake with my hydro boost, master cylinder, remote reservoir, and mount, in it. Looks to be a finely engineered piece. I'll be posting pictures of it and it's installation soon.

I now have an E-Z wire kit coming and just dropped a core 454 off at Buds Machine and Engine in Lakewood Washington to be built. It will be getting a stroked crank, a roller cam, and a heavy dosage of Buds magic. This should be one strong running 496 CI Chevy. Hopefully about 450 HP and around 500 or so pound feet of torque.
Haven’t had the time yet to install the hydro boost unit I talked about above but the truck is really starting to come together.

Today was a very good day. I went and gave my buddy a visit at his parking lot cleaning business. They use Anthony sweeper trucks and I had noticed this summer that those trucks had the same 22.5 6lug wheels that my 56 uses. They also have big 15” disc brakes. So I crawled around the wreaked trucks that He has out back with a tape. I found that the axle beam is 4” to wide. But he gave me a bad spindle that I brought home and used to see if it would be feasible to mount those spindles to my axle beam. Bingo this is going to work great. I will have to take my beam and the new spindles to the machine shop to have the beam reamed for bigger king pins that the new spindles use. Wow heavier duty spindles with bigger bearings that are readily available. Hubs with real oil seals not just a felt wiper for grease. Really big disc brakes. But it gets better than that he is going to be scrapping those trucks and is giving me the hole works, it’s good to have friends. I told him that it may be worth his wile to save all the spindles hubs and brakes when he scraps out the trucks. So if any of you are interested let me know. I told him you Guys may be willing to give him a little cash for what he was going to send to the scrapper.

Then I took a trip to see the machinist that is building my motor and he thinks that it should only take him about 10 to 15 days to get it all finished up.

But wait there’s more shortly after I returned home again the UPS man shows up with the wiring kit from E-Z Wire. Man things are really rolling now.

I'd be interested in a set for the front of my ol beast. He might find several folks interested in those wheels too

Ordered a March serpentine belt kit water pump alternator power steering and A/C drive. And a set of Cerama-coated headers for the big block, from Jegs today.
The rest of the weekend will be spent cleaning the shop so I can get the truck inside for the real work to begin.

Has anyone else managed to fill a perfectly good rather large shop with so much crap that it is unusable? Where did I get all this stuff from anyway :blat: .

Stopped by Bud’s machine today and the motor should be coming home next week .
Ordered up a Rock Ram steering ram and pump that will support the box the ram and the hydoboost brakes from AGR Steering .
Haven’t heard from Rich about the big disc brakes form that sweeper truck he is on vacation till the 26th :rolleyes: .
I have been working hard on the 64 in the meantime .

Talked to Rich the one with the sweepers and he is really busy and hasn't had a chance to get to scrapping those trucks. But he is still saving the front axle assemblies for me when he gets to it

Short update I picked up the 496 stroker and have some pictures. It is a full roller motor and should put out about 450 HP and around 550 lds of torque. Here it is with the porcelain coated headers. I have also included a picture of the pulleys from the March serpentine setup it includes drives for water pump, alternator, A/C and power steering.
I may put this motor in my 64 till I finish the 56 beings is the 64 is being used now and the little small block is really being worked hard pulling around in excess of 30,000 GCVW although it dose better than I thought it would. Once the 56 is done it will get the big block and I will build a small block 383 stroker for the 64.
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2204208050096773078ECWaoT
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2969960380096773078eLPdsR
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2281729290096773078XfFhgx
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2092800840096773078WkADds
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2852409640096773078VKgtxq

Well the truck has finally taken its rightful place in my shop. Today I pulled the 261 out and put the 496 in its place for a trial fit and it looks as if it's going to take some firewall modifications. I’ll post new pictures tomorrow.

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2203418750096773078xHtIRf
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2116948240096773078UOFriQ
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2776729930096773078mePCCk
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2840605220096773078MebXTH
Ok heres a few pic's not great ones but as you can see I am going to have some firewall mod's to do

A little more work on the truck today checking fit and clearances. Headers are a little tight at the rear motor mount cross member I am going to have some firewall work and will need to fab some motor mounts the ones I have are not going to work.
I need the tin for the bell housing both the piece that goes between it and the motor and the bottom splash pan.
All and all looks as if every thing is going to work well together a few minor setbacks but nothing that is not to be expected with a project this big.

Well got the space I needed for the valve covers to go on and have enough room to run an HEI distributor too boot. Still need to fabricate some motor mounts, and it will come back out and in a few more times I am sure of that. This is just test fit time. Put all the accessories on the front of the engine with the exception of the A/C pump witch I don’t have yet, all that will have to come apart as well for detailing. The entire engine bay still needs to be thoroughly cleaned, painted, and detailed before the final assembly. Here are a few pictures of how it looks so far before I pull it apart again, well I’ll most likely fit the core support radiator and fan shroud so I can work on those motor mounts first. Anyway here’s some pictures for ya-aaall.
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2008997720096773078MfaEcw
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2807371180096773078mRSrkz
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2621987970096773078OBzxvq
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2660843520096773078uHmkbk
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2180297340096773078VwimkW

The motor looks huge in there. Clean and powerful. I'm impressed! Keep it up.

A hot rod dump trump. Isn't life wonderful!

Seriously awesome truck you're building.
Have an exhaust system in mind yet?
Can't help wonder'in if your going to let her sound off like a hot rod, or a toned down wolf in sheep skin.