The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts 1947 AD Flatbed

So about a week ago, I heard about a Free 1947 Chevy flatbed. So I spent the day digging it out, then had it towed home for $175. I don't know exactly what size it is, it's at least a 1.5 ton. Right now my plans include getting it running. The motor turns over, which is a plus. But I think I am leaning towards hotrod big rig. I believe the engine is a 216 I6. The owner hasn't given me the title yet, but he's been busy trying to clear off the property, since he sold it and everything is sitting on a frozen lake.
I was wondering if anyone knew if there are any kits to change the gearing in the rear differential of the 1-speed rear end.
I also wanted to know if anyone knew of rebuild kits that would regear the Muncie SM420, preferably turning 4th into an OD. I know that there are over drive kits, and 5 speed trannies but I want to keep things as cheap as possible, while saving myself some additional labor.

Don't get me wrong, I do love hauling huge loads, but I don't have that huge of a load to haul, and I like highway speeds and somewhat decent fuel economy more, But I love huge trucks.

Lastly, does anyone know what years and what vehicles the 5 lug front, 10 lug rear wheels were used on and how hard it could be to find 1 peice wheels. I've heard a few stories of cutting people in half and quite frankly I like my legs, or my left side.

Thanks,
-Destry

P.S. I'll have tons of more questions later, when I get to disk brakes, engine swaps, etc.

Don't know of any kits to upgrade the bigger trucks rear gearing. haven't heard of any for the transmission either but they may exist. Auxilary transmissions such as Brown lipe are added for overdrive. Your truck should be ten bolt wheels front and rear with only five used on the front. Grigg has found there are some small bolt pattern 22.5 wheels that were used on some late 50's task force trucks that would get you 1 piece tubeless wheels. try the vin buster on this site to decode the number on the Id plate to determine what you have

There are also 19.5" wheels that fit your bolt pattern. They are easy to find, look on the 90's Chevy 3500HD and other similar chassis like a P30. They are tubeless one piece wheels with a largest tire size of 8R19.5 that is about 33" tall. To get a tire comparable to 8.25X20 you need the hard to find 22.5" wheels from a 56 1.5 ton Chevy. Then you can run 9R22.5 tires at about 38" tall.

There are no rebuild kits that allow you to turn a SM420 in to an OD transmission.

If you want to go fast you will need more power.
When you decide what engine you want then you can consider transmissions that are an easy fit and offer OD.
If you don't have or want an OD transmission you will have to swap your rear axle for something with fast gears, somewhere between 3.54 or 4.56, depending on tire size, engine RPM, and desired speed.

There are also several choices of auxiliary transmissions to get you OD, such as Saturn, Gear Vendors, and the old Spicer 5831 and similar.

Grigg

Welcome to the Stovebolt Page! Next thing we need are pictures. Get some to Peggy real soon so we can all have a look. Do you know if this is a 47-late Advance Design or a 47-early art deco truck. Post the serial # from the ID plate.
Good luck
Edit - Sorry, I should have looked at the title of your post "47 AD flatbed". :rolleyes:

If you want to run highway speeds with that size truck, the 216 is not going to be able to fulfill your needs. And a overdrive would just lug it down
and you still would not go any faster.
We need to bear in mind that these trucks were designed in a time when the roads were not high speed interstates. And were never intended to run over 45 mph. You can sit that cab on a 2007 chassis, or relax and live life at a slower pace and drive the old trucks and stay off the busy highways and appreciate them for what they are.

Anything larger than a 1 ton, could also have a 235 Loadmaster engine in it.

Well...actually the 235 was standard only in the 2 ton 6000 series conventionals but was an option on 1.5 tons.

Guess I should have added that the 235ci. Loadmaster engine, was an option for the 1 1/2 ton 4000 series trucks. My low milage '49 4400, came optioned with the 235 Loadmaster engine.

Gents,
Have we determined yet if he has a 1-ton?

Welcome to the Stovebolt Page, Destry! Be sure to check out the other parts of the site. Use the menu bar at the top of the page.

As for whether or not you want to hop it up, you just have to ask yourself what you really want the truck for. If it's because you need to haul things, by the time you get done doing all the mods to carry big loads at highway speeds, you might as well have paid for a late model hauler.

If you think owning an old truck is cool and you enjoy them (as most of us do,) then why spoil it?

If you're into tinkering and re-engineering everything, then have at it. Grigg is making a career out of re-engineering his truck :p and having a ball (at least I assume he's enjoying himself...)

Oh and those rims? A lot of guys (including me) have been messing with them for years and still retain all their body parts in their original configuration. Like a lot of things, they're only dangerous if mishandled -- they don't suffer fools as lightly as more modern technology does...

Personally, I agree with 30-something above -- why not slow down and enjoy the ride?

But above all -- it's your truck -- do what makes you happy. We'll all support you either way.

V/R
John

Well I have found out, according to the Vin Decoder, that my truck is a 1947 2 ton 161 inch wheelbase truck, made in oakland california. The VIN is 6qw-1-2257.

Now, what I plan on doing with the truck is going through everything, rebuilding parts or replacing them as I go, all the while running the stock engine, which, I will take your guys words for and deem it the 235, makes more sense anyways. However, I do plan on putting a 400 small block v8 in it at some point, Don't get me wrong, I do like slowing things down and enjoying things for what they are, be it an old truck, or anything but something just seems so intriguing about a big bad truck. I want to be able to go fast and be loud and all things manly.

But as of right now, I'm gonna start taking apart the cab and doing some rust repairs, get everything up to primer. Since I'm taking auto body classes right now for highschool. All the while try to get that engine running, which I know will be loud, the exhaust is sitting on the bed right now, it goes down to the manifold, that's it. Plus I gotta clean out some dead mice. One in fact sitting on the exhaust manifold, another is in an old air cleaner that was in the cab. I know i'll find more though. Oh but it will be fun, and I will try to get some pictures of it up as soon as possible.
Thanks for all the information and your guys' input.
-Destry

Good Luck, have fun and be safe.

Destry- I have a 4 speed Saginaw transmission out of a 54 pickup with a 235 becoming available. Should bolt up. dale.hamilton@med.va.gov

I would be interested in that 4 speed saginaw and 235, but I already have a 4 speed saginaw, with a 272 Ford Y block on it. Yeah, I know, who'd do that? But seriously though, thanks for the offer Microbe but shipping from tennessee to alaska would be way too far out of my price range, where as I have a running 400 small block, that's why I said I'd probably use that.

Maybe I haven't heard the stories, but what's with the two or three piece rims cutting people in half?

Can we just weld the pieces together? Then I suppose there is problems putting the tires on and taking them off.

They can be very dangerous. Shops that work on them use a pipe cage.

Go to this like to read some safety tips.

http://www.vintagepowerwagons.com/products/wheels-hubs-drums/split-rim-safety.htm

I thought I would put up a picture on here.
<a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img61.imageshack.us/img61/2493/mytruck2vp6.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" /></a>
By the way, the previous owners brother had damaged the bumper, the truck was frozen to the ground one day and then the guy tried to move it but he tore the brakets off on the passenger side.

Destry, It makes me cold just looking at that picture. I can see how it could get frozen to the ground