The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts 2 part question.

1947 5 window big bolt flatbed. Picking up Wednesday. It is all there, and running, I havent had the chance to 'dig in' yet.
Is there any safety issue with the older rims and tires or should I think about getting newer wheels and tires? (assuming the tires aren't rotten, worn or cracked) I don't see my truck ever going over 55mph, even if I put a sbc in it. I just don't like to drive a large truck very fast.
Next question. What is the #1 upgrade people feel should be made first? Is there one area these old toads are lacking in? Paint and body will be the easy part for me, I'll be learning the mechanics as I go.
I am pumped about this, I've been looking for about 3 years now and it looks like I've found my 4th child (or 2nd wife) -which will cost more?

Hey littlekings, Welcome to the Bolt! There is nothing wrong with the original style (split I'm guessing) rims. A lot will depend on what your going to do to the truck. You might have trouble finding somebody at your local car tire place to change the tires but most big truck places have the equipment and brains to do the job. As far as what to do first, make it safe. Unless it's a running driving truck right now, go through the entire brake system before you even think of taking it out on the road, this includes the hard lines. Being as your fairly new here I won't be to harsh but get some pictures so we can see it!

Here's what I've done and plan to do to the '54 6400 I picked up several weeks ago.

1. Clean fuel tank & replace sender unit
2. Flush fuel lines
3. New 1/0 battery cables
4. Bleed brakes
5. Rebuilt carb
6. Repair driveshaft noise (carrier bearing)
7. Rebuild brakes
8. Rewire
9. New tires

Items 1 - 4 were done in preparation for driving it home.

Item 5 was done the day after I got it home. I was showing the truck to a friend and had the hood up and started it so he could hear it run. A few minutes after it started, he started yelling to shut it off. The carb float had stuck and fuel was pouring out of the carb and over the quickly warming exhaust manifold.

I'd consider that a priority safety item. Most of the old truck I've owned or helped others with, have the same problem with the carb and tend to leak fuel. NAPA had the kit in stock for it.

The brakes are next and I intend to replace all of the steel lines and hoses as well as rebuild/replace the cylinders. The lines rust from the inside and can fail when you least expect it.

The wiring in these is originally insulated with a rubber compound that now crumbles whenever it is touched. As you work on the truck and move the wiring, it tends to expose more bare wire making for another bad situation.

The multipiece rims on the truck can be a safety hazard if they are heavily rusted or serviced by someone ignorant of whats involved in doing the job. A tire shop the does a good deal of truck or agricultural business should be able to take care of them for you.

Good luck and enjoy that new truck!

The first question should be, what is your intended use for the truck? Will it be a museum piece/occasional hayride wagon? Stay original, then. Will it be a working truck, doing the same jobs as a more current model? Then the biggest alteration you'll want to make (sooner or later) will be the differential ratio. If you start by replacing the entire rear axle with something from a later model then you'll have bigger, stronger brakes as well as a lower OTR engine speed, which will substantially help your fuel economy. Radial tires, absolutely, on a road truck. Tubeless tires will necessitate updated rims, but will run cooler. Bigger, better mirrors. Brighter lights, which might mean a 12V electrical system(it sounds like you might be doing that anyway). The engine is less important than any of those things, on a working truck. Here's a bad pic of what I thonk of as good mirrors. I can swing 'em out to see around a wide load.

[img]http://thumb11.webshots.net/t/59/459/9/93/66/2193993660096215731StgIlR_th.jpg[/img]

Brakes it the #1 thing. It doesn't matter if it goes, if it doesn't stop you're in for a bad day (& yes, I speak from expereince!). I did a full rebuild, all new lines, hoses, master cylender, & front slaves, and then I rebuilt the rear slaves and the parking brake.

As was said before, if you have split rims take them to a truck or farm equipment shop, most common tire places flat out prohibit working on splits. I lucked out and the truck tire shop at a local chain still had a couple older guys that knew what to do with them, & I hear they had a lot of fun teaching the young guys how it was done back in the bad 'ol days.

Wiring is a definate must do at some time, if you plan on making it 12V, may as well!

As for what will cost more, a child, wife, or truck,... Well, it may cost you your wife, but otherwise they can be a pretty even split. If you have the time to look for parts & can get a good deal on them it's not too bad at all.

I would definately check the brakes for sure. I am lucky to be alive after taking the rear drum off my big bolt. Ewwwwww close one.

Welcome aboard, same suggestions as the rest. Brakes formost, then you can mess with the rest. I run the stock rims and tube tires, it seems fine to me. I dont like running much above 55mph either. Its a rough ride but Iam getting used to it. My wiring is falling apart too, still plenty to do. You'll be surprised how many thumbs up and smiles you'll get going down the road, good luck with yours.

You mentioned that it was already running. If it's been running all along, you can probably disregard this. But, if you just got it running now, you may want to pull the gas tank and clean it--or at the very least, drain out all the old fuel, and replace it with fresh. You won't believe the havoc that can result from running a bunch of old varnish gas into your engine.

Brakes if you are building a museum piece you can do fine with a rebuild of the stock system if you are going to work the truck go to a duel master cylinder system.
As for your rims the same thing but just because you have tube type dose not mean that you have widow makers. The widow maker wheels split in the middle and the wheel becomes two halves where as the good tube type wheels have a one or two piece ring that comes off one side of the wheel.