The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts 1-1/2 ton or 2 ton?

Finally got the engine finished and back in the '42 (the original 235, bored .060" over). Few adjustments to make yet, and some lighting issues to sort out, then hope to get it out on the open road for a good test.

We believe it's a 1-1/2 ton, but I've seen references to them being offered in a 2-ton model. I'd love to figure out is if it really is a 1-1/2 ton, or a 2 ton. Can anyone offer insights as to how I can determine the difference?

Edit: The data plate on the cowl is a bit hard to read, but it appears to state: "Without governor 11500 lbs.", "With governor 13500 lbs."
Edit #2: After taking a couple more pictures of the data plate from different angles, I was able to zoom in enough to barely make out (thank you iPhone 14 Pro camera!) the very faint stamping of Chassis number of "20OS10 1314", and based on https://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/models/series2.htm, it actually maps out to a 1946 (not 1942 as registered in OR) 1-1/2 ton. Also, my FIL just found in an old box, the registration cards from the previous owner in CA, and those show 1946.

There were no 2 ton trucks in 1942, according to the 1929-1950 Master Parts List. 2 ton trucks were listed starting in 1946.

Kent

Thank you! I also just found tidbits about the passenger door lock placement, and rear window mounting that indicate it's a '46, and coupled with the "Edit #2" I just made to my post, the 3rd and 4th characters of the Chassis number appear to be "OS", which indicates a '46 1-1/2 ton. With the 235, 4-speed trans, and 3-speed Brown-Lipe aux. trans (mid-frame), it ought to pull just about anything.

1.5 ton trucks have CI hubs that unscrew to reach the wheel bearings. Two ton trucks have a stamped cover held on with bolts that provides access to wheel bearings.

Ed

Thank you!

Trucks built before the War had different front fenders than those built after the War. Steel was still in short supply so they saved a little steel on the front fenders after the War. The two trucks below are GMC, but GMC used the same front fenders as Chev in those years. The one on the left is a Pre-War and the one on the right is a Post-War. Your fenders appear to be Post-War.

GMC also had full width front fenders on some trucks, one school bus, one on normal truck. Handy when converting to full width front 4wd axle. Never found any ID marks on vehicle?
Never saw on small trucks, only 1.5 ton and larger with 20” wheels.

Ed

Mdreed,
I have been reading and researching ever since I purchased mine up in union, way back in 2020. It's numbers are:

20 OS I0 1724. 160"

It has the bolted hubcaps up front. Four speed trans and a Watson Brown lope 3spd aux trans. Fish plates, and a heavy duty single speed rear axle with the largest size tires that were offered by Chevy in Post war 45-46 prior to the strike. The data plate shows 14000 gvw. So, after doing some reading, depending on GVW and other items listed. For mine at least, and I am only making a wag at it, an auxiliary trans, single speed rear axle were offered through Truckstell. For the GVW puts it up in the 6300-6400S area. Not sure what the "S" at the end of that means.

We had a '47 GMC stubby bus (though I think it was really a '46) that was what you'd call today a 1 ton chassis, it had 16" wheels. It also had bolt on flat covers over the wheel bearings.. and a whole lot of nasty old long fiber wheel bearing grease packed into its ball bearings!!

Chevrolet Trucks For 1946 (Original brochure someone scanned and posted on line).

In the hopes it may shed a little more light on the question, here's some info I found looking through both the GM Heritage Data PDFs, a couple different Chevy Master Parts Books and the associated Chevy Truck Shop manuals covering the 1946 trucks.

1 - There were 2 different Series "Designs" according to the Parts and Shop Manual Model Identification tables (GM Heritage PDF only lists the 2nd Series identifiers for unknown reasons). The 1946 "First Design" used the letters "OS" to indicate a 160" wheelbase Utility 1-1/2 ton truck in the serial number sequence. The same size/model truck designated as a 1946 "2nd Series" is identified by the letters "PK" in the serial number sequence. In both cases these trucks were assigned Model# 4400.

2 - Both series 1946 1-1/2 ton trucks could be ordered with a 2 ton heavy duty front axle (same as used on COEs and School Bus Chassis). Those heavy duty axles were identified as the front wheel hub cap is attached to the hub with 6 1/4"-20x7/8" hex head bolts on a 3-7/8" diameter bolt circle. As far as I can tell, the addition of the heavy duty front axle is the basis for the increased GVW rating of 14,000 vs the original GVW rating of 13,000.

3 - The "S" identifier that is mentioned above by TwinStickOS only applies to the 6100 and 6400 Series 2 Ton Trucks. Those have the initial Serial Number ID Letters "PV" and "PW", so that special designator doesn't apply to the "OS" ID trucks.

Decoding MDReed's truck serial#: 20 = Van Nuys CA Plant / OS = 160" WB 4400 Utility 1-1/2 ton truck / 10 = October (build month) / 1314 = 314th 1946 1st Series truck built at the Van Nuys plant.

Decoding TwinstickOS's truck serial#: 20 = Van Nuys CA Plant / OS = 160" WB 4400 Utility 1-1/2 ton truck / 10 = October (build month) / 1724 = 724th 1946 1st Series truck built at the Van Nuys Plant.

Here are additional links to info resources on your trucks:

1946 Chevrolet Truck Data PDF

1929-54 Chevy Master Parts Book - Serial Number Data (1946 Truck info is in lower left of page)

1946 Chevrolet Construction Trucks PDF (Includes lots more specialty equipment data not included in TwinstickOS's linked brochure)

Hope you find this information helpful.

Thank you, I stand corrected. Good to know. Was also wondering if there was supposed to be a second data plate that showed the model number? Besides the one with serial# and GVW. The holes are there, just no plate.

To my knowledge there was not a 2nd plate with a specific model number. That data was provided by deciphering the ID number. Here's a pic I snagged showing the single plate with a space and holes above it for a 2nd possible plate. Nothing there in this pic, but perhaps some of our 1946 Chevy truck owners will chime in with pics or info from their trucks.

A little more Information.
1 - The 1946 "First Design" were called interim trucks. They are a continuation of the regular 1942 models . They are not Post War trucks. The reason there is no data book is because you use the 42 book. The OS and OR base trucks came with a 216 engine BF or RPO 235 BG. The COE came with a 216 engine BJ or RPO 235 BL.

2 - The 46 4400 trucks have a max GVW rating 13000 and the 42 have a max GVW rating 14000.

3 - Going by the Assembly Plant code 20 and month code 10, both MDReed's and TwinstickOS's trucks were built at the Van Nuys plant in October of 1948.
The Van Nuys Assembly Plant open on December 1, 1947.

Jimgmc, you meant 45 there at the end, correct?

NO, Van Nuys Assembly Plant open on December 1, 1947.

I think they were a car assembly plant only, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick.

Tracking, thank you.

I see the heavy duty channel type front bumper which first arrived in 1946. Lets see some full side view pictures of it? As mentioned earlier, if it has the heavier duty front axle that has that has the front bearing grease cap that bolts on, it's a 2 ton. Nice looking truck.