The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Anybody running 17" wheels on 3/4 ton & 3 sp?

Hey all,

Am finally getting back to Stovebolts after dalliances with some other stuff...

Am going to be resurrecting (for the third time) Grandad's old '54 3/4 ton.

I drove it for about 10,000 miles while I was in high-school, and remember it getting winded above 50 mph.

I don't plan on doing much heavy-hauling with it anymore, and was thinking about trying some of the stock 17" wheels on it, to see if it will deal with the highway better...

Had anyone tried running 17" wheels on a 3/4 ton (4.57 rear) with a 3-speed tranny? Am keeping the stock 235. Will it still be able to drag itself around?

(I noticed that most old Bolts with the 17" wheels seem to have the 4-speed and probably the 5.13 punkin...)


Thanks for your thoughts...


Frank 54

I think you'd be better off swappin out the 4.57 for a 4.10 or 4.11. I did that on my '54, which has 16.5" wheels. I'll be able to cruise @ 60-65 mph once I get the steering tightened up.

my 50 3/4 ton is a 4 speed. i don't know how much the gearing with a 3 speed in conjunction with the different rear end gearing helps, but mine definitely runs out of steam at 50mph. if you're not loading it much anymore i think i'd look at the rear end swap to accommodate the tire size/road speed you're looking for.

maybe you already know this but you may want to check patrick's for some gearing options for the rear.

make sure your steering and brakes are up to the task before you test the speed limit...

Tlorber,

can you tell us what tires you are running on the 16.5s ? I am thinking about this option as they sell a tire for that rim that is 35" in diameter.