The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Any ideas on building a custom stove bolt dually

I am gathering ideas on building a stove bolt 1 ton dually. I am thinking a 68-72 or earlier truck on newer dually chassis. I am going to use this truck to haul my car trailer. I will be doing a lot of highway so I need overdrive. I am thinking of stretching the cab to a extended cab ( not crew ) and a short bed. Any way, wondering if any one here has or has built a dually custom of any vintage?

My 48 is a dually, and somewhat custom, has newer engine, transmission, axles, disc brakes, and PS.
I started with the original frame and body and went form there.

I don't care much for a whole frame swap, as the front fenders don't fit over the wheels on the newer wider frames/axles. But really you just want a new truck complete as is but with an old body, if tires that don't fit the fenders are OK with you than a cab swap may be what you need??

Grigg

I figure if I built a truck form the 60/70's I could adapt what I want to do with out a chassis swap. I really want a dually with good brakes, reasonable power to pull a 7,000 lb trailer ( probably loaded with 4 to 5 k lbs) and over drive for long highway hauls.

Sounds like you can just find a stock truck then, with a strong V8 and brakes in good shape, possibly a front disc conversion and you're ready to go. For what you describe you may be able to get away without an OD transmission, just gear the rear axle to suit. Or an NV4500 may be a good OD swap?

Grigg

Posibly a nv4500 if I can find one cheap would like to go with a 400 auto but the add on overdrives are way too expensive!This is going to be a budget built truck. First I have to find a solid truck to build, up here in the RUST BELT stove bolts are hard to find. Most trucks over 1/2 ton were used up and crushed years ago. That is why I left myself open to many generations of truck. That is also why I was thinking a 1/2 ton cab on a newer (73-87) 1 ton chassis the 73-87 style 1 tons are more plenty full around here (although diminishing), but I just like the older style. You guys in the south don't know how lucky you are!

Most everything around here is a pile of rust..
I traveled to SD to fetch my 48 2 ton with no rust, and it still cost less than a rusty one around here.

If you're able to travel it opens up a whole bunch of better trucks to choose from, and may not cost any more than staying local. Always best to start off with the most rust free truck you can possibly find.
Put a wanted add in the swap meet section with what you are looking for, that's how I found my 2 ton.

Grigg

I saw a early 1940's Chevy today on my way to vote and it was a dually. It looked like it was on a fairly new 1 ton frame with alluminum deep dish wheels & the bed had been customized for the frame & suspension.I never saw it around here before today, but its a sharp looking truck.

You should locate a 1 1/2 ton body to graft over a modern 1 ton chassis. That way you won't have to deal with the track wideth of the smaller truck body. This swap is popular with the COE trucks especially. The bigger trucks are usually easier to find and are in better shape since they got used a lot less, especially by the farmers,
Scott

Don't go to early though, an AD 48-53(or 55 first) bigbolt is still a good bit narrower than a modern truck.

Grigg

This looks pretty good to me. It's a 1 1/2 or 2 ton on a 1 ton chassis. The conventionals should be the same width,
Scott

That truck is really nice, I would love a coe but they are hard to find reasonably. Would I be happy with a smallblock towing 7,000 lbs? My stock 1990 2500 hd with 5.7 throttle body, with turbo 400 and 4.10's (4x4)is way under powered on the hills, I know if I built one it would have much more torque, probably carburated. I was originally thinking a big block or 6.2/6.5 turbo diesel? Any one ever used a tall deck engine like a 366?

rust master,

I'm in the process of building a '59 Chev 3800 (1 ton) dually 4x4 using a Duramax diesel with a 4L80E transmission and a NP-205 transfer case.

I'm using the original frame and springs. The front axle is a Dana 60 out of an '87 GMC 3500 while the rear is a Dana70 out of a '93 3500 cube van (both 4:10 gears).

I will be using the original 9' (yes, nine foot long) bed on this truck and will be widening both rear fenders to cover the dually wheels.

You can see some of my pics at http://community.webshots.com/user/Lane9999

Lane

Do check out Lane's pictures, he does some nice work,
Grigg