The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline 1949 3/4 ton brake problem

Hi all,

I have been looking through the archives, but have not found this issue specifically. If it is there and I missed it, I apologize.

My problem is that I cannot find front brake drums (8 lug) for my 1949 Chev 3/4 ton. I was going to upgrade to disc, but I could not find the conversion kit for a 3/4 ton. So then I was going to stick to stock and rebuild the drum brakes, but cannot find the drums for the front (it will be a stock truck, no hot rodding).

Has anyone else had this problem? What did you decide to do? Where to find parts? I am an Industrial Tech teacher and the students who do not have their own cars to work on are helping out with this one so they have something to wrench on. I/we would really appreciate any help or ideas, as we are hitting a roadblock!

Thanks so much!
Erik

Welcome Erik,
Jim Carter's have them listed here. And thanks for letting the younger generation learn on your truck. Have fun and good luck
Dan

Those Huck drums are getting harder to find. You might try an ad in swapmeet forum here. Nobody makes an 8 lug disc brake kit...some have done the conversion themselves. The search function will turn up a lot.
You might also consider upgrading your front brakes to Bendix, which replaced the old Huck brakes on medium duty trucks in 1953. Parts are more available and they will also be 12". Your stock front brakes are 11".

Thanks Dan,

The only problem is that the front drums listed only go down to a '53 for a 3/4 ton. I am guessing (without actually ordering on and trying it) that a '53 will not go on a '49? Maybe they will? Does anyone know by chance?

Sorry wrong year. Here's the correct one.
Dan

Here is one for you all... what are the thoughts of swapping out the front 3/4 ton axle with a 1/2 ton axle? Parts and disc conversion kits are readily available for 1/2 tons. Have any of you tried this? Do you know by chance how the steering parts align between the two?

Thanks again,
Erik

Yes, I put a 1/2 ton axle on the front, then disc brakes, brake booster, S-10 rear. What a difference for a dailey driver.

Thanks for all of the info... I think that is the route we are going to go!

Erik

Sorry Dan, there are no front brake drums available for the Huck brakes. The one you’re looking at are for the Bendix brakes. The still offer rear drums for the Huck brakes though.
And Eric I’m afraid you’re out of luck, I’ve been looking for three years for new ones or even a pair of good front drums but haven’t found any yet. When the time comes when all the front Huck drums have been turned to the max and worn out again, changing over to a Bendix brake may be the only option we will have.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I think for a close to stock fix, changing to Bendix drums is the way to go. To do this you put a 53 axle on and buy new drums. I think that is what Denny is describing.

The Bendix brake assembly ('53-'59) is easily retrofitted to the earlier axle. So, you don't necessarily have to change out the whole axle.

Well actually that wasn't exactly what I had in mind Fred, but that's an even better option that you came up with. That is as long as we can find early 50's 3/4 ton axles.

I wish I had a Bendix front brake drum, I'd like to do some comparison to the huck front drum and see if it couldn't be modified to fit some how. I's also like to see one of the spindles and see just how different they are.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Check the "freebies" section- there are often 3/4 ton axles with working Huck brakes to be given away (hint-hint)

Denny,
The main difference is the Bendix front drums are 12" and the Huck front drums are 11".
The wheel bearings also changed in '53 (hubs are the same though), as well the kingpin thrust bearing was changed to a
thrust washer.

I believe its the rear where swapping Huck to Bendix requires also changing the axle housing and shafts.

But the rears aren't a problem yet, you can still get the rear drums for the Huck brakes new.
Steve, thanks. That does present a problem. I've got no problem with the ball bearings on my truck, see no reason to change them to tapered bearings. But, just for future reference, do you know whether the ball and tappered brgs are interchangable in the hubs??? Since there was no mention of the spindles, I'm assuming that they were the same also? Or was the spacing different because of the thrust brg/washer? While we're at it do you know if the backing plate flange is the same on the spindle?
Lots O' questions huh!
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

bowtie bits in wichita has huck front drums for a 49. Talk to Jeff- they might have them pictured on the site. Jeff is vary familiar with the huck and bendix brakes and stocks quite a few of the hard to get brake parts. If for some reason he is out- talk to Tom Myer in Miami Ok- he will have the as well(used)

Denny,
The bearings were still ball type in '53, just a little bigger I believe. The spindles are a different part number. I would guess because of the thinner thrust bushing as well as the larger wheel bearing ID's. Now that I think of it, the spacing for the thrust bushing may have been made up on the axle side rather than the spindle. I have a '54 complete axle around somewhere, I'll check it out.

Hubs are the same part number for '47 to'55 at least.

I put '53 Bendix brakes on my '52 3600 axle. The only modifications were drilling the top spindle bolt holes out to 1/2" dia. and some minor filing on the backing plate center hole to clear the top of the spindle.

If I remember right, the Huck backing plate holes are offset or not on the same plane from top to bottom and there is a special bolt for the bottom with a spacer in the middle of it?
The Bendix Backing plate is flat and bolts directly to the spindle.

My solution was to put 1955 1st 1 ton brakes on the front.
Do a search for "1952 3/4 ton brake solutions" and look at what I did on the rear brakes.