The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Tons 'o Fun 1949 GMC 250 questions....

Few questions on the these trucks.

17" splits are the stock size? what where the opt wheels sizes?

Anyway to determine rear gears without taking the cover off? Std gear vs the Opt gear?

It has a differant front bumper bracket? is this stock to the truck?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neals49/4398120035/in/set-72157623409689781/

Neal,

17's were stock for single rear wheeled trucks.
Stock gear ratio will be 5.14:1
That bumper bracket looks factory to me.
Nice bunch of trucks you got there.

The only optional wheel is the 18 inch dually type. You can put other wheels on it, but will need to watch for tie rod interference on the front and brake drum interference on the rear.

There were no gear options for the 1-ton. If its anything other than 5.14:1 someone has replaced the ring and pinion.

Options found in that same axle housing are 4.57, which was standard in the 3/4-ton you have, and 4.11 which is rare and hard to find.

You can check the ratio by blocking the front wheels, and jacking up just one rear wheel. Then, with the truck out of gear, turn the wheel and count drive shaft revolutions per wheel revolution.

Because only one wheel can turn the drive shaft will turn half the ratio for each wheel turn.

5.14 will mean 2.57 drive shaft revolutions.
4.57 will mean 2.285 drive shaft revolutions.
4.11 will mean 2.055 drive shaft revolutions.

Because the differences are small you might want to turn the wheel ten times in order to be sure you can easily tell which it is. Its a lot easier to tell 20 turns from 22 than it is to see less than a quarter turn.

I suggest this because with four trucks your odds of having one of the more desirable gear sets is high enough it would be worth checking each one.

Stock. You need a 1-ton bumper, which is thicker than the smaller trucks and the GMC splash pan which is different than the Chevy.

Nice looking bunch of trucks!

Thanks for the quick reply s.

Interesting on the bumper, always wonder why some of the used bumpers I have acquired where noticeable thicker...now I know.

Have the front and pan, was laying in the rear for some reason, pan as usual was banged up pretty good on the ends.

Also just never looked that close at 1 tons, quite a few differences in them every time I look at them I notice something else.

Also have spare tire carrier parts on the three, I am sure it sucks to left up there though.

How are the the rear ends for brakes and etc...parts available?

I don't know about the rear brakes. The only one of mine that has been drive recently has adequate rear brakes. The one I'm working on now has a GM 14-bolt rear with modern-ish brakes.

Jim Carter has brake drums for the 3/4-ton trucks, I don't know if he carries them for the 1-ton. The 1-ton rear brakes use 14 inch drums.