The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Thinking about buying a 2 ton

Hello, New to the site.
I have a friend that has a 1955 2nd ed. 6400 with no bed. Has a 261 4speed and a 2spd rear. Been sitting in the barn for 20+years, I haven't seen it yet but was told the body in good condition. If the body really good what would be an idea price?

My plans with this would be something to drive at highway speed pulling a car trailer (Race truck to the track), Would like to keep the 2spd rear. Kinda looking a MPG also. My Idea is to put a LS engine backed with a tremec 6spd with the .5 overdrive. that would put me under 2000 rpm at 70Mph using the 6.13 high gear in the rear. I Know I would need to update the brakes as well.

I seen using a AUX trans but wouldn't that take away from power and MPG?-something else that the motor has to turn.

What are other ways/Ideas you may heard of? Just trying to get ideas together, and may start collecting parts. I think keeping the 2spd rear would be neat to have and be able to pull a lot.

May be a while before I see it but he said it not going anywhere soon
Thanks
Jim

Jim,I have a "55 2nd with the same exact set-up. In 4th,on the high-side,she'll do 55,but 60's pushing it. I'm also running 9.00 x 20.00's,which are slightly taller than the 8.25 X 20.00's,it origionally came with. I'm thinking of adding a 3-speed "Brownie,when I can afford it. They say that you can achieve about a 12-15% increase in fuel economy,as well as less wear and tear on your drive-train!Just do your homework on the ratios! A lot of useful info.on this site,not to mention so many helpful folks,who've been there,done that. Another option ,(in about the same price range),would be to install a taller gear in your 2-speed. There's a lot of options available. you could even go with a Clark 5-speed,just make sure 5th-gear is O.D.,Not direct-drive,otherwise you're back to square-1. I'm really happy with my 261! I was told to expect no more than 6-M.P.G.,but since I re-built my front brakes,and ADJUSTED the shoes,I'm getting better than 12 M.P.G.-Highway. Before I replaced the brakes,I needed a breaker-bar on a lug-wrench,in order to turn the wheels! the brakes were adjusted-out that far! I wondered why I'd start out in "granny",and by the time I shifted into 2nd,the truck was almost completely stopped!

I didn't know you could get different gears for the rear end. I been looking around and haven't found anything yet. Does that clark 5spd fit right in? like a direct replacement of that 4spd? or does it need different bell housing, mounts, relocated shifter, and diveshaft mods. I would think the 261 would get good gas milage but if it turing lower rpms, will it have enough power to pull a trailer at speeds?
Thanks
Jim

Sank,Back in the day,the 261 Jobmaster was Chevy's "King-OF-The-Road. It was the biggest engine in the Chevy trucks,until they installed V-8's,(265's),in'55. There are a lot of old truck pic's,where the A.D.,and Task-Force trucks were used as semi-tractors. mine,actually,started out as a fire-truck,but was built to haul a lot of weight,and move it down the road quickly. In 1955,when "she was built,55 M.P.H.,for a 2-ton,was preety quick. Oh yeah,she'll pull a trailer. I don't know if raising your rear-end gear would be such a good idea for that purpose,though. I think your best deal (for the money), would be to find a Brown-Lipe auxiliary transmission,with a 3rd Over-drive,as opposed to 3rd. direct-drive. This would give you three more gears to choose from,which actually gives you 18 forward gears,and 6 reverse! Sending a P.M.