Starting the big push to get this wrapped up by May, with some luck, determination, and money it should happen...
Had some help last night pulling the doors apart and removing glass from the cab. Not sure how they go back together in a painted truck... was difficult to get apart and I even read that part of the service manual 4 times without much enlightenment.
I need to find some of those reinforcement plates from a 52-54 and do a little drilling and welding. The advantage is I like the later style handles, they seem sturdier, and it's quite easy to add a door lock to the drivers side.
Here are the reinforcement plates that go in the doors for the later handles https://picasaweb.google.com/118082...onProgressPictures02#5806314588418519570 Also shown are rear cab mounts, I decided to update to the later style. And because of the 3" body lift I'll need to fabricate my own lower mounts. (Really like the cast GMC lower parts though, they fit a 34" wide frame and mine is 36".)
OK, here is the video of it running after a long hibernation, only took all day to upload..
Spence, Thanks, the axle is from a Chevy 3500HD, mid 90's. Steering gear box is 78 IH Scout II. Front axle would need to be narrowed around 10", also drag link and tie rod the same.
Grigg
Hi Grigg, So you actually narrowed the front axle? I'm trying to figure out how to do a disc brake conversion on my '48 2-ton flatbed, and I saw something you had on using a P30 spindle with disc brakes? I'm having a crazy hard time finding ANY resources on the old 2-tons. I want to re-do the brake system since the current one is shot, but I want to convert to disc brakes since I can't seem to find parts for the drums. In the process I'm like to swap out the split rims for one piece. At first I figured a modern dually swap in the rear would be easy, but I still have to figure out a solid axle swap that's narrow enough not to cut for the front to upgrade to a modern Chevy 8-lug. Now I'm thinking I might keep the 10-lug, but find more modern wheels, and find a panel truck disc brake and spindle set-up so that I can get off the shelf parts. I plan to just put a 5.3l v8 couples with a NV4500 transmission in the truck, but the inboard steering box may present some exhaust routing issues. The big problem I'm trying to solve before I do anything is the axles and brakes, and then new wheels and tires after that's sorted. I'm hoping to learn what I can off of your build to apply to my build. I got pretty discouraged and was contemplating dumping the project until I found this thread. Any suggestions you can pass along would be hugely appreciated! Nice work on the build by the way!
Why are we subject to these darn socialists that can flip a switch and BOOM all your info and pics are GONE!! I'm not a computer wiz but dang, How does one save info like that? A PDF file or ? I've got tons of pics on floppy's and just never thought of getting a old computer linked up that can read the floppy's and transfer/burn them to a CD/DVD..
Grigg, Been searching through builds and it's a bit hard to find good info and pics of HYDRO-BOOST set-ups. I've already spent about 1.5hrs on here already and wife is giving me 'that look' to get dressed for church..
DO you have the pics still of your hydra-tech set up.
Part of the reason all the Webshots picture links are dead is I got what I paid for... which is nothing, it was a free service.
No telling if or when Picasa will stop working, it is also free... I have all my pictures saved on my computer but don't feel it is worth the effort to track down and update every post and thread where I linked to them, upload the picture in Picasa, and fix the links. The only reliable way to put pictures on a forum and have the links work in 3, 5, or 10 years is if the pictures are uploaded to, and hosted by, the forum. That's not how this forum works, which at times is unfortunate.
In my signature is a link to my current picture album and many of my old pictures are in there in appropriate folders.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not asking for you to do all that work.. It's just that I'll get into a project, do tons of searching and think I found the "best info build" and not looking at the dates, I read and read but then all the pics are dead or gone. It's really sad. Especially when the next several threads state: Man, "I really like the way you did_______" and you can't see it. EVER!.
I'm going over and over your builds with your front ends and brakes, trying to remember what I've seen after I get out to mine and try to picture it. Sometimes it works and then I'll forget some detail by the time I get under or____. Yours usually is all nice and clean or new and I'm dealing with 'worn' or rusted stuff. It's too bright outside to see my laptop screen, and I've really used up printer ink printing stuff off.
It doesn't help that I've got several projects going on at once.
It is frustrating for all of us who lost many pictures when webshots sold. Unfortunately we really have no room to complain as Grigg said it was a free service and we were lucky to have it while it was there. Good luck on your project and be sure to back up all the info you keep in the digital world.
6500,What year are you talking about?? Randy Domeck fabricates and sells disc brake conversion kits,and has it installed on his Art-Deco 2-ton. He has an ad in the "Swap Meet" Topic section.
Yes, Randy's kit is worth a careful consideration.
Otherwise what I have to say about brake upgrades is pretty well covered in the sticky thread about them, among other previous discussions. I haven't made time to do much to my truck or play with brake ideas in a good while, I have nothing new to offer.
