The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts '51-'53 G.M.C. Tandem Truck

Hi! I went back out to the farm,where the guy's got all of those '54-1st'55's. sitting nose-down in a ditch,is a G.M.C. cab/chassis tandem,still complete,but sheet-metal needs a lot of work. The tires appear to be 9:00X20:'s,on "Budd" wheels. seems to be a single-stick 4-speed trans. The front differential looks similar to a transfer-case. Drive-shaft connects to top section of front differential,then angles to the center of the rear differential,with the help of a 2-piece shaft/tube,(to accomodate the difference in terrain/wheel-set.Suspension is spring-over-beam. it has a couple of beefy sway-bars in the configuration,as well. Expected to see larger tires on this truck,since it was used as a dump-truck. fenders aren't much wider,(if any),than a 2-ton,and it's not an extended hood. It's got so many trees growing around it,it's hard to get a GOOD look at the cab,or sheet-metal. Looked in the back window,and where the Hi/Lo "bicycle bell" was supposed to be,there WAS a "bicycle bell",but it "read":"Wet Pavement^Dry Pavement _. Sorry my keyboard doesn't have a downward arrow. Frame and rear running gear looks all intact and springs don't appear to be broken. i NEED to tie a string around my finger! I need to take some pic's of this one,but this is the 2nd time I forgot my camera!! Stay tuned!!

With the wet/dry selector it must be air brake. I had a 57 KW with the same selector, many early air brake three axle trucks had the ability to limit brake power for wet pavement before they started putting brakes on the steer axle.
Sounds like a really cool truck how about some pictures?

Didn't the "wet pavement" cut the front brakes out completely? I've got a '60 International with that set up....it looked to me to cut out the front brakes completely, but I could be mistaken.

Are you looking to get the truck, or just gathering information?

Tad

Many trucks had "wet pavement" switches that completely shut off the air supply to the brakes on the steering axle. Many carriers even went so far as to remove steering axle brakes completely. However, these devices became illegal in 1975 The idea was that if the steering axle tires locked up the vehicle be out of control. In 1997 ABS became mandatory. The Texas DPS puts any commercial vehicle with steering axle brakes disabled out of service.

Funny thing is that I don't recall seeing any pancakes,(or slack-adjusters), on either rear axle,and I was LOOKING. I'll have to go back out and take some pic's. No,I'm not interested in purchasing this truck,just very interested in the early tandem set-ups. Thanks for the replys!

We Have VIDEO!! Please go to my "Photobucket" album,7-3-13,and ENJOY! My BAD-"Bicycle bell" reads Differential lock-un-lock,not "Wet/Dry Pavement",as posted earlier. And it has HYDRAULIC brakes! On a Tandem! Data plate was almost un-readable. G.V.W.-26,000#

It looks like a Hendrickson walking beam rear suspension.

The vacuum chamber on the front axle could be for the differential lock. It could have a two speed...but I didn't see a control on the shifter in the cab for it. Tandems have a differential lock from the front to the rear axle the same way a single axle may have posi-traction. otherwise one spinning wheel would stop the truck from moving....granted even with it you only get the chance to spin two before you stop.

The radius arms are needed as the axles are attached to the suspension beam at the bottom and the arm keeps the axles from rotating.

It does look like a nice truck, hopefully somebody decides to get it going again....definitely uncommon for a tandem on such a light truck.

Tad

Thanks,Tad! That's what I thought,too. i was 99% sure that it was a Hendrickson,but didn't want to post it,as such,just in case. the owner also has a 270 "crate" engine,in a '49,or'50 2-ton. engine #'s come back as a '58-'62.