1-1/2 ton driver...

[Andyslife]

Hi fellas I'm new here and wandering if anyone has ideas about making a 1-1/2 ton a driver. I to keep it as original as possible but make it practical as a driver. I would like to do at least 65 to 70 miles an hour on the highway. Anyone done this? Oh btw it's a 35 with 157 inch wheel base.

[jimTN]

With an Eaton two speed rear end you can get a lot more speed out of it. Problem is 8-9 MPG.

[Mike in Mass]

8 or 9 MPG of fun an excitement !��

[alanwoodieman]

Originally Posted by Andyslife

Hi fellas I'm new here and wandering if anyone has ideas about making a 1-1/2 ton a driver. I to keep it as original as possible but make it practical as a driver. I would like to do at least 65 to 70 miles an hour on the highway. Anyone done this? Oh btw it's a 35 with 157 inch wheel base.

I drive my 41 1 1/2 ton around local on the week ends, second time I showed up at Lowes, I drew a very large crowd. Most of the landscape/yard people were out getting selfies, etc. I did a dual master cylinder conversion for a little more safety. with 6:77 gears and 7:00 tires I get about 10 mpg and can go about 50. truck kind of likes 45 though. Doubt if you can get 70 mph out of one of these trucks. If you worry about mpg, then get a 4 cylinder land snail, but if you want class then go for it!!!

[truckdog62563]

Guys with later era trucks have swapped in a Dana 70HD complete axle from a 1970s era Dodge Class A motor home. It has your same 5 lug x 8” bolt pattern and a 4.56/1 final drive ratio. A challenge though in your case would be mechanical brakes, and need to engineer the truck to the late model dual brake plumbing. Might be simpler to just install an overdrive unit behind the transmission. Achieving that road speed with require enough torque to push the brick of a truck through the air. Is your engine up to it? Stu

[Andyslife]

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Is it possible to adapt a new overdrive transmission to the torque tube? In not against putting a new motor and tranny if I could keep the look.

[alanwoodieman]

if the look is all you really want and don't care about engine/drivetrain nostalgia then drop the cab/front end on a late model 1 ton truck frame/chassis and go drive 100 mph

[Kurt in NJ]

Had a 46 big truck, it had a 2 speed rear, used it to go to flea markets, about a 2 ton load, putting a 49 merc engine in made all the difference, driven in the 50-55 range it could get as much as 18 mpg, eventually sold it to a guy in california, he bought it to take an airplane home, made the trip in 4 days, said he averaged 15 mpg, 2 quarts oil, I think he drove faster than 55 ----before the 49 merc the vacuum operated rear would drop out on hills due to low engine vacuum, ----I have seen 2 speed rears in as early as 34 chassis, if you can find midwest grain truck with 2 speed that has good chance of high speed rear ratios

[RalphG]

I may be wrong on this but I don't think adding a two speed axle is going to affect your ultimate top speed. Just gives you more choices of gears on the way up there. High gear is still going to be a 1:1 ratio. I have the two speed rear axle on the 71 IH Loadstar and it sounds pretty wound up at 55 mph. I suppose it might hit 70 if I was comfortable with the engine screaming over 4000 rpm all the time but I'm not.

[Bob C]

I think even with a two speed rear axle you are not going to gain much since
high is 5.83 and low is 8.11. Although better than the 6.67 you would be
better with the 5.14.

[blucar]

Originally Posted by Andyslife

Hi fellas I'm new here and wandering if anyone has ideas about making a 1-1/2 ton a driver. I to keep it as original as possible but make it practical as a driver. I would like to do at least 65 to 70 miles an hour on the highway. Anyone done this? Oh btw it's a 35 with 157 inch wheel base.

Unfortunately your thought to make a good driver at highway speeds is not practical considering what you are staring with. The brakes, suspension and power-train was designed for bad roads and speeds in the 45-50 mph range.
If you want to retain the '35 look, put the body onto a late model chassis. Class C motor homes make an excellent chassis under an older truck, good safe suspension, disk brakes and a reliable power-train that will run all day long at 65-70 mph.
The average person at Lowes, etc., will look at the truck, thinks wow, it's just like grand-dads, just don't bust their bubble by telling them it's on a new chassis.
A few years ago I picked up a '64 C-10 Rail Road truck. Very rare extended cab, club cab style with a back seat. We re-furbished the body and put it onto a 98 GM Z71 chassis w/5.7 V8, 4L60 trans, 3.73 diff, PS,PB, AC & PW. The truck drives like a new truck, I drive it all the time, people go crazy when they see the truck in a parking lot, etc.

[Andyslife]

Thanks for all the responses. It was enough to give me plenty to think about for sure. I bought the truck to build a driver. I live in a small friendly town but I live 15 miles out of town so I want something I can run to the feed store or wal mart and it not be an all day affair. I'm beginning to realize that keeping this truck original is not going to be fun for me. I guess I'm going to have have to take another approach to this project. I actually have a 92 f350 that just might end up being a donor. I don't think I would put the 35 cab on the 92 chassis but engine( fuel injected 460)tranny and rear end in the 35 chassis sounds more like me. But just a thought. Another thought I'm considering is finding an early 80's mustang 5.0(should be dirt cheap) for the drive train??? Just too many different ways to skin a cat....

[blucar]

It is becoming quite common to see older trucks that have been put on late model chassis. I have a couple of friends that have done that.
A couple of weeks ago I saw a friends '37 truck that he put on a late model F450 RV chassis. He painted the truck correct '37 commercial colors, added creature comforts to the cab. He is going to put a roll-off tow truck type of bed on the truck, he is going to transport his 37 Ford 2dr to car shows on the '37 truck.
I have two friends that have '38 GMC's, one is a cab over, the other is a cab over crew cab that is on modern 1.5 ton chassis, tilt deck beds, to carry their old cars to car shows on.
A truck with a tilt deck bed is a lot more practical than pulling a trailer, especially in Calif where the towing speed limit is 55 mph.

[Chris Haynes]

My Early '30 with the High Speed rear end was my daily driver around town for years.