I am planning revisions to my un-molested, clean but tired-out 1936 Ford 1.5-ton stake truck. Goal is: Cadillac 390 power, juice brakes, auto trans (cab is small, need column shift for floor space), retain dually axle but install more streetable axle ratio. A vendor @ Detroit Autorama said one of his guys had luck with installing different ring and pinion in the dually axle which gave them a 3.54 ratio (IIRC). Anybody heard of this? I want to keep the factory axle if possible, but not the 5:1 ratio Thanks for reading
I highly doubt that you will find a gear set that is any higher [lower #] that the 5-1 that is in there. 5-1 WAS a fast ratio when that truck was built. You will probably need to use a 1 ton rear out of something in the late 70s up that had a auto trans. Even in the 80s a 1-1/2 ton truck still had high 4s gearing or lower.
If you must keep the original rear (mechanical brakes?) best thing would be an OD trans. I would seriously consider updating the rear and brakes though.
Check with Chuck Manttiglia - Chuck's Trucks www.chuckstrucksllc.com. I bought a set of 4.10's for my 1940 One Ton from him. That gear set with an O/D or 5 Speed trans makes for a very usable drivetrain where you can take advantage of both low end torque and freeway cruising RPM depending on your need.
If it was a '38? or newer one ton, you could probably adapt a sprint car quickchange R+P to it with some machining on the pinion, but that is a guess on my part, I know the ring will go in fine, but the pinion like i said would take some work
RMR&C - Yes, I definitely was planning to bolt on juice brakes from a, say, '40 &-up expavr - Thanks for that URL. I just sent them a note asking about my options. Yes, a 4.10:1 would make for plenty of fun... Shaggy - Holy crap would a quickchange look cool. However, I bet those were made for the smaller pass car axle? Just assuming. My truck has a dually axle and I want to keep it that way, (even if I opt for a later model axle) Thanks for reading and offering some help.
Hmm?? If you wanted to go drag racing on an 1/8thh of a mile strip, that 5.00 to I ratio along with a 500-inch Caddy would be just the ticket!!!! Seriously though, I doubt you'll find any higher-ratio gears to fit that housing. "Back in the day", the 5.00 to 1 gear set was actually the optional high-speed, "highway" ratio for that truck. The standard gears were even lower - in the 6 to 7-something to 1 range! Back then, commercial trucks besides having extremely low by modern standards, horsepower and power to wight ratios, necessitating the use of very low gear ratios, were also, legally limited to only 45 mph on highways) I know you don't want to do it, but about the only way to get a viable, modern-day highway-usable gear ratio will be to swap in a newer rearend from a later-model dually pickup or cube van. Mart3406 ================
-------------------- They were available, but a two-speed rear won't help any. Most two-speed truck rearends used a 5-somethig to 1 ratio in high-range and an even lower, 'super stump-pulling', low-7-something to 1 ratio in low range. Mart3406 =============
As I look at my manual, I see that the '36 1.5 ton came with either a 6.6 to 1 or a 5.14 to 1 ratio rear end. I saw an Eaton ad for the '36 on ebay that says low range is 6.6 and high range is 5.14. Interesting that the Eaton gives you both of the ratios otherwise available. I don't know the ratio on my '36 1.5 ton, but it was originally a bakery truck and I can comfortably do 40 mph, so I think it is the 5.14. I had been hoping to improve that with an Eaton 2 speed, but it appears it won't help. Thanks for the info.
I'm working with a 55 F600 right now. It has an Eaton 2 speed rear and the numbers are embarrassing. With the tall 2 ton tires and such I am running 3k at 60 mph. I finally opted for a 1 ton diesel dually frame and will eventually swap my current 4.11 for 3.55 unless I go 10 bolt aftermarket (1.5 ton bolt pattern conversion) and get my tire/wheel combination back to close to original specs. I was running widow makers anyway and there was just no where to go unless I grafted the body onto another frame. I opted for a 1 ton because I don't foresee ever needing more than that in my lifetime. If/when that time comes, I will just buy a top kick and be done with it. I said all that to say this. I suggest getting a 1 ton frame, doing a 10 bolt conversion for a more appropriate wheel/tire profile, and calling it done. If that seems like too much work, make it a 4X4, put two shortened Dana 60's under the current frame, do the same conversion, box the frame, fabricate custom steering,... a lot of work. Or just get 2X6 boxed tubing and mount custom Dana 60's... or have an axle shop weld 4X4 knuckles on a straight tube and custom shorten a rear axle... The older the frame, the less "bendy" it is. I would suggest a frame from the late 60s to early 70s. Newer frames have a deep frame drop for the cab which isn't exactly ideal for a frame swap. If you actually plan on towing, wheelbase is kind of important. The longer the better. My donor frame is 133" and I am frankly wishing for another foot.
I had good responses to this a while back, posting it back up in case anybody else has some input. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Check out the quickchange info threads on here, several manufacturers have based their quickies on Ford trucks, like Frankland, and Highland, and they are still fairly common. I will try to post a pic, but just got a new computer.....by the way, these are fabricated units that would look really trick on an actual truck.
NICE! What are the brakes? A guy I met years ago [67/68'] had some where around 36' Ford COE dump truck with a 401 Buick with stock rear axle..Not sure of the trans but may have been Buick auto..Used to surprise the crap out of people but rear end breakage was an issue, had to replace rear end several times..Not sure if he new what actually broke; he was finding whole rear ends some wheres..
Seb, The brakes on Jackpine's Quickchange are early '70's Chevy from a dually axle, as are the spindles and hubs.
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