So this thing has sat here for at least 20 year that I know of. It has air brakes and I’m wondering how am I going to load it? Am I just going to have to drag it on the trailer or is there another option? It’s about two hours to home from where this thing sits so I want to make sure I bring enough things to get it on the trailer.
Hmnn, looks like a conventional cab? But on air brakes of the mid-later 60’s you should be able to back them off from the air pots, not sure about the 50’s tho
It takes a special bolt to release the spring brakes (look it up on line) then the truck can be moved. Watch out when moving it, it will have no brakes. You will need sufficient blocks to stop it then.
Push it up the hill and it will roll onto the trailer... Try to Back off the brake cams, most likely the cam will be seized in its tube. Next is to back off the shoe adjusters if the cams are seized.
You won't have an issue with the brakes unless the shoes are stuck to the drums. The earlier air brake systems did not have a spring brake backup system. (Unless it's been added but highly unlikely due to extra plumbing). The older trucks pre 72ish strictly used sir to apply brakes, not to release a spring brake like more modern brakes.
If you’re looking for ideas for this project look up Max Grundys LCF known as Odin. It’s a sight to behold. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
With all of that it has sat for 20 years. Be prepared to drag it onto your trailer with the rear wheels possibly all four locked up.
Depends on what type of air brakes it has, there were "Wedge" brakes that had air parking brake chambers and a bolt in the center to back them off, or cam brake that could either have "Maxi" chambers added after or "Roto" chambers. Roto chambers also have a center bolt to back off the parking brake, Maxi chambers can either have a center bolt or a hole to place a special bolt into to back off. Special care needs to be taken if it has any of these as it is a large coil spring inside the chamber that applies the brake for parking if the outer chamber is rotted they can suddenly fly apart and cause serious injury. So look before touching. In that era many of the trucks with air brakes did not have air operated parking brakes but had the normal parking brake on the drive shaft behind the trans.
Have you seen Deuced up!'s post Drag Snake "Vintage Terror"? A while ago, he picked up an old Ford COE for a car hauler. Check it out. Very innovative way of towing the thing home.
Anyone out there know the track width of the front axle on these old trucks, give or take? I measured wheel base and total length but not track width. The trailer I was going to borrow fell threw and my trailer is smaller so I wanted to make sure this thing will fit before I drive the two hours over to get it.
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