Help: definitive '54 AD drum swap answers!!

Ok, ya'll......I've been tryin' to get this figured out for a while and it's makin' me crazy......

I want to convert my stock '54 Chevy p/u front end to 5 bolt pattern. Been told '49-'50 Chevy pass. car drums will fit directly onto pre-'54 truck spindles [Huck brakes] but not mine [Bendix]. Been told '53-'54 pass. car drums are a direct fit to my spindles...but w/o confirmation.....

I appreciate all the head scratchin' that everyone's done with me but I need to hear from somebody that has actually accommplished this swap sucessfully.....pleeeeeaase? Don't wanna pay out the ass for shippin' [stuffs heavy] to get the wrong parts or more stuff than I need.

Thnx, Ed

 

Never done what your trying to do ,but i can tell you that 46-54 chevy car and 1/2 ton trucks use the same inner and outter wheel bearings .I also know that 49-50 car drums are different than the 51-54 ,atleast they are a different part # ,and its proly cuz of the non self energizing brake deal on the 49-50.I think the reason people use the 53-54 for the swap is because they are more modern brakes to use .I had another car a few years ago that had a straight axle.The kit called for early 49-54 hubs and brakes and i used 49 car hubs (cuz thats what i found) along with the brakes and it worked fine .I think based on all this that any 49-54 car spindals and brakes should work on your 47-54 1/2 ton truck ...

 

if you've got a 54 axle/brakes, they should be Bendix style brakes, these came out in 51 on Chevy trucks (and cars),I believe. Car drums should bolt rite on to get you the 5 lug pattern.
I did this on a 40 Chevy car years ago, but I had to turn the drum width down about a 1/4 inch as the stock 40 shoes are narrower; don't think you'll have to do that on yours.

 

.....soundin' like this could very possibly be a str8 drum-for-drum swap with maybe a 'lil bit of adjustment for shoes.

 

51-54 car front hubs/bearings/drums will fit right on the 51-59 truck spindles/backing plates.

You need to either use the car dust shield (between backing plate and inner bearing race), or leave it off. the truck shield will hit the car hub.

 

.....that's 'bout as matter-of-fact an answer as I could hope for. Jim, you are a gentleman and a scholar sir.

Thnx! Ed


...and thanks for all the other fine head scrathcin' ya'll have been doin' with me. Hell, might actually get this accomplished!

 

I did it too.

 

Hey...cool Richard. Now I just have to find the parts I need locally 'cause I can't afford a c-note to ship the shit!. Wouldn't happen to have a line on any would ya, sir?