I am bringing home a 1948 chevy 2 ton truck and I am looking for ideas. I have searched and searched and I can't find to much. I want it to have a hot rod flare but keeping its original style. What I mean is I don't want to pull the cab and put it on a s-10 frame or find a 1/2 ton frame or ... I want to keep the original frame but modify the rear portion so it can sit low to the ground but I am going to keep the dual rear wheels and the big tires. I like the look of the big tires. So now that I have confused everyone I would like to see pictures of hot/rat rod 2 tons.
O yeah I am very excited to get it home and get started. I want to keep the front fenders and hood but that is on the right track, keep them coming!
Chevrolet had two series of trucks in 1948 that were called a 2-ton. The 5000 series COE or cab-over-engine trucks, and the 6000 series conventional trucks. I'm going to guess yours is a conventional based on how you talk about it. That truck weights 5,000 pounds or more depending on the bed. It won't move fast with an original type motor in it, and the rear gears mean any motor will need to spin fast to move the truck at highway speeds. Do you plan drivetrain modifications? If you do that might suggest some ways to make lowering it easier. If it were mine I'd consider an approach like this: Locate a 10-lug Dana 70 or Dana 80. Look under P30 trucks like bread trucks and other delivery trucks. That will give you gears that are more highway friendly and modern brakes. As you swap axles use lowering blocks and c-notch the frame to preserve some suspension movement. The front is harder. I don't know of anyone who has found a way to put modern brakes on the front of one of those without swapping the axle out. Most of the axle swap solutions change from your huge 5-lug pattern (really the same as the 10-lug, just every other hole used) and end up with 8-, 6- or car type 5-lugs. You might ask someone like Sid of www.droppedaxles.com if he can drop that front axle. Its make of bigger stuff than the usual 1/2-ton stuff so it will be harder to do.
Yes it is a conventional body style. I did toss around the idea of swapping out the rear axle but I was not sure where to look, so thanks for the info. I didn't want to mess with the motor and tranny too much because they both where just rebuilt. But I am not apposed to some kind of overdrive tranny to help with highway speeds. I don't plan on taking it on the highway very ofter as it will be more of an around town cruiser. Thanks for all the suggestion and advice. Lets see some pictures!
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