RE: [ihc] RE: David's IH quest

["Jim Grammer" <jgrammer@xxxxxxxxxx>]

>Ahh, good point!  Dual circuit is good.  Are there any updates for the
>earlier trucks (a master cyl and a bit of plumbing, perhaps) to retrofit
>a dual circuit system?

You've got the idea, just need a little creative parts swapping. You can
either hit the catalogs yourself or call C.H. Topping(www.chtopping.com). I
haven't seen more than hearsay on exactly which parts to buy for any
specific application. Just need to match the m/c bore and mounting pattern.
Topping has an adapter to go from the 3 bolt Wagner single reservoir m/c to
a 2 bolt dual res. unit. You'll likely need to fiddle with the m/c push rod
as well. Alternatively, you could grab the bits out of a junkyard '67 or
'68(get the pedal linkage as well). I'm sure that someone like Master Power
or Stainless Steel Brakes would be happy to take your money as well.

>Thanks.  Trailer is as-yet unpurchased, waiting on a truck to pull it
>with.  Specificly, I've got a pair of '62/63 Chrysler Imperial LeBaron's I
>need to bring home...and of course whatever IHC steel that comes along to
>feed the collection. :)

If I were starting over again and buying a pickup, I'd bite the extra $1k or
so bullet and get a 14k#GVW gooseneck trailer. 20/20 hindsight ;)

>> Nice thing about a 4WD is you can swap in disk brakes or a disk brake
front
>> axle. Expect a 2WD to need a king pin kit unless they've just been done
on
>> the PO's dime.

>Would this apply to the 50's trucks as well as the 60's trucks?

The axle bit, I presume. Applies to A, B, and C series trucks only. L / R /
S series have tapered front frame rails and spring mountings(springs are not
parallel). S-120's used a Dana 44 that was set up for this, and could be
converted to disks in front with a change in wheel bolt pattern(5 on 5.5", 6
on 5.5", or 8 on 6.5")by mixing and matching bits.

> Where would the replacements be sourced from? 70's IHCs, or the GMC parts
that
>someone mentioned earlier?

Complete front axle could come from a '74/'75 IH, or '72-'87 GM as a
relative 'bolt-in'. The GM axles are about 1.5" wider, bugs me but not most
folks. Looks better on a C series than the later D series IMO. The average
bystander would prolly never notice the difference.

>> Yes. As Allan mentioned, a 130 would be even better(bigger rear brakes).
Not
>> many around with pickup beds tho'.

>True.  Could the one-ton axle be run with single-wheels, then install a
>pickup bed of the right size?

Don't see why not, *if* you could find a 130/1300 with the correct wheelbase
for a pickup box.

>Of course. :)  How extensive are the frame differences between the 1/2 and
>3/4 of any year? Would the 1/2 ton frame be up to the task?

3/4 ton frames are thicker material. I suspect the 1/2 ton frame would hold
up just fine.

>..and back to the split rims.  What's the problem with them (my ignorance
>shows here, I'm sure:)? (short of finding someone who'll mount tires on
>them.)

Nail on the head.

>  Dangerous?

Generally not in competent hands and with the lockrings/lockring grooves in
servicable condition.

> Not up to the load?

Far from it. Pick up a 16" lock ring wheel sometime. Suckers are *heavy*.

> Won't work with radials?

Truck tires with radial tubes, no problem.

> Need tubes?

Yup.

Lest someone call me on it...I towed a *lot* of miles with my '68 and '69
1/2 ton Travelalls, and a fair bit with my Traveler. I was never happy with
the braking on the drum brake trucks(in fact the '68 has disks now), and was
always paranoid about the semi-floating rear axles when heavily loaded. I
wanted my '70 1200 back almost as soon as I sold it for exactly those
reasons, 'tho' it is a *much* nicer truck nowadays(the dark red one at
Tulare).

Jim