Merle Coggins

I added a second tail/brake light to my truck. I believe I got the right side bracket from Vintage Power Wagons. I then swapped the lamp sockets in the front parking lights to accept dual filament bulbs. The parking light lenses are clear glass on my B2C so I searched for amber bulbs. I found that they are non existent in 6 Volt. I then found some 6v LED bulbs in amber and that became my front signals. As stated by others, I acquired a Signal Stat 900 on eBay. You can buy them new too, but I'm cheap. I fully rewired my truck as I was building it, so I just added in the necessary wires for the turn signals as I went.

Why make one when they are available for purchase? I believe this is the larger, rear, one. https://www.robertsmotorparts.com/products/new-old-stock-front-coupling-rear-bearing-for-1941-48-models-mopar-868382?_pos=6&_sid=8d5b8f317&_ss=r&_fid=788f66125 And the smaller, front, pilot bushing. https://www.robertsmotorparts.com/products/t342?_pos=1&_psq=pilot&_ss=e&_v=1.0

I've stayed 6volt on my truck and I'm not sorry. As long as your electrical system is in good condition, and you have properly sized battery cables, it'll start just fine. I have a couple of 6v-12v DC-DC converters to give me 12v power for my radio and other power outlets for accessories. Other than that there's no need to convert, in my opinion. As mentioned earlier, proper sized battery cables, and good clean connections, are the key to a good operating 6v system. A quick anecdote on this... Several years ago, while attending a WPC Club meet in Chattanooga we were on a driving tour with several stops. As we were heading back to our vehicles to head to the next stop I had a couple of guys approach me to settle a bet. One was convinced I had upgraded to 12 volts based on how well my truck cranked up. The other was sure it was still stock. I assured them that it was indeed still 6 volt. The "12v guy" then asked, "How does it crank over and start so good on 6 volt?" I responded, "Large battery cables and good connections." I am using 00 gauge cables, which may be overkill, but they don't let me down.

Yes, the spacer acts as the new seal surface. The bevel / chamfer I am referring to would be on the inner diameter of the spacer. It allows the spacer to fit tight against the back of the spindle. There’ll be a small radius where the spindle transitions up to the larger diameter seal area. The inner chamfer on the spacer is needed to clear that radius. It might be worth double checking that there is no gap between the spacer and the back of the spindle.

@bkahler My truck is a late '50, B2C. The only difference I know of is that my 3/4 ton spindles required a different spacer from Charlie, and a different inner bearing. And that brings up another thought... @Los_Control Are you sure you have the spacer on correctly? One side should have a taper machined into it to account for the radius at the back of the spindle, where it steps up to the seal surface. If you have it flipped the other way it won't allow your rotor hub to seat fully, which would hold it further out making your caliper fit as shown. Or, if the inner bearing cup isn't fully seated in the hub you would get the same result.

It's getting real now... I just cashed in 319,000 IHG points and booked 13 nights of hotel stay for my road trip, mostly at Holiday Inn Expresses. Being a traveler for my work pays off sometimes. If all goes to plan, I'll be leaving on Saturday, April 4th (day before Easter) and arriving in Cali on Thursday, April 9th. Then 3 nights in Lodi before heading back home on Sunday, April 12th (The day after the BBQ). I should arrive back home on Friday, April 16th. That'll give me a couple days to unwind and repack, as it's looking like I'll be heading to Shippensburg, PA the following week, for work. (building my points back 😄) According to Google Maps, the total route will be 4567 miles, plus what ever running around I do outside of the mapped routes, such as back and forth between Lodi and Tim's place. It'll be a little over 4600 miles racked up on the Ol' Dodge before I get home.

Unless he changed something since I got my Rusty Hope kit, I didn't have any spacers. Looking at pictures I can see some spacers welded onto the brackets in that position, but they look thinner than what you guys have. Here's a picture I found that shows them, and one from above, installed. I had to do some grinding/clearancing on the brackets to get the calipers to fit correctly, but other than that it was a fairly easy installation, from what I remember back that far. I pulled my spindles and replaced the king pins at the same time, so the second picture shows it clamped up in a vice for pre-assembly fitment test.

There's always mobile power... 😉

Thursday, April 9th, if all goes to plan.

I just mapped it out from my planned overnight stop in NV. It should be no problem to get into Plymouth by noonish, maybe even earlier if we wish to beat the noon lunch rush. If it's as good as you say, I suspect they get fairly busy around noon. It'll be good to see the race truck out on the roads. Start rounding up the troops for a lunch run.

Sounds good. We'll figure out a time once the date gets closer.

Bummer. Then it would become a piece of art on the wall if I had done it.

Where are you located? When I was living in the Milwaukee area I knew a shop, that we used frequently where I work. They had a good 6v guy that rebuilt the generator and starter for my truck, back when I was building it. Now I live up in the Appleton, WI area. I recently picked up a 'spare' starter and did a Google search of starter/alternator shops in my area. I found a local shop that's been around a long while. I stopped in there and they had no issue with going through the starter for me to get it in tip-top shape.

List it? I thought this was going into your truck?

That could be fun. If my current play works out my final leg of the trip would be on the Thursday before the BBQ. A shorter 200 mile day from Fallon, NV to Clements/Lodi. I figured if I got into town that Thursday afternoon, that would allow me to rest up on Friday, do some laundry, get my truck cleaned up, etc., before the party on Saturday. I haven't committed to my route from Fallon yet. I'll either stay on 50 down past Lake Tahoe and over to Placerville, then south on 49 to pick up 88 towards Tim's place. Or I may drop south from Carson City to pick up 88 and follow that all the way in. Hopefully weather conditions in the Sierra's in early April won't make that decision for me. Google Maps shows that to be about a 4 hour drive, but I'd probably add another half hour, or so, to accommodate my slower speeds on the uphill side of the mountains, and pit stops. If you know of a good meeting spot for lunch along either of those routes, probably on the western side of the pass, I'm game.