MBF

Your horn button or horn ring has a wire that goes down through the steering column shaft. After it exits the bottom or the shaft (this is the positive ground you'll need to get to one post on the horn or horn relay). The other side of the horn will have a negative or hot feed from the battery. If you've modified the vehicle and changed it to a negative ground with a 12v conversion the column wire will be the negative ground, and the postive feed will go to the relay (and then to the horn). If the wiring through the column shaft isn't there you can fish a wire up through the center of the shaft from the bottom of the steering column with a stiff wire attached to the flexible wiring that will actually be used. Mike

I used one from a MoPar slant six. Wipers still work fine, but my wolf whistle is weaker sounding due to the reduced residual vacuum. Mike

I've also had excellent luck using a 5 point socket after liberal soakings with PB and Kroil. The stepped cylinders are available from NAPA-I replaced all of mine on the 1ton a year or so ago. I also use never seize on the bleeders when I reassemble them. I try to flush the fluid each spring to get the moisture out of the system. Mike

You could try a vise grip pliers. Make sure the teeth on the jaws are sharp. If it starts to turn go back and forth a couple of times while saturating them with penetratiting fluid. If they break off you'll need to replace the cylinders. Mike

It's been a long time since I had one of these apart, but isn't there a hole or slot in the shift lever pivot ball that the lever pivots on front to back and side to side? If that was worn oblong, or the pin worn, or the wrong size wouldn't that cause this problem? I'm thinking that it may not be fully disengaging one set of shift forks before moving to another (i.e. his grinding when going from 2nd to third). The end of the rod being worn as mentioned by Jeff combined with the worn pin/ball slot on shift lever could be all that is the matter with this. Just thinking out loud. Mike

Yea, but if you'd ridden in one your PH will seem like a speed demon and ride like a Cadillac. They're great trucks too (after all they're MoPARS) and they'll go wherever you've got the nerve to steer them.

That looks good Paul. I remember an uncle of mine built something just like that back in the 60's on a Chev stepside. Nice job-if you're not over 6' tall you could probably sleep in it with some ventilation and a way to open the tailgate from inside. Mike

It was a while ago that I replaced the pedal in my 1 ton. I was able to change the pedal w/o even removing the floor board. A temp solution I used in the past was to take a piece of inner tube and rivet it to the side of the floorboard hole where it is hitting. It won't stop the wobble but it'll eliminate the fingernails on the blackboard sound it makes.

Its been on ebay several times now and the price is coming down. That 2nd carb probably doubles the horsepower-well that in conjunction with the overhead conversion that is disguised to look like a flathed. A real sleeper - What will they think of next?

Yup-I said the same thing four vehicles ago. One of these times I'll be right

Are you looking for a unit that has been cut out of another truck that you can weld in yours? If so I'd have to check one of my parts trucks. Mike

Brad: Do you have the number for the inner and out rear seals that you used? I've got to rebuild or replace the rear cyls on my 49 B2-JA and I'm hesitant to take it apart until I know that there are seals available. Mike

You can check and see if you can find a 3.9 center section for the rear. If you can find a good one, and if the diffs are interchangeable with the rear in your route van that will give you some additional highway speed, but it will cost you in accelleration. My 1 ton with the 4.3 runs at a comfortable 45 mph and maybe a little more, but when accellerating from a light I can't keep up with a modern vehicle. I say this because if you haven't driven a 50+ year old daily driver in daily traffic you may be in for a surprise, and some aggravation. I've found that taking a vehicle to a cruise on a weekend or evening on local highways people are a lot more forgiving than trying to go the same route on a weekday when folks are trying to get to work. A novelty on the weekend may be a pain in the butt during the week. Whatever you do make sure the vehicle is reliable so that you can actually enjoy driving it. Mike

Ya know, this whole thread just made me think of something that we're probably all aware of. I used to drive tractor trailer for a living many year ago. Now when I get in a rig after a 30+ year hiatus I realize that there were everyday skills that I developed to drive that rig confidently and comfortably. Those skills like any other skill took time, practice and experience to learn. I think the same can be said for jumping in one of our old vehicles. We become lazy driving a new automatic equipped vehicle, just a non thinking step on the gas, aim and go. I took the 2.5 ton to a cruise the other night and had to pull out on a hill and stop at a light. I got spooked because the guy in the Prius behind me was right on my tail and if I messed up the take-off he'd need a grill. I grabbed the ebrake and feathered the clutch when the light turned green and pulled away. I've got to get to the point with this vehicle that I know it well enough that I can just to a routine take off but I notice that my reflexes aren't what they used to be. These old vehicles aren't point and go, they require some skill and aptitude to drive which is a big part of the enjoyment. This is also one of my big arguments about the FD I belong to buying class 7-8 trucks with automatics. If you need an automatic to be able to drive the truck-you probably shouldn't be driving it. Ok-I'm off my soapbox now.

I bought two of these many years ago. They're still holding up very well.

I had a local Midas shop make me up a header pipe for the 230 in my 1 ton a couple of years ago. I think he charged me $40.00. I had a muffler and stubby turndown to complete the system. It's a rackbody so I only went about 1/2 way between the back of the cab and the rear axle. I'm pleased and will use him again for the header on the 2.5 ton. He used a really heave walled tubing for the header which I'm sure will outlast me and probably my son. Mike

After you replace the tie rod ends align (set the toe in) and see how it tracks. Loose t-rod ends would definitely make for a scary ride since it can't and won't hold a toe in adjustment. While your at it, check that the steering box mounting is tight on the frame and that the drag link ends aren't worn or loose.

I used to feel the same way, but the performance of these old machines is part of their charm (to me at least). The hell with the 2 guys riding on my tail because I can't take a corner at 55 mph! I just love when people pass me in a no passing zone only to come up behind them at the next traffic light.

There was a discussion on another truck forum about the ability of a bias ply tire to stand up to extended periods of non use. For a vehicle that sits the majority of the time vs a daily use vehicle I have found that the bias ply tires age nicely w/o cracking in the sidewalls-which can be a serious problem in a radial tire. The ride and handling is a tradeoff for longevity according to the discussion and my experience.

Does anyone know if they're the same as the fronts? My 1 ton were the same front and rear, but were reversed in bore sizes from side to side. I've already done the front cyls on the 2.5 ton-they were the same p/n's as the 1 ton.

I did a search here, and checked my parts manual. Can anyone cross reference the rear whl cyl p/n's (571 774, and 571 775) to a current NAPA or other part number? Thanks. Mike

Wow-I've never seen that on a car or small truck rim, although I have seen it on a 16" Budd that was run with only half the lug nuts on it (no it wasn't mine). I may be wrong, but I think the small bolt patterned Dodge pickups (up through mid 80's) the Jeep CJ series and maybe the Ford F1's have the same lug pattern. You'd have to remove the locating pin to use these. If I'm wrong, I apologize-but this is what I think I've heard. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong. Mike

I don't think its an option to put the stock axle on top of the springs. There will be clearance issues, and how are you going to locate the centerbolt and attach it so that the axle stays put. I think there are going to be issues with the drag link as well. I'd look at removing a leaf and see what that does with the axle in the original position.

Did you get the driveshaft from the Jeep? A good driveshaft shp may be able to fix you up with what you need. Mike

You should be able to get wheel cyls at any NAPA store. They had the ones for my 1 ton in stock. If that doesn't work, Bernbaum's or Robert's Motor Parts should have them as well. Mike