Dodgebawl Posted January 21, 2011 Report Share Posted January 21, 2011 Hello. I am new to this forum and have recentally acquired a 1949 B1B. I have been reading this forum for awhile and it has been extremely helpful to me in learning about these wonderful old trucks but, I have a question that I can't find the answer to. The truck has 15 inch wheels all around rather than the 16 inch typically found on the B1B. The front wheels have the wheel studs with a 41/2 inch pattern but the rear wheels not only have a larger bolt pattern (I think 5 in.) they use lug nuts rather than the wheel studs. The rear also has helper leaf springs along with the standard leaf springs. Is this conbination of front and rear components correct for a 1949 B1B? Any information or thoughts on this set up is appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBNeal Posted January 21, 2011 Report Share Posted January 21, 2011 that sounds an awful lot like that truck has been modified, maybe with a Jeep axle. Take measurements, look at the numbers & such on the gear housing, maybe post some pics and somebody 'round here might be able to ID your mystery parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinlizzy Posted January 21, 2011 Report Share Posted January 21, 2011 Could it be that someone may have put a 3/4 ton rear end in place? Lee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
41/53dodges Posted January 21, 2011 Report Share Posted January 21, 2011 it does sound that way. does the axle look like a recent repair, or is it old? if its later in its life, it is often cheaper to swap the axles for brake repair, as our brakes are really expensive to fix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgebawl Posted January 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2011 Thanks for the replys. This weekend I will take some photos and try to get numbers etc. I acquired the truck from my brother in law who owned it for 32 years. He never made any changes to it after he purchased it in 1979. He occasionally drove the truck for the first 20 years but it has been sitting in his garage for the last 10-12 years. It needs work on the brakes and engine to get it running again which I will do. For now, I am trying to find out exactly what I have so that I can decide if I need or want to change anything back to original. The title and vin show it as a 1949 B1B 108. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olddodgeguy Posted January 22, 2011 Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 If I'm reading correctly, you have lug bolts on the front and lug nuts on the rear. The front is 5 on 4 1/2 and the rear is 5 on 5. If that is correct it sounds like a 3/4 ton rear was installed in the truck. The 1/2 ton used lug bolts and the 3/4 ton used studs and lug nuts. At least that's the way it is on my two B1C 3/4 tons. I would maybe change the rear back to the 1/2 ton rear if you can find one or maybe not! Depends on what you plan on doing with the truck. Have fun. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgebawl Posted January 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 I took the attached pictures today of the rear end of my 49 B1B. The numbers on the differential are as follows: The tack welded tag shows 4125 and the cast numbers are 1141544 and above that number is 56. From these numbers and the pictures can anyone tell if this is a 3/4 ton Dodge rear end? As noted in my first post the rear wheels (5 in. pattern) have 5 lugs and nuts while the front wheels have the wheel lugs. As noted in the pictures the truck has the overload springs which according to Don Bunn an option as well as the 4-speed transmission which this truck also has. Your help in resolving this is appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBNeal Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 it looks kinda like the Dodge axle in my '48 B1B, but the part number is a tad newer, probably from '56? According to my parts book, the gear ratio might be located under that fill plug; also, there might be a drain plug at the bottom of the case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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