Chester49 Posted October 2, 2013 Report Share Posted October 2, 2013 Hey everyone, I am excited to be apart of this forum and look forward to hearing ideas for my truck. I have a 49 Dodge B-1-B that I have stripped down to the frame. I am wanting to keep it mostly stock, but might do some modifications to the brakes and suspension. Has anyone installed power brakes on their Pilot-House? What about suspension upgrades? I am also rebuilding the 218, does anyone know of a decent machine shop in the midwest that has experience with these motors? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merle Coggins Posted October 2, 2013 Report Share Posted October 2, 2013 Welcome to the family. No need for power brakes. Just convert the front to disc brakes. I like the kit from Rusty Hope. You will have plenty of stopping power with that alone. If you're staying stock with the drive train I wouldn't go crazy with the suspension. Maybe just rebuild the shackles and clean up the springs. Some guys have pulled a leaf or two out of their springs for a softer ride. I could give you the name of the guy I used for my engine machining, but I'm sure you don't want to work with a shop that far away from you. I'm sure there's a good shop near you somewhere. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B1B Keven Posted October 2, 2013 Report Share Posted October 2, 2013 Welcome! Nice choice for a truck!! Search the forum for 'brakes' and 'Cherokee axle'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBNeal Posted October 2, 2013 Report Share Posted October 2, 2013 Here's a few threads that are chock full of information: Thoughts on Flatheads - Part 1 Thoughts on Flatheads - Part 2 Engine Rebuilding Gotchas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1952B3b23 Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 Welcome, you found the best place for pilothouse info! As far as suspension would go i would definitely go through and rebuild the king pins, new tie rod ends, etc. You can also remove a leaf or two out of the spring packs like Merle mentioned before me. That will make the ride softer and lower the truck a little bit, in my opinion it makes the truck look awesome. You can buy replacement shackles from a company called Rare Parts out of CA. Also people have swapped out the rear axles for jeep rear ends to give them a better ratio for cruising and braking power, this seems like a good idea for you since you plan on keeping the 218. The disc brakes in the front will also help out a great deal, thats what i plan for my '52. Good luck, -Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scruffy49 Posted October 3, 2013 Report Share Posted October 3, 2013 I have a Ranger axle and rear ABS going into my 49 B1B. Parts were free, ought as well use them. 230 engine swap for now, keeping the top loader 3 speed. Static drop period low rider, fender skirts, 2 tone paint, the whole nine yards. Ranger bucket seats, generic floor mount console, wood strip headliner, aged copper laminate door and kick panels. Have fun with it. That's what old trucks are for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chester49 Posted October 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 Awesome! Thanks everyone for the thoughts! I will think about some of these things and research them as well. I have been thinking about dropping in a 230 but I'm not entirely sure where to find one. I will keep everyone up to date on my progress, and I hope to get some pictures posted soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merle Coggins Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 You could find a 230 in a late '40's to mid '50's Dodge car or in a 1 ton Pilot-House truck or Power Wagon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scruffy49 Posted October 4, 2013 Report Share Posted October 4, 2013 My 230 was a $125 runner I picked up in Broken Arrow OK in 2011. Have seen a few more donor engines out of there since, priced about the same, usually with car bell housing and a sideloader 3 speed or a Fluidrive attached to them. There is a really clean 230 with a true automatic behind it for sale locally, but the guy wants a small fortune for it. Like $3000, but it is detailed to the max, every finned aluminum part ever made for a small L6, including a 3 carb intake with Stromberg 97s on it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chester49 Posted October 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2013 Thanks for the info guys. I will try looking in Broken Arrow. Also, Vintage Power Wagon is selling rebuildable cores for 750. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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