Newbie Questions

[Mavman427]

After getting pulled off the dump truck for other projects (mostly for the wife and kids), I finally got my 1949 1.5 ton pilothouse running.  Really didn't take much at all.  Put some new wires and plugs, new battery, put a temporary gas can in the engine compartment, squirted some oil in the cylinders, changed the oil, put some coolant in it, and it pretty much fired right up.  It might have been sitting for 20 years, so it was pretty amazing that it started like that.  Runs very well considering too - take a look at the attached video of the first start.

 

Anyway, now that I officially have a running vehicle, I need to start getting after the other little pesky items such as shot tires (all of them), no seat, and no brakes.

 

Question 1:  My truck has 22.5x8 tires on the front now, apparently somebody swapped out the 20's for 22.5 wheels, which is all good, except I can't find much in the way of a 22.5x8 tire out there.  The front tires are a cool looking military/lugged style tire and ideally I would like to find more of those.  The rear tires on my truck are 7.5-20, which are also pretty hard to find.  I did find some Coker reproductions, but their about $300 apiece.  Any ideas for doing tires a little cheaper?

 

Question 2:  My bench seat is missing the entire set of springs/wire, foam, upholstery, etc.  But the seat frame itself is there.  Any idea how I can get a replacement set of springs/wire for the seat?  Maybe an upholstery shop could do the springs as well as the foam and upholstery?

 

Question 3:  All of my windows, windshield, etc. are either cracked or shattered.  Any ideas on how/where to get replacement glass for these trucks?

 

Thanks!

[NiftyFifty]

1. Can't really help you on tiresbut  the front rims do look like the stock ones usually found on those trucks, but 22 does sound like not factory.  You may have issues getting anyone to work on them if they are split rims.

 

2. Are you sure you don't just have the seat mount? The original seat had a big heavy pipe frame, and then the actual back and bottom had their own steel frame on the bottom and then the springs and wires...hard to explain but sounds like you need a whole new set

 

3. It's all flat glass that any shop can cut, best if is you can get out one of each window out for a pattern you can get new stuff cut, only need 1 windshield side and one side window as of course they are the same just reversed, but the back window if gone you may have to get them to measure up, or get a pattern from someone on here.

 

good luck, looks like a good start

[johnsartain]

1. Tires Easy has a 22.5X9 https://www.tires-easy.com/9-22.5/triangle-tires/tr685/tirecode/10156850690

 

2. There are upholstery shops that can mock up the springs for the seat. They are occasionally for sale in some of the Facebook groups and in this forum. On facebook try

Pilot House Builds - https://www.facebook.com/groups/618593728345382/

and

Dodge Pilot House Era Truck Club - https://www.facebook.com/groups/pilothouse/

They require membership but there isn't a problem. 

3. Almost any glass shop can fabricate the windows from laminated flat glass.

 

Edited July 29, 2018 by johnsartain

[Mavman427]

16 hours ago, 4mula-dlx said:

2. Are you sure you don't just have the seat mount? The original seat had a big heavy pipe frame, and then the actual back and bottom had their own steel frame on the bottom and then the springs and wires...hard to explain but sounds like you need a whole new set

 

Well, here's what I got.  I think it's just the main seat frame, it's missing all the internals of the seat.  Is there another frame for the lower and back portions of the seat or am I just missing the springs, foam, and upholstery?

[NiftyFifty]

No your really missing the whole seat itself, they have a pretty elaborate skeleton and spring and wire system.  You may find another used seat, or possibly consider swapping to a newer seat which lots of ppl have done

[Mavman427]

2 hours ago, 4mula-dlx said:

No your really missing the whole seat itself, they have a pretty elaborate skeleton and spring and wire system.  You may find another used seat, or possibly consider swapping to a newer seat which lots of ppl have done

Any ideas on the best match as far as swapping in another seat?

[NiftyFifty]

Minivan or 1/4 ton truck seats are usually the first choice, I went with two lethar bucket seats out of a Ford explorer and a Dakota console myself

[Mike36]

My B3 was missing the seat frame and the springs when I got it. Found both on EBay.

[Brent B3B]

13 hours ago, Mavman427 said:

Any ideas on the best match as far as swapping in another seat?

put an add in the "wanted section".......

 

on an unrelated note, anyone know if the "air-o-ride" seat was put in the B1/2,  1.5ton trucks?

Edited July 30, 2018 by Brent B3B
thanks JB for the correct seat term

[JBNeal]

Air-O-Ride appears to be available for Pilot-House cabs according to a sales pamphlet that I tried to upload last year, but the parts manual is a little vague on options in the seat cushions...I reckon if it fits, it ships

[FlashBuddy]

Got it in my '50 B2B, but the big gaping hole in my bottom cushion negates any benefits.

[johnsartain]

Before I had my seat reupholstered, I took the bottom frame off of the springs and replaced the cardboard with 3/16" Masonite. It makes a big difference.