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Bryce's Truck Speeds

S

Sprint 6

Well-known Member
On the discussion below of making that cool old Chevy faster. One thing to keep in mind is, trucks from that era were/are slow for a
reason. They don't have brakes to stop them from modern highway speeds. They relied on compression braking as much or more than
the wheel brakes. I would not want to try to stop your truck from 60 mph. Awesome truck that I would love to own. Everything in my
area is a rust pile the owner thinks is gold plated.
 
I would upgrade the front brakes to disk to solve the stopping issues. find a setup from current 1 ton truck should do the trick. Hard part getting adapters for the calipers.
Ypop
 
Used to have a 1965 1 ton Ford. Drum brakes all around. It always stopped better than the 1981 F350 that replaced it with disc on the front.
 
Never in my right mind would I want to do 60 in that thing! Probably wouldn't be able to hear myself think!!!

From here to town, speed limit is 55 for a short ways, like only 4 or 5 miles, rest of it is 45-35. If it did 50 at a MAX I would be more than happy!

On ebay, they sell dual piston master cylinders for "aftermarket" disc or drum brakes, $160 or so! Can't even beat that with a stick! Take the disc breaks off of a newer biggish truck (like my neighbors 72 C50.... hehehe) and BOOM, you've got good breaks! :)
 
so true ,,. I have a 58 chevy Viking with as 283 and 12 ft grain bed .. when I ran it to the elervator it will run 55 or better , and brakes and steering always have beenok ,, my 75ford runs about same speeds ,,. personally , it is a safe truck speed for these old fellas,,. empty in the rain they can quikly turn into a hi way windshield wiper
 
Yes, about 50 is all you want to do with that engine. They only have 4 main bearings, high reving will do them in! I'm surprised they are rated at 4200 RPM, that's pushing the limit, especially for one with some age on it.

Another weakness of that engine, cracked head... Watch your temp gauge!
 
Keep a close eye on your parts and labor costs on those type of projects, they can get too expensive really fast. For less money you could buy a newer more capable truck and still keep your vintage truck original.

Another alternative is to transplant your vintage cab onto a newer chassis. Look on the internet or talk to Chevy Truck clubs to get an idea of how it's done. Take plenty of pictures, save and label all the old parts to rebuild the vintage truck in the future.

Have fun.
 
(quoted from post at 09:51:26 04/27/15) Keep a close eye on your parts and labor costs on those type of projects, they can get too expensive really fast. For less money you could buy a newer more capable truck and still keep your vintage truck original.

Another alternative is to transplant your vintage cab onto a newer chassis. Look on the internet or talk to Chevy Truck clubs to get an idea of how it's done. Take plenty of pictures, save and label all the old parts to rebuild the vintage truck in the future.

dd
Have fun.
Click to expand...
t ain't about the money OR stoppin' on a dime - it's about the feel of drivin' it - besides. it's a cheap cardio workout on a winding road :roll:
 
'72 C50 probably has front drum brakes, too. 50 series trucks are a mismash of weird parts. I, too, would buy a rolled late model Chevy 1 ton to swap the cab onto. Instant good brakes, 6.0 gas or 6.6 diesel, and modern automatic.
 
I'd rather have it original; that's what makes it so cool to drive. But on the other hand I'm not using it for work either so...
 
(quoted from post at 10:55:30 04/27/15) Yes, about 50 is all you want to do with that engine. They only have 4 main bearings, high reving will do them in! I'm surprised they are rated at 4200 RPM, that's pushing the limit, especially for one with some age on it.

Another weakness of that engine, cracked head... Watch your temp gauge!
Click to expand...

I've got a 58 truck also. The spec plate on the door post lists the 261 rated at 4200 and the 348 at 4400 rpm.
 
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