I just bought a 56 F250 Duelly. No Engine or Trans, It did have a V8 & 4 speed tranny.

I was wondering how many were made. Been told its a rare truck.

 

Probably so rare that none were made. Seriously, the F-250 designation was given to the product line based upon a uniform weight rating. The trucks were then equipped to meet that rating, which meant single 16" or 17.5" rear wheels having 8 lugs x 6.5" bolt circle. But no doubt zillions of prior owners added adapters or swapped in a different DRW back axle, along with overload springs, to allow them to stretch the limits of the weight rating. Which would lead me to look for frame or spring fractures on the truck. Stu

 

Well, well. I see why Mike says he thinks it's a factory conversion. It sure looks to have been done in a quality manner. In my email back to Mike, I said that I still don't think it's a factory modification, but that it could well have been done by a Ford approved aftermarket company. I have a 1952 Hildy's Blue Book of approved aftermarket companies, but don't have one for the '53 to '56 era trucks. The 1952 book doesn't show such a modification offered, but it could have been a later option. Another thing that speaks to it's authenticity are these below pictures of a similar Studebaker and IHC. So, here is the pic of Mike's F-250, and pics of the IHC and Stude. Stu

 

Do the front wheel match the rear ones or they the standard non dual wheels?
On the Stude and IHC the wheels look to match. Hard to see the ones on the 250 but they look like 250 wheels.

 

No, they are the standard 8 lug x 6.5" single wheel style. Which is another reason to think the conversion was aftermarket IMHO. Stu

 

Did Ford ever make a 350 with an express bed?
Maybe the box and axle were both swapped onto it.

 

Bill (Number Dummy) has said before on a different thread that the first year for a factory pickup bed on a DRW truck was 1980. And that would have been on an 8' bed. The F-350 Express beds of the '53 to '56 era were 9'. I also have the Dealer Handbook for '54 (but not '56) and it too shows only a single rear wheel configuration. Could you, Mike, tell us whether your bed is 8' or 9'? And could you tell us, or send me a picture to show whether your rear axle has 8 lugs on the 6.5" circle of an F-250, or 6 lug x 7.25" circle of an F-350. And last, does anybody have a Hildy's for the mid-year trucks that might show something to explain the conversion? Stu

 

it looks like it is an 8' bed due to the fact that I see only 3 stake pockets. The Express beds on the F-350's had 4 stake pockets.

Ford only offered duellies on the flatbeds and stakebeds.

I have a Hildy's blue book from 1954. I do not remember seeing a dual wheel conversion but will look again...

 

Right you are. I'd forgotten that. Thanks. Stu

 

Wow - Now that's got me thinking. Maybe could do something like that to my 54 M-350. Have a couple 8 ft. boxes, some fenders I could widen. Really has me thinking. Might get my tape measure out on the wkend.

 

Even an aftermarket outfit would sell matching front wheels so you wouldn't have to carry two spares. Unless, that would be an extra cost option. Sure looks "factory".

 

Somebody just swapped rear diffs and widened the rear fenders.

 

Ok guys here are some answers. Body Tag...Max GWV 7400...WB 118...Cert Net HP 143...At 4000 RPM 4000...Trans 4SYN...Rear Axle 4.56...Color U...Production Code 19J2157T

The bed is 8 ft. Rear wheels Bud 6 lug on 7.5 pattern...Front wheel standard 8 Lug.

If this an add on, then whoever done it, done one hell of a job.

 

Mike - The rear axle is F-350. The other data is F-250. Here's the Earl's World link that has all the F-250 data for 1956. Stu

http://www.clubfte.com/users/earl/index.html

 

I am thinking if this not a rare truck & not worth anything I was going to use as a parts truck for my other build. I have another 1/2 ton to build & I can use some parts off the F250 for the build. But if its rare I would rather keep it together.

One more thing....Can anyone tell me what UNDEFINED Means? I have tried a help section that would tell me.