Hey, I am so excited today, my '46 1/2 ton has been going really slowly since I bought it last year. I have the frame stripped down and was going to start blasting it, but got sidetracked by adding some lights to the garage and insulating and sheetrocking, thought I should get that done first. So over the summer I bought a 59A motor, looks like it is not cracked, I need to get one more (broken) bolt out before I send it to the machine shop to get cleaned and Magged. I also came across a 3 speed trans, I was so happy, it looked exactly like what I needed, but I found out that in a previous life someone put the new gears into a "48" case. So recently, I answerd an ad on craigslist for a '48 6 cyl w/ trans, it was a good 3 speed, ready to go (so now I am parting out the 6 cyl).

Today I answered another craigslist ad and got a 1/2 ton banjo rear from a '47 (Wheel to wheel(not just drum to drum) the only issue is that they cut they e-brake cables). The pinion ring play doesn't seem excessive.

So was I stupid to buy the banjo? I don't think I spent too much on it $75? Remember my goal was to try to stay as original as possible. It seems like everyone is talking about replacing the banjo with 8", 9" chev 10 bolt and what not. I also know a lot of those doing that are putting small blocks in thier trucks. I still have options, I have a '68-'72 1/2 ton 9" with the wider brakes, which with the stock fronts would be over kill for brakes. I would still need to find a 31 spline center with good gears though as I refuse to put the "N" center that came with it behind a fairly stock flathead. I also picked up a '57 1/2 ton 9" this fall really cheap, I think that one would be better than the '68 anyway.

Are there any pitfalls (besides gear ratios) to the banjo?

Were the axle housings on all of the 1/2 ton banjos tapered (I have never seen one before so I just assumed they were stright like the newer ones).

Thanks for your help.

Charles

 

Charles, $75 for a banjo rear is a great deal. I have seen these sell for about $200-$250, so you got a good deal, even with cut brake cables. They are a good rear assuming you are not going to putting a lot of torque or horse power to the rear, that is when you might want to consider upgrading to an 8" or so.

 

That's a smoking deal on that rear...Hotrodders like them because they have the "traditional" look of a banjo, but are easily run with a standar driveline...only other way to run a banjo is to buy an adaptor (about 300, or fab noe up.

I see the '42-47 banjo truck rears with asking prices of 300 all the time on Fordban.

Ya dun guuud

 

Thanks guys, I kind of thought it would be OK to run. I suppose if the hotrodders want them that bad it should be good.

Theoretically I have all of the major parts to make my truck original then, an I didn't have to pay an arm and leg to get it. I still need to make sure the 59 block is buildable but it looks really good, a couple of cylinders with rust but other than that it looks good. Since I now have a "spare" set of 8BA rods and crank I might run those in the engine though. I still need to pull apart the rust pile block to get them out though. For the most part the only things I still need to pick up are the oil pan, generator bracket, fuel pump/stand/pushrod, and the "correct" carb (I have and 8BA right now)

Since I started with such a pile of junk, I guess it was a benefit since I have had plenty of time to look for the parts I still need.

Like I said, I am so excited!

Thanks guys.

 

I think they all (open-drive) have 4:11 or higher gears. Maybe not the best cruising or traveling gear?

 

You had either a 3.54, 3:78, or 4:11 in the rear, depending on the engine that was in the truck it came out of.

 

Thanks, I haven't checked gears yet -- they are what they are. I tried to count a little while I was wheeling into place and I am figuring its going to be 4.11s. But hey, I am going for the old truck feel (my wife has always said that if 45 was good enough back then its good enough now). I am not planning long trips with it, so for around town it will be ok. Heck, I can always re-gear the speedometer so that it reads faster than I am actually going, with the original suspension and steering it will feel like I am going a hundred :-) I'll try to get it up on a jack this weekend and give it a count. So a question back though - if I find an old car with a banjo with better gears, I assume the ring gear will swap in no problem, but will the pinion also swap in? Its a fair question as I don't know what was changed over from the torque tube to the open drive, like I say this was actually the first time I saw a banjo.

I was told that the truck was a '47 and had the V8, unsure which trans though as all that stuff was gone when I got there. The frame now has Heidts IFS, a chevy up front and working in an S10 10 bolt in the rear. The engine and trans need a bunch of work. It sounds like the guy got stiffed for the Heidts and the work on it though and is likely to sell off the frame soon. I will tell him to post it here if he does.

 

No the pinions are completely different between car and pick-up. Plus you don't want to go mixing gears-- They came as a matched set ( as close to matched as Henry could get.

 

Thanks. I kindof figure so on the pinion thing. I suppose thats why its not quite as easy to make the torque tube open drive.

Well my younger son and I were out side yesterday afternoon (I actually got home before it was dark :-) we counted gears. It looks like I have a 3.78 and I think I can resonably live with that. I used one of those online calulators and with 28" diam tires the 3.78 will have the RPM at about 2500 at 55 MPH, not too bad I guess.

So Gary, am I right to assume (since you said the gearing was based on engine) that the I6 got the 4.11s and the V8 got either the 3.54 or the 3.78?