1 ton dually & single wheel truck differences - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

MercPowered · 01-04-2008, 07:32 AM

I've been curious about this for a long time and have finally decided to ask. On occasion I've run across a dually with a nice cab but I don't want a dually. My street is too narrow and local ordanances prohibit parking I tons (duallys) on residential streets (long term). I've thought about converting a dually to a single wheel truck and dropping on a Fleetside bed but I have questions.

1. Is a dually rear narrower? Can regular 8 lug wheels be used and the lugs replaced with shorter ones or would the rear end have to be replaced?

2. I assume the spindles/drums/disks would have to be replaced to eliminate the dished wheels?

3. Are the wheel well openings larger for use with dished wheels?

4. Are there other considerations I haven't considered?

Thanks in advance for your expertise.

**special-K** · 01-04-2008, 08:37 AM

The 8-lug patterns are the same.The front hub has a spacer and the rear axle is narrower for the dual rear wheel option.Only cab`n`chassis or 9' Stepsides with single wheel C/30s until Longhorns came out.The dual rear wheel option came only on cab,n,chassis.
All sheetmetal is the same in 10-30 series trucks.
If you are combining you may want to get a C/30 and put it all one a C/10 or C/20 frame or make a flatbed.

mvfd70 · 01-04-2008, 09:45 AM

Yup. Dually axles came on cab and chassis trucks only back then. I don't know what differences, if any, there are in the frames between pick up trucks and cab and chassis trucks.

Longhorn Man · 01-04-2008, 11:28 AM

Up front, on a drum brake set up, the hub would need to be replaced. however, if you just run the daullie hub (same drum) it'll only put the wheel out an inch or so.... not enough to matter at stock heights with stock tires or modern tire equivilent. When i got the longhorn, it had one normal hub, and one daulie hub up front.
As indicated above, the rear on a 67 - 72 DRW truck is narower. It places the extra tire to the inside instead of to the outside. This does however, place the outer tire directly under the lip of the fenderwell if you were to install a bed on one.
Another thing to remember, the frames on the one tons (only way to get DRW from the factory) were longer than your normal pick ups. The only beds you can install are the 9 foot stepside, or the 8 1/2 foot longhorn bed. And you'll need the bed mounts, which I think are held to the frame with big rivits if memory serves, it's been a while since I had the bed off my truck.

**uncle** · 01-04-2008, 11:33 AM

You will only have to change the rotors on 71/72 when you're going from a dually to a single wheel setup. You can only put a bed on the 133" wheelbase 1 ton unless you are very creative.

Longhorn Man · 01-04-2008, 11:52 AM

Uncle... I'll start with saying I have nevereven looked under a 71/72 DRW truck.
With that being said, I had looked at an 86 cab/chassis DRW truck, I was going to buy it for the front brakes... the entire crossmember swap... for the longhorn. There was no rear axle or wheels... so I couldn't have gone daulie off of it. So i was considering just getting SRW rotors for it. I called my NAPA guy, and he said he didn't think I could do that... I had him check, and he was right.
Were the 71/72's actually JUST a rotor swap, or would the rotors be different?

**uncle** · 01-04-2008, 12:36 PM

I talked to a guy at a local yard and he told me the spindles on a 3/4 and 1 ton disc setup are the same (71/72). He also told me the dually rotors run from 71 to 88 maybe even 90.

67_C-30 · 01-04-2008, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by uncle

I talked to a guy at a local yard and he told me the spindles on a 3/4 and 1 ton disc setup are the same (71/72). He also told me the dually rotors run from 71 to 88 maybe even 90.

That's correct. The dually rotor has an extension on it (much more than the drum set did) but the spindles interchange between 71 - 87 C20's and C30's.

MercPowered · 01-04-2008, 01:00 PM

Thanks for all the great responces! It certanly cleared up many questions that had bothered me for years. The wheelbase differences had never occured to me (though they should have). I will keep the cab/clip transplant in mind as an option for future projects. As long as I'm here I might as well ask if the 3/4 ton coils from my brothers parts truck will fit my 1/2 ton. My rear springs are pretty much collapsed. Thanks again, Jeff

01-04-2008, 07:32 AM	#1
MercPowered Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: St.Louis Mo Posts: 10	1 ton dually & single wheel truck differences I've been curious about this for a long time and have finally decided to ask. On occasion I've run across a dually with a nice cab but I don't want a dually. My street is too narrow and local ordanances prohibit parking I tons (duallys) on residential streets (long term). I've thought about converting a dually to a single wheel truck and dropping on a Fleetside bed but I have questions. 1. Is a dually rear narrower? Can regular 8 lug wheels be used and the lugs replaced with shorter ones or would the rear end have to be replaced? 2. I assume the spindles/drums/disks would have to be replaced to eliminate the dished wheels? 3. Are the wheel well openings larger for use with dished wheels? 4. Are there other considerations I haven't considered? Thanks in advance for your expertise.

01-04-2008, 08:37 AM	#2
special-K Special Order Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mt Airy, MD Posts: 85,852	Re: 1 ton dually & single wheel truck differences The 8-lug patterns are the same.The front hub has a spacer and the rear axle is narrower for the dual rear wheel option.Only cab`n`chassis or 9' Stepsides with single wheel C/30s until Longhorns came out.The dual rear wheel option came only on cab,n,chassis. All sheetmetal is the same in 10-30 series trucks. If you are combining you may want to get a C/30 and put it all one a C/10 or C/20 frame or make a flatbed. __________________ "BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~

01-04-2008, 09:45 AM	#3
mvfd70 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Opdyke, IL Posts: 775	Re: 1 ton dually & single wheel truck differences Yup. Dually axles came on cab and chassis trucks only back then. I don't know what differences, if any, there are in the frames between pick up trucks and cab and chassis trucks. __________________ 1978 Chevrolet Silverado 3/4 ton 400 small block. 2000 F-250 Powerstroke 2002 GMC Yukon Denali XL

01-04-2008, 11:28 AM	#4
Longhorn Man its all about the +6 inches Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Hilliard Ohio Posts: 2,693	Re: 1 ton dually & single wheel truck differences Up front, on a drum brake set up, the hub would need to be replaced. however, if you just run the daullie hub (same drum) it'll only put the wheel out an inch or so.... not enough to matter at stock heights with stock tires or modern tire equivilent. When i got the longhorn, it had one normal hub, and one daulie hub up front. As indicated above, the rear on a 67 - 72 DRW truck is narower. It places the extra tire to the inside instead of to the outside. This does however, place the outer tire directly under the lip of the fenderwell if you were to install a bed on one. Another thing to remember, the frames on the one tons (only way to get DRW from the factory) were longer than your normal pick ups. The only beds you can install are the 9 foot stepside, or the 8 1/2 foot longhorn bed. And you'll need the bed mounts, which I think are held to the frame with big rivits if memory serves, it's been a while since I had the bed off my truck.

01-04-2008, 11:33 AM	#5
uncle Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Conyers,Ga. Posts: 7,288	Re: 1 ton dually & single wheel truck differences You will only have to change the rotors on 71/72 when you're going from a dually to a single wheel setup. You can only put a bed on the 133" wheelbase 1 ton unless you are very creative.

01-04-2008, 11:52 AM	#6
Longhorn Man its all about the +6 inches Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Hilliard Ohio Posts: 2,693	Re: 1 ton dually & single wheel truck differences Uncle... I'll start with saying I have nevereven looked under a 71/72 DRW truck. With that being said, I had looked at an 86 cab/chassis DRW truck, I was going to buy it for the front brakes... the entire crossmember swap... for the longhorn. There was no rear axle or wheels... so I couldn't have gone daulie off of it. So i was considering just getting SRW rotors for it. I called my NAPA guy, and he said he didn't think I could do that... I had him check, and he was right. Were the 71/72's actually JUST a rotor swap, or would the rotors be different?

01-04-2008, 12:36 PM	#7
uncle Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Conyers,Ga. Posts: 7,288	Re: 1 ton dually & single wheel truck differences I talked to a guy at a local yard and he told me the spindles on a 3/4 and 1 ton disc setup are the same (71/72). He also told me the dually rotors run from 71 to 88 maybe even 90.

01-04-2008, 01:00 PM	#9
MercPowered Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: St.Louis Mo Posts: 10	Re: 1 ton dually & single wheel truck differences Thanks for all the great responces! It certanly cleared up many questions that had bothered me for years. The wheelbase differences had never occured to me (though they should have). I will keep the cab/clip transplant in mind as an option for future projects. As long as I'm here I might as well ask if the 3/4 ton coils from my brothers parts truck will fit my 1/2 ton. My rear springs are pretty much collapsed. Thanks again, Jeff



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