47-55.1 Radiator support

[Matt_50]

1950 3100, stock frame.

When I got this truck the front sheet metal was only partially assembled.

Anyways there were two core supports each one is missing pieces. One mounts in the middle, one in two spots. Does it matter which one I use? And if I used the one where it only bolts in the middle... will the sheet metal rock side to side?

[Matt_50]

Both are missing support rods.. the X. And one is missing top piece and one is missing a bottom mount.

[MiraclePieCo]

The firewall brace rods probably prevent side-to-side rocking. And all those fender-to-cowl bolts.

[Matt_50]

I have those rods, from pictures I've seen though the support should have inner braces and a top bar right?

[MARTINSR]

Here is what your rad support should look like. There is also a welded on tie bar going across the top that I made bolt in so it's not on there. The one you have leaning on the tree has that tie bar still welded on. A lot of them were removed to put motors in easier. Which is why I made mine bolt in.

Brian

[jbarron]

My 50 has the 2 bolts on the bottom.

I had to remove the X to fit the condenser for a vintage air setup.

Radiator adds a lot of stiffness to the support.

If I was doing the middle only one I would shim pads on the other two holes.
That support plays big time in the alignment of the front sheet metal.

[Matt_50]

I was wondering about usingvsome kind of shim or cutting some rubber for extra cushion but didn't see anything like it in the catalog.

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by Matt_50

I was wondering about usingvsome kind of shim or cutting some rubber for extra cushion but didn't see anything like it in the catalog.

I went to the hardware store thinking I could find something like I remember years ago, a sheet of a "tire" like material, rubber with a cloth reinforcement. I found nothing but just some funky 1/8" thick red rubber so I abandoned that idea and are ordering all the right stuff from Classic parts.


Brian

[Matt_50]

I havebth3 little pad for in the middle. Do I need cushions on either side too?

[Matt_50]

I think I misunderstood. Ok, so two bolts are in the center on one and the other support has one bolt hole on either side. On my crossmember it has all the holes as if it can take either support. Are they interchangeable? I know sheet metal alignment can be finicky.

The catalog looks like it calls for a 1950 to have one like MARTINSR. The one I have is missing one of the ... feet?..Would some thick washers work on that one side?

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by Matt_50

I think I misunderstood. Ok, so two bolts are in the center on one and the other support has one bolt hole on either side. On my crossmember it has all the holes as if it can take either support. Are they interchangeable? I know sheet metal alignment can be finicky.

The catalog looks like it calls for a 1950 to have one like MARTINSR. The one I have is missing one of the ... feet?..Would some thick washers work on that one side?

Yep, the early one up to 49 (?) had one mount in the center with two bolts. Then from 50 (?) up they had the two mounts with one bolt each. I don't know the year of my frame I have as it's not the original '48 but yes it has the holes for either one. I know the frame is later than '49 because it used tube shocks. I have to assume they simply just added the outer holes when they changed not planning on an early rad support ever being installed on the frame but just simply why change that on the dies to stamp the crossmember but just add the two new holes. I don't know, I thought the same thing when I noticed that.

I actually have the rubber gasket in my parts box from the old rad support that I had with the single bracket in the middle, it was the original off my truck which is a '48. This rad support I got at some time (don't remember how, damn it sucks getting old) and it's the later one with the two brackets.

Brian

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by Matt_50

I think I misunderstood. Ok, so two bolts are in the center on one and the other support has one bolt hole on either side. On my crossmember it has all the holes as if it can take either support. Are they interchangeable? I know sheet metal alignment can be finicky.

The catalog looks like it calls for a 1950 to have one like MARTINSR. The one I have is missing one of the ... feet?..Would some thick washers work on that one side?

Well, you could remove the center mount off the one on the truck and put it on the one in the other photo and remove the other bracket and just use it like that. Or you could contact someone like Jay (jaytoon1@aol.com) who has a LOT of parts for these trucks and he may have a wasted rad support with the bracket you need that he can remove and sell to you. He is a good guy and a good contact for these parts, he has had one thing after another that I needed.

The later rad support with the two brackets also has a reinforcement inside making the bottom stronger.

Brian

[Matt_50]

Thanks for clarifying. I'll make a spacer for that one side. I'm pretty sure I have some scrap 1/2 steel...

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by Matt_50

Thanks for clarifying. I'll make a spacer for that one side. I'm pretty sure I have some scrap 1/2 steel...

But it's not straight, one side is thinner.

Brian

[Matt_50]

I'm not sure what you mean.. could I not make another mount out of scrap or even a few thick washers?

[jbarron]

Yes you can build a replacement mount.
Washers would work, but I would rather have the larger surface area like the original.
The only reason for the gap between the radiator frame and mounting pad is so you can get a wrench in there to tighten it. Hard to do from the top with a radiator mounted.
You could use a carriage bolt in a slotted retainer inside the u channel of the core support and then just add spacers or just weld a bolt to a square that fits in the u channel to keep it from turning.
You will need to adjust the core support position when aligning front sheet metal

Also truck mud flaps work good for replacement rubber pads.

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by jbarron

Yes you can build a replacement mount.
Washers would work, but I would rather have the larger surface area like the original.
The only reason for the gap between the radiator frame and mounting pad is so you can get a wrench in there to tighten it. Hard to do from the top with a radiator mounted.
You could use a carriage bolt in a slotted retainer inside the u channel of the core support and then just add spacers or just weld a bolt to a square that fits in the u channel to keep it from turning.
You will need to adjust the core support position when aligning front sheet metal

Also truck mud flaps work good for replacement rubber pads.

Nope, you don't need to get a wrench in there because it used a carriage bolt.

Brian

[jbarron]

I guess my core support has rounded out from wear. Needed washers there.
The frames holes where L shaped not slotted anymore.
All fun when trying to align everything.

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by jbarron

I guess my core support has rounded out from wear. Needed washers there.
The frames holes where L shaped not slotted anymore.
All fun when trying to align everything.

You can see in the bottom photo of mine that the bolt in the left side of the photo isn't all the way down in the hole, it's a carriage bolt.

Yours may have been drilled out for a larger bolt or something like that too. It has been around for 70 years a lot can happen.

Brian

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by Matt_50

I'm not sure what you mean.. could I not make another mount out of scrap or even a few thick washers?

You are right, looking at it better just now, the mount is taller on one side but it's because it goes out further to where the reinforcement starts going up. Right at the hole it's pretty much flat across so a spacer would work.

Brian

[mr48chev]

I'd have to go out back and look. The one with the two bolts in the center goes with the 47/48 cabs with the center mount in the rear while the one with the two spread mounts goes with the cabs that have the shackles on the sides of the frame.

Lazy mechanics were normally the ones who cut the top piece and the X brace out and didn't put the back when they replaced the engine.

Some engine swap guys cut them out to slide the radiator forward a tad then the radiator usually springs a leak due to the stress from the front end flexing.

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

I'd have to go out back and look. The one with the two bolts in the center goes with the 47/48 cabs with the center mount in the rear while the one with the two spread mounts goes with the cabs that have the shackles on the sides of the frame.

Lazy mechanics were normally the ones who cut the top piece and the X brace out and didn't put the back when they replaced the engine.

Some engine swap guys cut them out to slide the radiator forward a tad then the radiator usually springs a leak due to the stress from the front end flexing.

OH YEAH! It was the "Diamond" shape mounting! The marketed it as that, supposedly it would "rock" on that diamond shape making it more pleasant to drive. LOL

Brian

[mr48chev]

I think they were looking at guys driving them across rough fields and paths where the frames flexed a bunch and needed the cab supports to have the movement in them.

My 48 had the center mounted support on it when bought it that was hacked up by a previous owner.

[Matt_50]

Thanks for the input guys. I came home and cleaned and painted my other support. I'll figure out a spacer when I mount it..

Rubber and shims between support and frame and a rubber piece under and then a nut?

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by Matt_50

Thanks for the input guys. I came home and cleaned and painted my other support. I'll figure out a spacer when I mount it..

Rubber and shims between support and frame and a rubber piece under and then a nut?

I believe it's just a quarter inch piece of rubber between the bracket and the crossmember. Then under the crossmember was a washer and a nut, I put a lock nut.

Brian