55.2-59 58 GMC Suburban NAPCO and Chevrolet 3166

[1project2many]

I drove by a new business in the area last weekend and spotted two TF trucks parked outside. As NAPCO trucks they were both cool but one was over the top unusual imo. 1958 GMC Suburban Carrier w/ what appeared to be an original V8, full bed, Hydramatic, and power steering. Folks might be thinking the long truck on the right similar to today's "Suburban" is the one I'm talking about, but in 1958 the "Suburban Carrier" was GMC's answer to the "Cameo Carrier."

I am curious about the power steering. The system appeared to be a Chevrolet style system with the control valve on the pitman arm and a power assist cylinder. The GMC I had years ago had a power steering box with control valve and assist piston built in like today's vehicles. But maybe the 1/2 ton Jimmy was different?

[mongocanfly]

Those are cool..!!!.....I'd be knocking on the door to ask about them...

[mr48chev]

That 57 Burb looks close to one that my then stepfather tried to talk my mom into around 1960 She didn't bite and ended up with a 58 Merc colony Park wagon.

[1project2many]

I imagine the Merc was a better choice. I can't imagine the Burb giving a smooth ride.

[mr48chev]

Originally Posted by 1project2many

I imagine the Merc was a better choice. I can't imagine the Burb giving a smooth ride.

That Merc was pretty nice I'll have to admit. In those days if it had wheels on it mom could drive it. Didn't matter if it was a 51 Ford Victoria Hard top or a Fuel Tanker truck.

[daveshilling]

Originally Posted by 1project2many

I am curious about the power steering. The system appeared to be a Chevrolet style system with the control valve on the pitman arm and a power assist cylinder. The GMC I had years ago had a power steering box with control valve and assist piston built in like today's vehicles. But maybe the 1/2 ton Jimmy was different?

I have a GMC Suburban with factory power steering, and it is a direct drive power steering box, not a power assist cylinder. It's more similar to the CPP power steering box, and nothing like the Chevy power steering.

[mr48chev]

The control valve on the pitman arm and power assist cylinder work the same as those on many Fords including at least 65 66 Mustangs and a number of late 50's early 60's chevys.

The sensor controls the pressure the cylinder puts out and controls the direction that it pushes or pulls. You absolutely don't want to rebuild one and get the adjustment of or it is an all day fight to get it right. I've done about three in my life an the first one wanted to make turns one way or the other on it's own when I got it back together and it took a lot of effort to get it adjusted right. No internet to run to to get an answer and if the shop manual you had was somewhat vague you had to go to the dealer and ask to see their shop manual .

[1project2many]

Originally Posted by daveshilling

I have a GMC Suburban with factory power steering, and it is a direct drive power steering box, not a power assist cylinder. It's more similar to the CPP power steering box, and nothing like the Chevy power steering.

Thanks! I have owned a truck with the system you describe. It had a large pulley on the pump. The pump and the box had a large S cast into the body with the word Safety. The pressure line used a 7/16"-20 fitting on IIRC 5/16" tubing which never mated correctly to a late model Saginaw power steering system with 3/8" tubing.

Is your truck 1/2 or 3/4 ton? Mine came from a 3/4 ton truck and I wonder if that made a difference. I can see that the frame of this 1/2 ton model looked taller where the box was mounted.

You absolutely don't want to rebuild one and get the adjustment of or it is an all day fight to get it right. I've done about three in my life an the first one wanted to make turns one way or the other on it's own when I got it back together and it took a lot of effort to get it adjusted right.

I've done several Vette systems. Never start those with your arms through the steering wheel. The wheel will kick hard to one side on startup and it hurts.

[daveshilling]

Originally Posted by 1project2many

Is your truck 1/2 or 3/4 ton?

It's a 1/2 ton, all Suburbans (GMC Cameos) were.

[1project2many]

It's a 1/2 ton, all Suburbans (GMC Cameos) were.

Hmm... I bought a truck as a teenager that was 3/4 ton. Big cab tinted glass, two-tone interior, every option one could think of. The old guy said "I sold the fancy bed years ago." If not Suburban carrier, what was it? Full floating rear and 8 lug wheels, factory cab marker lights...

[_Ogre]

old guy might have thought any bed with sides was fancy smacy

[1project2many]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

old guy might have thought any bed with sides was fancy smacy

Lol. Maybe. He told me he bought it new and I would have found it in '85 or '86. Truck had far too many options to be an old beater though. Power steering, power brakes, radio, clock, tach, deluxe cab, BBW, tinted glass, V8, auto, armrests, both doors keyed alike, scratch shields, chrome trim rings on wheels... We didn't take pictures of stuff back then unless it really meant something. If I had any idea what I'd owned was uncommon I would have used an entire roll of film.

[daveshilling]

Originally Posted by 1project2many

Lol. Maybe. He told me he bought it new and I would have found it in '85 or '86. Truck had far too many options to be an old beater though. Power steering, power brakes, radio, clock, tach, deluxe cab, BBW, tinted glass, V8, auto, armrests, both doors keyed alike, scratch shields, chrome trim rings on wheels... We didn't take pictures of stuff back then unless it really meant something. If I had any idea what I'd owned was uncommon I would have used an entire roll of film.

Wow, that sounds amazing. How do you have a clock and a tach at the same time?? This truck sounds like somebody got an inheritance and went crazy.

I can't imagine the guy who wants a Fiberglass cameo bed ALSO needs a 3/4 ton around the farm... I suppose if he had a really nice boat, but even the adverts show a man loading some super light peat moss into the bed at his suburban tract home.

[1project2many]

Wow, that sounds amazing. How do you have a clock and a tach at the same time??

That's a fair question. I remembered it as having a factory clock in the RH side of the dash but that's clearly not the case looking at photos. My mistake. It definitely had a clock though because I gave that to a GMC guy I met several years later along with a pile of other GMC parts I'd saved.

This truck sounds like somebody got an inheritance and went crazy. I can't imagine the guy who wants a Fiberglass cameo bed ALSO needs a 3/4 ton around the farm... I suppose if he had a really nice boat, but even the adverts show a man loading some super light peat moss into the bed at his suburban tract home.

Farm? No... Fairly nice section of town. Older homes, many of them owned by guys who retired from utility or city jobs. This guy's house was a bit bigger than the others but it wasn't being maintained. It was on a large lot with a pretty garage in the back. There was a small sized tree growing up between the frame rails behind the cab so maybe 15 years had passed since the truck was parked.

The truck was nice enough that folks who had been in town for a few years knew about it and remembered seeing it on the road when new. They could even tell me what long-gone dealership it had been ordered from. I don't remember the names of the old dealers there anymore. I was constantly looking for parts rigs while I built mine and several people told me I should check this one out. Owner said the rear axle was blown. It might have been but the drums were solidly rusted to the shoes and I didn't have the experience to get past that. The wheels wouldn't fit on my six lug truck though because I checked. I liked the old, knobby tires and had kid dreams of using them. I installed the power steering on my Chevy but because of the frame differences and my lack of experience I didn't do the job well. I used a newer pump without realizing there was a pressure difference and it kept blowing seals. Plus I had no way to duplicate the frame at the top of the box and my hacked attempt left the box installed slightly crooked. I did my best to duplicate the notch but I couldn't overcome the difference in the height of the frame rail. Never even notice that until I was trying to bolt up the box.

Your reply sounds sarcastic but generally you're helpful to folks. I have an honest question about a truck I owned for a short time 35 years ago. The configuration disagrees with published facts but as I double check what I remember there are things such as not being able to use the wheels, the truck having cab marker lights, my clear memory of "things sticking out through the wheels" (first time seeing a full floating rear) and even notes on the 3/4 ton version of the trans in the GMC having different gear ratios than the Hydramatic in one of my 1/2 ton Chevy trucks. Without actually seeing the bed there's no way to confirm it had the fiberglass version. So could a determined person have special ordered a truck built with the same options on a 3/4 ton chassis? What if they had a friend at the dealership??

[daveshilling]

Originally Posted by 1project2many

So could a determined person have special ordered a truck built with the same options on a 3/4 ton chassis? What if they had a friend at the dealership??

Maybe we all have different ideas of what a fancy bed is, but at the end of the day, it's more enjoyable of a thought to imagine the guy special ordered a 3/4 ton Suburban Pickup, so lets just call that the story and stick to it!

Although it makes you wonder what other kind of special order treats might be out there... could you special order GMC parts for a Chevy?