Old fire truck


The workhorse

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Post Thu Dec 20, 2018 11:15 pm

Old fire truck

1975 Loadstar 1700 crewcab 4x4
345 Recently retired fire truck.

Looking for options to gear this thing up a bit as it is super low geared, top speed is about 48 MPH. I know this is a tall order and would be satisfied with 55, 60 would be amazing! I really don't know much about the specs for the truck other than it's nearly perfect. No rust, good glass, runs perfectly, great interior and only 33k. The truck was owned by a rural fire department and seldom used but maintained regularly. I would like to keep it as stock as possible add on's would be okay but not really interested in replacing drivetrain components with other than factory options or era correct parts.

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

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Location: Lyman, IA

Post Fri Dec 21, 2018 9:14 am

Re: Old fire truck

You may be stuck where you are. The differentials are going to be the key. What they are, and what is available. Tire size can make a small change, but what can fit on the rims and clear everything is the question.
It will be unlikey there will be room between the main trans and transfercase to add a aux or O/D unit.

Pile of Parts
Pile of Parts

Posts: 39

Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2018 8:49 pm

Location: Idaho

Post Fri Dec 21, 2018 10:05 pm

Re: Old fire truck

That's what I learning as I do more research on. This beast. Tires and wheels may be the best and cheapest route to gain a little on the top end. It has Dayton wheels and I think I can find wheels in 22.5 to fit the hubs and run larger radial tires. May need a ltiile lift to allow clearance. The end goal for this vehicle is to have an expedition vehicle with a removable camper/mini house on the back that my wife and I can travel the country in when we retire. That way we're not stuck going to KOA type stuff and can get into remote areas. I prefer to drive scenic roads anyways so if I can get 55 that'd be fine. The truck is quite capable off road as is. Thanks for the reply and advice I'll start the search for wheels and tires and will probably have to fab a lift of some kind.

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 5171

Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:28 pm

Location: Lyman, IA

Post Sat Dec 22, 2018 8:37 am

Re: Old fire truck

On many of these medium trucks you can not fit wider rims and tires. The inner rear will hit the springs, the outer the body, and the front will have tie rod clearance issues.
What rubber does it have now? I would guess 9.00x 20 sitting on 6.5" rims Your not going to gain a whole lot with what you can fit.
Start by getting the spec's of what you have now, there may be a O/D trans that might get you more road speed with the sacrifice of low end starting.
Attachments
20x6OnInside.jpg
From another poster (Greg) when he upped the tire size on stock rims, see how close it is to the springs. He is at the limit.
20x6OnInside.jpg (9.93 KiB) Viewed 21048 times

Pile of Parts
Pile of Parts

Posts: 39

Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2018 8:49 pm

Location: Idaho

Post Sat Dec 22, 2018 11:48 am

Re: Old fire truck

Yes you are correct for the current tires size. I have considered an overdrive trans. Reading on this forum and others it seems there were 3 options. Two with 5th gear direct drive and one with an actual overdrive. Also I have found an adapter to mate a NV4500 to the 345. Need to to some more research and calculation to figure out what I'd be looking at for speed.

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 5171

Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:28 pm

Location: Lyman, IA

Post Sat Dec 22, 2018 12:20 pm

Re: Old fire truck

I always recommend starting by getting as much info on what you have, then do the math to map out rpms and MPH with what you have now, and compare to what you are planning. It prevents shattered expectations.
A 9.00X 20 is the same rev's per mile as a low pro 22.5 or a 10X 22.5 tire. Not much you can gain with tires alone, even if they will fit.
Be sure to examine the starting reduction if you change transmissions.

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

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Location: Canada's left Coast

Post Sat Dec 22, 2018 4:19 pm

Re: Old fire truck

I cringe at the thought of fueling that monster. On a good day, rolling on the level I would be surprised if that truck would get 4 miles per gallon. We pay $5.65 for a gallon. A round trip to the grocery store would cost close to $10.00
Fire trucks typically do not get high mileage. Long periods of having the engine running at a fire is where the higher wear factor will be.
Parts for any old IHC are difficult if not impossible to find. Add to this the specialty truck you have and you will be SOL? Think about getting out in the back country and that old beast breaks down. Who and how much will it cost to do a recovery. Who will be able to fix the truck if it is possible to drag it to a repair shop? If the shop is expected to supply parts, they will have to do online research and you will be charged for that time.

How much does that truck weigh? Can you get insurance?
I would rather have tools I do not need than to need tools I do not have
Thinking risks being controversial and possibly being offensive

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Pile of Parts

Posts: 39

Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2018 8:49 pm

Location: Idaho

Post Sat Dec 22, 2018 6:04 pm

Re: Old fire truck

Yes those are things that have crossed my mind too. I have another 1700 with 392 and other parts to spare. A friend is trying to talk me into a GM engine and trans sawp with throttle body injection. He owns and operates a salvage yard and used to run an old Loadstar boom truck. Poor fuel mileage (8 mpg) is just part of the deal. But I could get engine and trans for nearly free from a relatively late model truck. But I kinda didn't want to butcher the old truck if avoidable. As far as weight, insurance and registration goes. The truck weighs in at 12k or so has hydraulic brakes and I can easily register it here in Idaho. I have a farm and my insurance company will insure it without question.

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 5171

Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:28 pm

Location: Lyman, IA

Post Sun Dec 23, 2018 9:37 am

Re: Old fire truck

I wouldn't worry about the IHC in the woods. If you are fairly competent with older mechanical engines it shouldn't give much of a problem. IHC used timing gears (no chain) on all engines it designed. The SV had a reputation for de-laminating cam bearings, so before I took it out for the first time, I would check those.
Other then carrying a spare set of points and a few other small parts, I wouldn't hesitate to drive one anywhere.
I have no idea what you can expect for fuel mileage, Ralph Goff would have an idea.
With trucks, its wind resistance more than weight that is the real fuel sucker, so what body you have will make a big difference.
The last L/S I had anything to do with was a '75 school bus with a 4V 392 governed. I didn't keep track of the mileage as I wasn't responsible for the bill. I don't remember it being unreasonable.
Having said all that, I don't know if I would care to take one anywhere that I couldn't go with 2wd and a set of chains to get me back out if I were stuck. A 4wd of that size will take a large area to turn around, and if you get it stuck it will be expensive to get hooked out.

Pile of Parts
Pile of Parts

Posts: 39

Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2018 8:49 pm

Location: Idaho

Post Sun Dec 23, 2018 11:52 am

Re: Old fire truck

Thanks for the input, I was feeling like I shouldn't consider driving this thing as is. I purchased it over this past summer and up untill that point it was in service on a regular basis. It's not like it has been parked for years or even months. I live in the area and would regularly see it out on drills and fires. So I know that it has been maintained. I have driven it around quite a bit and have had no issues so far. As for getting it stuck, if someone has been there before or there is a road I'm confident it will not get stuck. This thing is amazing off road I would say it's as good as my CJ7 and could follow it anywhere. I have a large property with some very rugged ground and hills and have tested it throughly. Low transfer and 1st gear, it has impressive ground clearance and nearly new bias ply traction tires all the way round. It will crawl up and over a 6' nearly vertical cutbank and come down the same no problem. Once I figure out how to downsize pics I'll post a few. So I guess I'll run the 345 and transmission that's in it. However yesterday I was looking at my other Loadstar. It has a roadranger set up with split rearend. It is a twin screw with a 392. I wondered if that transmission would be better I'll have to get some numbers on it and see what it is.
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