Hi, New here and new to Vintage trucks

Thought it might be a relative Prodrive

Oldcarhauler,
Congratulations on your purchase. Looking at the photo it appears to be a 1954/55 model by the different cabin features. I doubt very much if you will be able to fit a 2-speed in to the existing diff. housing. You would probably need to fit the rear end of a 5 ton with the 2-speed attached. The problem then, will be 8 stud wheels at the back and 6 stud wheels at the front. If you wish to obtain the speed you mentioned, first job will be to fit a brake booster, as the old Austins are not good on braking.
14B-Beaver.

Sorry to disappoint but these old BMC's are pretty steady and certaily won't take a turbo. Great for cruisin around and odd jobbing but at 60 years old they are looking forward to a pension. Also you will probably find that the wheelbase is a bit short for getting the load ahead of the drive axle. You need to be aware that when it comes to doing significant modifications, including increasing power more than 20% (in NSW at least), you will need engineer's certificates.

Hi Mammoth, from what I can find so far, it will be fitted with a 4 litre petrol engine, so the plan was a complete engine swap to a turbo Diesel engine, but I need to look into it more.

Brakes would be the job straight after I get myself a diff centre. I still do not have it home so it is making it a bit tough to try and even ID what diff is in there. I have found some info that says it is an Eaton diff, but then there are a number of different models. I need to get a centre as it may be a bit tough to push

I know I will have to get modifications certified, I have been through it before with cars, but understand that trucks fall under a whole different set of rules? Is that correct?

Happy to hear any pointers, I usually play with old Holden's, so this truck thing is extremely new to me at the moment

I am off to the vintage truck show tomorrow to have a look around and get some ideas.

Oldcarhauler,
I have scanned a page from the Workshop Manual showing the diff. on the 3 ton Loadstar. Austin also supplied this diff. for the Dodge truck for around 12 years.

14B-Beaver.

G'day,

I've got a complete 2 speed diff, wheels to wheels, out of a '56 F500, plus the front end, wheels to wheels. If they're any good to you they're yours. I'm on the Sunshine coast.
Cheers,
Paul.

14B-Beaver has posted an exploded view of the diff used in the 3 ton loadstar.

It looks the same as used in my A3-59D Dodge

Does anyone know the ratio used in the Loadster Diff and would the centres be interchangeable between the loadstar and the Dodge?

Daz

Hi Daz,
Fortyone teeth one the Crown Wheel.
Seven teeth on the Pinion.
Ratio 5.85 : 1.
As far as I know they are totally the same, with the exception of the Road Wheels.

14B-Beaver.

Hi 14B, thanks for that, will help me a lot on my mission to find what suits.

Old Yella, sounds great, I will do some research if it will fit and may take you up on the offer. Does anyone know if it would fit my truck?

Thank you to everyone helping, I really have no experience with trucks but have wanted one for a while.

Still waiting to get it home, proving to be a little harder than I thought, I am hoping to have it here for the weekend so I can see the full extent of what I have got myself into.

Got the truck home last week, got started on a few jobs this weekend.

There were some surprises hiding in the stock crate on the back, mainly being the windscreen glass, what looks like a bunch of the original tools, the seat base pad sections, unfortunately no dif centre.

First job was to slip the stock crate and tray off, then give the inside a good clean out, which filled my shop vac bin twice, thanks to a mix of rat and possum manure, chaff and corn cobs.

This is a quick pic of when it arrived home ( with the keys still stuck in the ignition)


And how it sat yesterday



If anyone is interested in the tray let me know, it is fairly rusty being an old stock truck, and the timber floor was stuffed.