RE: [ihc] wheels, axles...more.

["Mac McMuffin" <mac@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

## >> >With a single dual on the rear, mounted in the same way the
## >> front would
## >> >mount....with the " 6.5" " tires that are on there, there is
## >> about 3/4 to
## >> >maybe an inch, clear of the inside of the bed.  Oops.  If
## >> the suspension
## >> >squats, it'll rub.
## >>
## >> You might be surprised. I've had tires on my B-100(stock step
## >> side bed)that
## >> didn't clear the box by any more than that. No indication
## >> that they ever
## >> hit.

i tried to respond to this last night, but my machine crashed so
consistently every time i opened e-mail that i gave up.  maybe today it will
be better.  at any rate, my B122 has the shortbed narrowbox (six foot
stepside).  when i dualled it, it left a bit under an inch clearance between
the inside fender and the sidewall of the tire.  even worse, there's less
than half an inch between the inside fender and the brake backing plate.
but just as Jim said about his, i have no evidence that either the tire or
the backing plate has ever contacted the inner fender even under heavy load
(and this one's seen some hefty loads) or rough terrain.

## >> >I am rather curious how differently it steers with the dual's on the
## >> >front...
## >>
## >> Prolly a lot easier, which is really saying something on a
## >> B

i'll say.  i swapped front end hardware at the same time as i swapped rear
end hardware when i dualled my B122 ("borrowed" all the gear from a 1966
1500A).  the combination of short wheelbase and wider rear stance, with
narrowed front track, made it turn a LOT tighter (it turns tighter now, i
attribute that to the three conditions listed).  i'm not at all sure why the
front track is narrower, since i stole *all* the front axle hardware from
the 1500A, but it's definitely narrower by a noticeable margin up front.
making the change did make it a lot easier to turn, though.  you don't have
to gorilla-arm the steering wheel anymore.

the difference was noticeable even with the 304 already installed (see
later).  putting in the 304 improved the balance, but even so, changing to
the dual-offset wheels in the front made it even better.  i *really* liked
driving that truck after i dualled it.  a lot.  much more so than when it
was singled, and it was *really* fun with singles.

## >> (the moved the
## >> engines back in the C series for a reason ;) ).

hang about...  moved the engines *back* ??  back as in back towards the
firewall, or back towards the front of the truck?  with the BD220 in there
in my B122, the engine was fairly close to the firewall, and fairly close to
the radiator.  when i dropped the SV304 in it, it was VERY close to the
firewall, and i had to move the radiator back towards the engine nine inches
(it was more expedient to move the radiator than to build a long shroud).
in both of the Big B trucks that Joel F stockpiled, there is a *long* shroud
and the engines (both are 345s) are very close to the firewall.  all of the
B series trucks that i've seen with V8 engines have them placed this close
to the firewall.

the International Color History book by Brownell and Ertel talks about this.
they say that in 1957 with the A series, IH lengthened the front springs to
improve ride quality...  this changed the placement of the front axle, which
put more of the weight of the six cylinder engines ahead of the axle, made
the trucks nose-heavy, resulting in heavier steering and poorer handling.
they also say that the introduction of the shorter V8 engine in the B series
redressed this balance problem, improving the handling and steering
considerably.  i'd guess this is why that engine is so far back in the
engine compartment.

i could not find anything in any of my books directly stating it, but i
*believe* they went back to a shorter front spring setup in the C series of
1961 and later.  can anybody verify the spring lengths between the A/B
series and the C series?  as i recall, the engines in my 1965 D1200 and 1966
1500A, both with a 304, did not have their engines quite as close to the
firewall as the B series had them.  anybody?

--Mac

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Krystof "Mac" MacBryghde
TyrGothi

http://master.triad.ath.cx/
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