Want my 51 GMC 2.5 ton Road friendly

I have this 51 GMC 2.5 ton that I love to death, but its a monster , top speed 45mph and 6 miles to the gallon......Im usally not into converting, like to leave it old school, but I want to drive this thing and enjoy it....I have a chance to get a good runner CHEAP !(82 GMC 3/4 ton truck) .....Is there any way of marrying these two to make a roadworthy truck?? Whithout it looking like an abortion.

Thanks

 

Not if you want to keep the load-carrying capacity and/or the brakes of the big rig. The 3/4 ton is a glorified pickup, not intended to carry the weight the bigger truck was designed to haul, and the smaller wheels will look ridiculous under a truck that big. It might be possible to make some sort of adapter to run the big wheels, but then you've got brakes that won't be safe with much load at all.
Jerry

 

I've seen two approaches you might consider.

Some P30 chassis (motorhomes and bread or tool trucks) have 10-lug rear axles. Swap to one of those axles and you would be able to run 10-lug 20 inch wheels. And the brakes on that axle may not be up to the 20,000 pounds your truck is rated for, but you'll never move a load that big once you change the rear gears anyway.

Another approach is to disassemble your rear axle, cutting the spindles from the housing. Then weld those spindles on a new housing, positioned so you can put the axle shafts in and redrill the old hubs.

I've seen both done and you can probalby make one or the other work for you.

Keep in mind those stock rear gears were what made it possible for that small motor to move a heavily loaded truck. Once you loose those gears you won't haul a heavy load again.

The IFS under that '82 is the same as what was used under a 1-ton single wheel truck, and the brakes appear to be the same based on part numbers (rashly assumping '82 is the same as '72 which I've actually looked up). If you could find the 8-lug rear from a 1-ton or bigger truck, like an 8-lug P30, you might be able to adapt those parts, and then use the 18 inch dually wheels GM had in the 40's, 50's and early 60's.

This last idea might be a little on the edge...