VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 Parts and technical infor for 31 chevy AE truck

31 Chevy pickup AE. I am looking for technical information on bed supports for pickup and bolting information for rear fender spacers. Additionally parts: driver door inside window trim and outside door handle, start arm (from floor to starter)

The bed is supported by five 2x4 boards and a few spacers. The front board is positioned with 4" side against the bottom of the floor boards and centered on the front bed bolts. Wood blocks go between the frame and wood cross piece to level the bed in the front.

Another 2x4 also on the flat is positioned on the front side of the frame kickup. The ends are tapered so they fit the contour of the kickup. The front is essentially the full 2" and tapers toward the back.

Two 2x4 boards hold the back of the bed on the flat area of the rear frame cross member. There are two slotted holes for the rear bed bolts. The board next to the bed wood is on the flat. Below it is a 2x4 vertically that is centered on the bolt holes. Like the front, carriage bolts go through the boards and rear cross member.

The final board is flat against the bottom of the bed boards jut inside of the rear of the bed.

So there are four wooden cross members to support the bed boards one front, another at the rear and two approx. 1/3 and 2/3 of the way toward the back.


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Five bolts hold the fenders and spacers to the side of the bed. One at the highest point, one front and one rear aligned with the 90 deg. wear iron that is riveted to the bed side. Two more near the bottom of the bed side. If your fenders don't have holes in that pattern then you don't have 1/2 ton pickup rear fenders.




I can't help with the parts you apparently want. The outside door handles have been reproduced by Stanley's Parts. They are essentially the same as the open car handles with the escushion ground to fit the door moulding. The starter linkage is fairly often listed on eBay. It is the same as the passenger car. Likely there is someone on Chat that would have an extra one.

On bed supports technical. The lumber was actual 2x4 vs. current dimensions lumber? The box inside surface was hardwood and has the standard metal bolted to those 2x4 between them? Does the bed shell have a right angle lip to hold the bed lumber to? I believe I have a better idea. Any chance I could get a picture? I want it as original designed as possible. I am working on the metal box currently along with fenders.

Fender bolts: Did the bolt go completely through the fender, spacer and truck bed? One I send showed individually. It would make more sense to go through everything. Carriage bolts going inside to outside under fender.

Parts: I will check out Stanley and eBay. Additionally, the top of the doors is held from completely opening by piece of steel and spring system.

How can board case for these parts? I'm new to chat and would be interested in learning?

Thks

From what I have measured it originally was close to 2" x 4". I say that because over a period of time lumber exposed to the elements tends to shrink a bit. The bed needs to fit basically level with the frame, have enough room for the tail light bracket and bolt to the fenders. It requires some spacer blocks in the front and adjustment of the second cross member and possibly third (from the front) to get it properly positioned.


The original bed wood was not hardwood but either white pine or long leaf pine or similar product. The metal 90 deg. side rails rivet to the bed sides and were essentially the same as those used on Chevrolet pickups from ~1931 to ~1975. The original bed rails were of a triple hump design and nailed to one of the bed boards. The cross members were bolted to the side rails and the outside bed boards both in the front and rear of the bed as described in the earlier post.


The bed has right angle side rails riveted to the bed sides. Those rails sit on the outside bed boards and thereby support the bed sides. The outside bed boards are bolted to the side rails. Wood cross members attached to the bed and/or truck frame secure the bed to the truck. The photos I have of an original '31 pickup bed are 35 mm slides. Unfortunately don't show all the details as the bed was full of stuff. Good luck finding an original set of bed rails. I have one set and a couple of small pieces. Looked for over 20 years to find that set.


Yes bolts go through bed side, spacer and fender. Nuts and washers on the outside.


The top of the door supports are the same type as '29 and earlier closed cars


Don't know what you are asking.

Thks for information. I taking the seats to be recovered today and will continue to figure out the details.

Good morning,
Where was the tail light installed on the trucks? The auto's were on the driver side fender, but the trucks look like on the rear of the driver side box. The one I have appears to be on the box.
I was able to order the box angle metal to rivet to the sides via Mack yesterday and believe I understand the 2 X 4 supports now. Were the bed floor boards butted up to each other or was there a space between them? Were the boards widths the same across the bed? I was probably going to install the standard double ribbed with flat steel in the center for now. Any chance I could obtain one of those small triple rib strips, for knowledge or to try and duplicate?
On parts I'm still looking for, how can I advertise this in the media?
I am working on final fitting of the fenders and box currently. Thanks passing on your knowledge about this unique vehicle.

Regards

The 1931 1/2 ton tail light and license plate were mounted on a bracket that bolted to the top rear of the driver's side frame rail. They were reproduced a few years ago. Don't know if the Filling Station might still have one. 1932 was a bracket that mounted under the pickup box.

I'll have to look for the piece of the three rib strip. If the three rib was used then the bed boards fit next to each other with only the "leg" of the strip between them. If using the double bead there would be a gap the width of the bolts.

Ok, thanks for the light location verification and the lumber info. I believe both were true but wanted to confirm it. I would appreciate if your able to find the triple rib. I might have resource to reproduce the design.
Thanks for your timely response.

Where do you reside? I'm in central New York. I would really enjoy seeing a 1931 half ton truck done. If a reasonable distance, a road trip would be in order.

I am only ~ 1500 miles from central NY, South of Houston TX.

Laughing, just a short hoop skip and jump!

The box is progressing, I making up the 2 X 4 Tuesday afternoon and have some oak to plane down for the bed. I should be able to do the preliminary fitting on Friday.

Any source for the odometer repairs? I have two sets of gauges, but the better odometer doesn't work. The rest I am electrically checking out on Wednesday.

You have any photos of your vehicle(s)?

Later...

Good morning,
The lumber is being fitted for the bed supports and final boards, which will be oak. I did run into a gray area, the rear of the box has two vertical ones on the diver side and two angled ones on the passenger side. Both sets of holes are about 3/8 inches. The physical location is in the area of the last 2x4 on the rear of the box. But these holes only work if the support board is vertical?
Also it doesn't appear the like the second or fourth 2x4's are supported anywhere. The second would rest on the frame, but nothing really securing it there. The fourth is very near the rear of the bed with, it appears, only the bed boards holding it there.
I would appreciate insight on these and thanks again the giving of your time and experience.

Regards

I don't completely understand the Are you asking if there are supposed to be bolt holes in the bed sides for the cross braces? If so the answer is no.

The second wood cross brace board is fit to the frame on the arc of the kickup. Only the fourth cross brace board is not supported by the frame. It is close enough to the lower rear box cross member so it does not need more support. It is held in place by the bed boards and side rails.

Good morning,
The rear side of the box on both sides have two holes close to the bottom, which don't appear to go to anything. I thought they might support the rear two x four, but when support is laid flat they don't. So I had them filled in.

Support lumber two and four is supported by side rails and bed lumber.

I also purchased through the filling station the parts manual. This help determine what hardware goes where and what parts are interchangeable with other years.

I am not attempting to find the last parts needing to complete this years truck. Drive side window garnish, support of tail light and license plate, under door hardware (supports the door from swinging out to far: flat stock steel, spring and bolt in wooden frame), outside door handle with skirt. I just found a gentleman two hours north of here who might have some. Would you have any sources for these items?

Thanks again for your insight.
Regards,