The G-506 trucks, 1+1⁄2-ton, 4x4, produced as the Chevrolet G7100 (and originally G4100) models, were a series of (light) medium four wheel drive trucks used by the United States Army and its allies during and after World War II. This series came in standard cargo, as well as many specialist type bodies.
| Chevrolet G506 truck | |
|---|---|
Chevrolet 1+1⁄2-ton cargo truck with winch (pilot model)
| |
| Type | 1+1⁄2-ton 4x4 truck |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Pontiac West Assembly, Yellow Coach/GM Truck and Coach |
| Produced | 1940–45 |
| No. built | 154,204 [1][2] |
| Specifications (Cargo with winch[3]) | |
| Mass | 8,215 lb (3,726 kg) (empty) |
| Length | 224 in (570 cm) |
| Width | 86 in (220 cm) |
| Height | 107 in (270 cm) |
| Engine | Chevrolet BV1001 235 83 hp (62 kW) |
| Transmission | 4 speed X 2 range |
| Suspension | Live beam axles on leaf springs |
Operational | 270 mi (434.5 km) |
| Maximum speed | 48 mph (77 km/h) |
The G506 was a United States Army Ordnance Corps supply catalog designation for the 1+1⁄2-ton, 4X4, truck chassis built in large numbers by the Chevrolet Motor Division of GM. Their official model numbers were initially the "G4100", and later the "G7100" series.[4] They became standard 1+1⁄2-ton 4x4 trucks for the US Army and Army Air Corps during World War II.[4]
During World War II, the US military purchased a total of 167,373 four by four 11⁄2-ton trucks, and Chevrolet supplied the great majority of them.[5][6] According to the 1946 revision of the U.S. military's Summary Report of Acceptances, Tank-Automotive Materiel, Dodge (Fargo) – the initial standard supplier of U.S. 1+1⁄2-ton 4x4 trucks – contributed 6,762 VF model, G-621 series trucks in 1940;[7] and Ford (Marmon-Herrington) and Diamond T supplied another 6,271 and 136 units respectively,[8] leaving 154,204 Chevrolet trucks.[1]
However, some 47,700 of the G7107 and G7117 model trucks were shipped to the Soviet Union as part of the Lend-Lease program.[9] The Soviet Red Army's logistics/transport capabilities improved dramatically in the spring and summer of 1943 largely as a result of the steady supply of American-made trucks (such as Studebaker US6s and the Chevrolet G506s) for the USSR.[10]
The G506 used a Chevrolet BV-1001-UP, a 235 cu in (3.9 L) overhead valve inline-six cylinder gasoline engine developing 83 hp (62 kW) at 3,100 rpm and 184 lbf⋅ft (249 N⋅m) of torque at 1,000 rpm. This is a smaller version of the engine used in the GMC CCKW.
All models had a four-speed manual non-synchronized transmission and a two-speed transfer case.[11][12][13]
The G506 had a ladder frame with two live beam axlesonsemi-elliptic leaf springs. GM banjo type axles were used, these axles were also used in later GMC CCKW 2+1⁄2 ton (2,268kg) trucks. There were three wheelbases, 125 in (318 cm) extra short wheelbase used only on the G7128 Bomb servicer, 145 in (368 cm) short wheelbase (a majority of production[4]), and the 175 in (444 cm) long wheelbase. All models had hydraulic brakes with vacuum boost, 7.50-20" tires and dual rear tires.[11][12][13]
Almost all G-506s had closed Chevrolet cabs, shared with the closed cab versions of the GMC CCKW – except for three models. A panel van version was built for the Army Signal Corps, open cabs were used on bomb servicers and cab over engine types were used for long-bodied cargo trucks.[11][12][13] The pilot models had flat top panels of the front fender, but production trucks had arches over at the fender crowns.[4]
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