The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop IFS for a 1938 Chevy truck

Hello everyone! I just picked up a all original 1938 Chevy truck and looking to hot rod it. What is the best and easiest IFS kit for my truck? Thanks.

Read thru the post just above this thread. Will answer your questions

Thank you. I will check it out.

Check out the stuff available from Speedway. Huh to hub for under $2k.

IF I had the money I'd would have bought the kit....but with kids in college I went to the local salvage. 1978 Mustang II Cobra was sitting there. Since it was a V8 it had the heavier springs. Lots of folks kick the Stang II but for $75 I got EVERYTHING including the rack and pinion and M?C and booster to use for the cores on new ones. Its been a few years but with my friend, who is a fabricator, I ended up spending 750 bucks for everything. I used the original chassis.
It drives and rides good........It may be a lot different today as Stang II's are disappearing unless you buy that kit from a vendor.
To each his own and depending on material available and skill level. Good luck....and Speedway usually has real competitive prices on this kind of stuff.

What a shame- - - -there will probably be another half-finished hotrod on Craigslist soon, and another original truck butchered.
Jerry

Yep, it's a shame making a truck that can easily go thousands of miles in a short time at modern highway speeds comfortably.

Don't know about "best and easiest" for your particular truck, but, here's a few things learned from my first IFS install(still in process.

If you buy a kit try to make sure the instructions are adequate. I bought TCI, front and rear, instructions left a quite few questions. I can only imagine what comes w/ the cheap ebay kits.

Inventory immediately on delivery. Yeah, I know, a no brainer. I missed the shock bolts initially and have now been waiting a month.

Easiest way to remove rivets is to torch the top off, then air hammer out. If you're careful it won't even mark the removed perch/cross member.

There's a lot of other systems it can/will affect, especially your wallet. Steering column and connection, power steering pump, brackets, other pulleys, brake mc/booster, proportioning valve, brake plumbing, motor mounts, parking brake.

I am not tying to discourage, as other people seem to be, you can do it. Then you will have a vehicle that is SAFE and enjoyable to have on the highway.

Regards,

As previous posters have mentioned, Mustang 2 kits work well. You can go from basic to expensive depending on options you choose ( Power steering, disc brakes, A Arms, air bags, etc )

I also have a 38 that I bought as a basket case, it will be a hot rod. Don't let the negative folks scare you. I've done MII kits before and it really isn't hard. The Speedway crossmember is the same as the more expensive ones of the same design (TCI, etc). I have the Speedway crossmember on hand already and it's very solid and we'll made. They are made in the same place. The instructions are easy to follow and you can preview them online to see what you're in for. I'm a couple weeks away from making sparks fly, so if you're not in a big rush, I'll make a project post and you can follow along. There is someone in the classified section selling a MII kit for $600, it's for a ~51 truck, but just buy the correct crossmember for the 38 and you're in business.

Rodstoration is a much better option for a vehicle that has been trashed. If its a survivor, i'd probably just freshen it up a bit and sell or trade it for a basket case.

There is a guy over on killbillet that uses Isuzu frames for pre 46 trucks. Give you factory engineering w PS,Pb, IFS in one package

i used a fatman crossmember and top hats for my 36 suburban great instructions and real good fit. everything was designed for the36 frame it drives very good and stops great

I used an S-10 for my 46, which works for 39-46 but they're too wide just behind the front wheels for a 38 and earlier.

Call me an old fuddy duddy, but I have to agree with Jerry (Hotrod Lincoln). If you have an "original/complete" 38 Chevy it would brake my heart to see it cut up for an IFS. I know, I know, it's your truck and you can do what you want. That being said, there are very few original trucks of that vintage left. They are gold nuggets for guys that are trying to do a real restoration.

I know nothing about your history/experience with trucks so don't take any offense to my questions. Why do you want to install an IFS in your truck? I ask because I thought the exact same thing when I bought my all original 58 Suburban. From watching the TV shows and looking at all the truck magazines, you get convinced that the IFS is a mandatory install to make an old truck driveable. After spending some time on this site, I adjusted my mindset and ended up falling in love with the truck as it came from the factory. When it is in tip top shape and set up correctly, these trucks are a joy to drive in original condition. You don't "need" and IFS. A properly set up strait axle frond end rides and performs just fine. If you want your truck to be more sports-car-like an IFS may be the way to go. If you decide to go down that road please look for another project truck that you can grab that already has the "doctored" frame. That way you can preserve the original and sell it to someone that really needs one. As Jerry said, there are tons of stalled projects out there with "butchered" frames that people lost interest in.

I may be an old purist, but I feel it is our duty to preserve old original trucks as much as possible since there aren't that many left. After some deliberate thought on your motives/wants/needs for the truck, if you still want to do an IFS, please find another donor frame. In the mean time, tune up the front end (king pins, tie rod ends etc.) with new parts and get it back to factory. Drive it for a while and you will probably fall in love with it. Think about it...

Good luck with your project!!

He said nothing about the condition of his truck. That's a lot of assumption.

Sure, there are some trucks that are better to restore, however there are also a limited number of people that want to restore them. In most cases they also have the same opportunity to purchase them, so if they miss out they miss out. I appreciate restored and modified trucks, but I'm not going to miss out on a project because someone some day might want to restore it.

I bought a very nice Model A roadster pickup project and it's going to be rodded. There are plenty of original examples around. I've had lots of people ask why I didn't restore my truck to original as well. They don't realize when I got it, it was just a shell.

46:

Roger. He said "all original" in his first post. You are right. I assumed that meant that it was in good shape. If its a basket case, I guess this is a moot point. Just throwing out an alternate opinion so that he might take a little pause to really consider his goals for the truck and reasons for changes. Newer/fancier isn't necessarily better.

It seems like this "argument" comes up on every forum. I believe in building it how you want to enjoy it. I understand the purist stance, but to say a stock 1938 Chevy truck is "just as good" as an upgraded or hot rod/street rod, just doesn't make sense unless you're going to just cruise around your neighborhood. In 1938 the maximum speed limit ranged from 35 to 45 mph, with that in mind how do you think a "stock" 1938 truck would do at today's highway speeds? I personally believe in driving the vehicles I build. Here in California if you're not doing 75, you'll get run off the road.

Now don't get me wrong I personally would not take as nice clean or complete 38 and cut it up. In my case the truck I bought was hot rodded in the 60's, taken off the road in 71 and torn apart. While the frame is all original, the truck is gutted, the the fenders are very rough, the running boards have holes in them from where it had exhaust "stacks". Lots of original parts missing, etc.. it's going to get "saved" in the form of a street rod. I don't feel the slightest bit bad about it either.

My '48 was screaming for mercy at 45mph, so I doubt a '38 would go any faster. Mine had a 235. The '38 had a 216. It would probably last about five or ten minutes at 50mph before it gave up the ghost. And then you have to try and stop it.

That's why my '48 has four wheel power disc brakes and a 5 speed overdrive tranny with a 3.73 limited slip rear.

I don't know if the OP is still around, but if so, I have started on my truck and if you are still serious about doing an IFS, I am willing to document my build.

Man is my truck in rough shape, oh well I just get to use more tools.

Lookin to a jaguar front suspension if the frame is the same width as a 47-54 it will fit depends on what state you live in will determine price in California you can get a complete front suspension for around $350 info online weld it in or bolt it in the jag factory locations look for 1986 xj6
Hope this helps
Robert

Just my opinion, and everyone has one. When I started on my truck, I intended to keep it original. After spending big money, and time rebuilding the entire chassis, the first road trip, 300 miles, I had a heart stopping moment in heavy traffic on I35 in OKC. Even though new, it took every thing it had and a lot of luck to get it whoa'd down. I'm now running 87' model chassis, 98' Vortech, and 91' T5. Nice to love my truck again, and if I had done this to begin with, it would be closer to being finished, with expenses once. BTW...when I. Tried to sell the original front end, it sat in the shop for several years, and eventually went to the scrap yard. I drive it all over the country now, and even pull a teardrop camper with it. Again, different strokes for different folks.

Yep. I've put over 14,000 km's on my truck in just over 2 seasons on the road. I wouldn't have anywhere remotely close to that mileage on a stock truck of the same age and would be more than tired of the OE brakes, steering, and drivetrain. How I use a vehicle of that age, stock is no good for me.

you wanna sell that jimmy before you wear it out..
got some good us money for you, my ship came in

I drove my little red truck ever where, even a 1,000 mile trip to Kansas, City..
stock sup, 235 with s-10 five speed.. never let me down, should have kept it..

That 5-speed would have made all the difference!

Not a chance for me to sell!

not bad even with 2:73 gear, I know that would scare you.. before
it had patricks 3:55 ring and pinion and their 4 speed modified sagnaw transmission.. that sucker was quick even with the 235, drove it for about 7 yrs and then replace it with the five speed...much better gas mileage, and less rpm for sure on the engine... both worked well though..

how about 10,000 loonies and 5,000 toonies for a start..
enjoy your posts and response..take care my friend