The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts 55 2-ton nose on a 58?

I have a 55 2-ton and a 58 2-ton. We like the 55 nose better and was going to put it on the 58 chassis but, the 58 frame is longer in the front. (front axle about 2" farther forward than the 55). I am going to weld the 2 cabs together to make an extended cab and will only need one frame. I want to use the hubs and drums off the 58 because of the 6-bolt pattern (I have 10 one-piece rims and 6 almost new 9r-22.5 tires)

So, I have a couple of options and/or questions.

option 1 is use the 55 frame and put the 58 hubs and drums on the axles.
questions:

1. Will the brake drums and hubs swap between the 2 years of axles? (both are 2-speed rear)
2. On the front, will the 9r-22.5 tires rub on the rear of the inner fender (actually, front of cab area, like maybe door hinge pocket) if I use those? they are taller than the 20" that are on there and looks like it would be real tight)

Option 2: put the 55 front end on the 58 chassis.

Questions:
1. anyone done this? I know on the 58, they lengthened the front of the frame and moved the front axle forward a couple of inches. Not sure but, I think I would have to carve up the wheel openings in the 55 to make that fit, and then probably all my bolt holes in the frame for mounting the front end will be off by 2".

Hy 69Cuda, just to clarify, the change in wheelbase occurred between the 56 and 57 model years, they stretched the wheelbase 2 1/2". I know the frame is longer from the firewall to the front of the frame but I'm not sure if that was where the total wheelbase increase took place. As to the wheel arks in the fenders, the parts book lists the same part number for front fenders on the series 6 trucks from 55B to 57, hope that helps.

ok, thanks! I read that the frame was lengthened for 58 (wider fenders for the dual headlights, and also lengthened) but, that was not in a chevy manual but on someone's page about Chevys! So, the questions still remain, will the 22.5 fit on the front of the 55 as-is and/or if I put the 55 nose on the 58, will the tires rub on the front of the wheel opening? I measured from the back of the door to the center of the front wheel and it is 2 1/2" longer on the 58 than the 55 so, I think it was probably lengthened to give the tires more room? I guess I need to swap some parts around and put one of the 22.5's on the front of the 55 and see what it looks like as well as doing some more measuring!

Hy 69Cuda, tubeless wheels became the factory standard wheel in all the trucks in 1956, and even though the wheelbase was increased in 1957 the same fender is listed in the parts book from 55 to 57 for the series 6 trucks, so I would think that the wheels would fit and clear if you put the fenders from a 55 on the front of a 58/59 chassis. Please do your experimenting and let us know the result.

As 3B said tubless tires (22.5") came out in 1956. The new larger size tires that were available rubbed the inner cowl area so in 1957 Chevrolet moved the front axle 2.5" further forward. This move also required the wheel opening to be increases from about 39" to 42" measured across the bottom. So there is a difference between 55/56 and 57 series 4 & 6 fenders. The later year parts books only offered the 57 fender as replacement on the 55/56 trucks because it didn't really hurt to run the larger opening when everything else was the same.

I beleive the 58 frame is longer from the axle forward...since you own both examples you can confirm that for us.

The 58 hood hinges are also different so if you use the 58 cab and 55 hood you will need to modify the hinge bolt area at the cab (I believe I'm correct in saying this, but I've never done it myself).

Just move the entire axle to the frame you want to use...might make things easier and should bolt right in.

8.25 x 20 tires are the exact diameter as 9.00 x 22.5's...9.00 x 20 are the same as 10.00 x 22.5's.

Mike B

ok, thanks guys! It looks like I will be stripping some things down, taking some measurements, and posting results! It may be a month or two before I get to that point as I need to get rid of a couple of frames and finish my I-beam crane before I get to the point of removing cabs and getting into it! (although, I may get curious and play around with swapping front tires sooner!)