The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Straight axle handling improvements

Thinking of taking on a basket case '40 half ton project. (Like I need another project) I'd rather keep the solid axle rather than put in an IFS. I have found kits for adding a sway bar, tubular shocks and disc brakes with the after market vendors. I'd like to come up with leaf springs that would ride about an inch lower but have a good progressive rate that would stiffen up quickly when compressed. Also I'd like come up with a good steering box swap that would work well with the original axle, but with a quicker ratio, and maybe even intregal power steering. Anyone else been down this road?

Joe: Sorry but I don't have an answer for you, but I would like to know where you found a sway bar for your 40. I'm thinking about putting one on my 46 but all I've seen is for 47 and newer. Where should I look?

Thanks
George

My 37 truck is similar,I used monoleafs on the front, disc brakes and a steering box from a 41-47 GM truck.I have a Patrick's sway bar on my 51, looks like it'll fit the 37 with a little work.
The 41-47 box isn't exactly fast ratio or power, but it's a nice bolt in upgrade and the monoleafs lowered the truck about an inch and a half.I did add 2 of the longer leaves from the stock springs leaves to the mono leaves, I felt they were too cushy.
The disc brake kit was easy to do, that was 7 years ago, the kits now are better engineered.The truck has manual discs, in my opinion, power discs are overkill on the light truck.

My mistake George. I was looking in the wrong catolog on the sway bar. I guess it's back to the drawing board on that.

Tony, did you have the mono-leaves built at a spring shop or swap them from another vehicle?
I may not need a quicker ratio in the steering gear, but I definitly want to tighten things up. What I hope to do is improve brakes and handling enough that 75mph on the Interstate is not white knuckle, but avoid doing a front clip or aftermarket IFS if possible.