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I'm having trouble deciding which route to take to get IFS on my 1957 Chevy 3100. So far I have been looking at the Heidt's Mustang II and Superide kits. Does anyone have any experience with either one? How are the other brands, such as TCI, Nolimit, Fatman? My main interests are ease of installation and ride.

Another option I've been thinking about is the 70-81 Camaro front clip, mostly because a guy out here likes to do it.

I installed an MII kit from Progressive
http://www.progressiveautomotive.com/street.htm

The installation was so easy I did it twice - DOH! {Mark the axle centerline on the frame (drill a small hole so it doesn't get ground off during prep) before you remove the sheetmetal!}

It rides fine and has stood up great to three years, 29000 miles of 4 season driving on Illinois roads.

I've heard that the fatman IFS kits are hard to adjust. I installed a mustang II IFS from Southern Rods & Parts on my 52, The instructions that came with it were nowhere near complete or comprehendable.

Heidts in my 39... sits a bit low for my liking, but otherwise works very well.. It's got big camaro brakes on it.

Thanks for the advice. I'll check it out.

Which Hedits did you get, the Mustang II, or the Superide? Did you install it yourself?

How did it work out?

After a lot of thinkin and measuring we finally got it on there. It sits just right with a nice rake to it. We (me and my dad) did all the welding on it and the rest of the truck. If you had to pay someone to weld it on for you, it woulda cost a lot of money. A little elbow grease costs a lot these days. It's a good IFS if you don't mind the work.

I had good luck with the TCI frontend very easy to install.Just gotta make sure your measurements are correct.I had to cut one coil off of the springs.Truck sets a little low,just the way I like it.Drives and handles great.The power steering is worth the extra money.They use a TBird R&P system.If you use a GM pump you have to put a pressure reducer valve in it.GM puts out about 1300 PSI,TBird only needs 7 to 800 PSI.Without the reducer valve you will blow the seals in the unit.There are several good aftermarket frontends out there,Heidts,Fatmans etc.Biggest thing to remember is to follow the instructions to the TEE.

The welding would be a problem for me since all I have is one of those ARC/MIG combos, and I need more practice with it. I don't mind spending some money for the welding. I may have to search to find somebody good.

Thanks for the advice. I've been thinking about either Heidts or TCI, but the Fatman seems to be a good deal for what you get.

My son and I tacked welded out our TCI frontend and then had a professional welder come in to finish the job. Got him to come out on a Sunday afternoon, was very reasonable. We wanted to make sure everything was welded solid. Great for peace of mind.

That's what I was thinking about doing since I can handle all of the assembly work no problem. Thanks for confirming that it's a good idea.

By the way, which TCI front end did you get?

We got the mustang 11 not the custom. We took the body off the frame. Tacked everything in. Put the frame on jack stands for the welder. We even flipped the frame over so he did not have to weld from underneath. He did the whole thing for $200. Said he normally charges $150 just to bring out the truck with the welding machine, but since we had everything ready for him plus flipped it for him, he cut us a brake. He did the whole thing in less than an hour.Even welded our 4link rear for us.

That sounds like a good deal to me!

I will add that I also had a friend bring his MIG welder over to do the final welding.I had it installed and tacked in with my 220 AC stick welder.He had it in nice and solid in less than an hour.I could have welded it in myself with the stick welder,but I dont weld that much anymore.Everything else on the truck I welded.

I have a 57 GMC swb/step 114wb... I am planning on swapping a ifs from 71-87 truck onto my factory frame without cutting or welding other than boxing the frame for added stegth... it took me a while to find the infomation needed on track width but I finally found it.. the suspension of the 60-87 is bolted in... it can be unbolted and matching holes drilled into the 57 frame for a bolt in operation.... trouble is the track width...
here's the info I have
TRACK WIDTHS hub to hub

1. 55-59 Chevy Pickup 62in
2. 47-55 1st Series 60-62in
3. 71 Chevy Pickukp 63 3/4in
4. 78-up Monte Carlo 58in
5. 76-80 Camaro 61 1/2in
6. 68-72 Chevelle 61 1/2in
7. 89 Trans Am 62

I found these on the web... so as always- do your own measuring before doing anything as drastic as cutting a frame...THESE ARE FRONT TRACKS- rear may be different..sometimes a little
narrower to accomidate wider tires..
The practice of unbolting and redrilling and attaching ..is one that I am familiar with.. it is how 18wheeler frames are shortened... for vehicles carrying 80,000 pounds..
I am planning on running narrowed control arms on the suspension.. hopefully I will gain an inch on each side(2 inches total)and be right there at 61 3/4 inches on front track... 1/4 inch
less than normal 62 on the 1957 model.
This will allow me to run low dollar yet bulletproof factory suspension... theoretically
this can be done on suspensions back to the 1960
model... I mentioned 71-up because of factory disc brakes...
BE WARNED.. I have a friend who used a 71/disc
front on his 59.... it currently looks TERRIBLE..
.. very ungainly... wheels are sticking out quite ackwardly from under the fenders...yuk..
there are some who have addressed this problem
with wheel offset alone...to some success... but I like the deep look on the wheels...to accentuate their width... and I want absolutely no part of the look my buddy with his 59 got..
Fatman makes narrowed control arms... they are very pricey...but still cheap when compared to a
complete $1300-$1800 dollar Mustang 2 fully complete set up..
I've found a fabricator in the Carolinas who makes custom control arms but I have no price yet.. I am probably going to pick through my racing contacts and find an engineer/fabricator who can complete the task and not offend the laws of physics...or hopefully my pocket book..
I can get a junkyard front suspension with brakes for under $100.... another good reason to go this way is there are aftermarket lowering kits available at many heights in use with this
IFS...so tailor the height to your liking..
Eibach..and many other quality racing spring MFG
companies make springs for this front...
or keep it factory for a softer ride..up to your taste and desires..
Good luck on whichever way you choose... many of the Mustang II kits are quality pieces..
-K

If you are not dead set on a M11 set up you should check out the Dakota crossmember from Industrial Chassis in Phoenix. I have one in my 57 and love it. The xmember is a little pricey but you buy everything needed for a song at the local pick & pull to finish it off. What you end up with is a truck front end with big brakes that is the correct width for a TF. The rack is a high pressure piece that needs no special pump or valves to make it steer right. Check it out.

Thanks for all of the great information.

I was taking a look at that. I'll probably give them a call to find out more information. How hard was it t0 install?

I don't think that it is any harder to put a Dakota crossmember than it is any other crossmember.Basic welding and measuring skills still apply. What you end up with is IMHO a much better front end for a truck. Everyone has jumped on the M11 bandwagon like lemmings in heat. If you want to learn more about M11's read the horror stories at hotrodder.com about lower control arm bolt failures.
The Dakota comes from a very similar vehicle in length, weight.and most importantly center of gravity. The roll center of a M11 is so far off from that of a truck it's not even funny. You got a little Model A, go for the M11 you got a truck that you might use as a truck go Dakota, You won't look back.
Talk to Steve at I C 602 278 6800

Thanks. I'll give them a call.

I've considered an IFS for my 57 GMC,but everything I've seen so far lowers the front;I'd like my truck to sit at stock height. Anybody know of a swap that will sit stock and not require a ton of mods to make the sheet metal/bumper hang right?
Speed

The Dakota lowers the truck less than 2 inches.

it you want to stay a stock hieght keep a strait axle. It you want ifs the best i have used is Chassis Enginering it is bolt on and uses mustange 2 stuff on is. You can do it in a weekend.

gmckustom, you referring to the Pinto kit?

Looks like $625 for the crossmember;
$2000 when all the goodies are added, plus tax and shipping?

A CPP stock axle upgrade to disc brakes is ~$350; and maybe $500 for a set of Eaton Springs... Throw in another $200 for a sway bar putting it just over a grand, or about half the cost of IFS?

Sound about right, or am I missing something?
mark.
'51 KY 3100

Bolt-in sounds good!

Im looking for more info on the Dakota xmember? Does anybody have a web site or phone number?

http://www.industrialchassisinc.com

Thanks for the help.

No problem.

Hey 13BAce, Have you talked to I C, If so what is the current cost of the xmember. It's been 4 years since I bought mine. Just being nosey or nosy depending where you live, Thanx Richie Z

Never mind, I just came from their site. Not too bad a price. I think I paid 675 four years ago. His complete front end is not cheap. I bought a complete Dakota truck from a junk yard for a 100 bucks. Rotors, pads, ball joints, and tie rod ends and it was over, way under a grand.