The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Anyone have a 55 to 59? If so, I need help?

I have a 57,3100 Stepside and I've decided not to swap out frames but rather just replace the front and rear end from a salvage yard. Can you tell me a few years,makes,& models that will easily fit, or best fit my truck? THANKS!
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smithcell,

When I bought my 55 it has a 76 Nova front clip on it. It may sit fairly nice and all. But where the P/0 welded the two chassis together it looks terrible. I will have to clean up the chassis a bit. As far as other clips I would go with the Mustang II. If you do get a Nova clip let me know and I will send you pics of how mine was put together.

Roger

i would go with a mustang II. theyre pretty cheap and you wont hack up the frame or possibly do some damage

I have a 70 Nova front end on mine and it turned out very well. It was done before I bought it . I would still go with a Mustang II front end because its cleaner and it doesnt change the radiator support positioning brackets which determine the alignment of your front fenders etc.

Keep the original front axle. Get a disc brake kit from Speedway Motors.

You'll save yourself a lot of headaches.

Everyone always cheers for those junkyard independant front suspensions, but NOBODY ever talks about how difficult they are to rebuild or how much it will cost to rebuild them.

Solid axles rule in my opinion. They are so easy to deal with that I really have no clue why someone would want to go to the bother of hacking up a truck to put a junkyard IFS in it. I guess its for ride quality....

But what did you think you bought as a project? A Caddilac? An old truck is supposed to ride like an old truck.

As for the rearend. I like Ford stuff myself, especially a Ford 9". I wouldn't hesitate to use a rearend from a 1/2 ton chevy either. I mean, any rearend, so long as its wide enough and strong enough, will work. Just take a tape measure with you and see what you can find. Be careful when you weld on a rearend though. They are easy to warp....and a warped one eats bearings.

I agree with VonTingler stick with stock style I'm a subscriber to Classic Trucks Mag and all the old trucks have is a Mustang II, Nova, or Volarie (not as common as other two) but rarely do i see ones with the factory front end I myself have a 1955 2nd series 3600 but when i got it i was young and dumb and tore the sucker completely apart and now it sits in parts that probly won't ever go back together but now (2 years later) i have more common sense if i could go back i would left it all alone and just got it mechanically sound and just drove it beat up like then i could use it like a truck the way its spose to
Nate

Thank you for backing up my opinion, Oldironchevy.

I personally have replaced an IFS on a '60's car with a straight axle kit from Speedway Motors. I can tell you with experience that while the ride is a tad bit stiffer, its really not too bad at all. If I were to get some softer springs, I really don't think I'd even notice a difference.

Now it is true that a person can make a truck super low by grafting on an IFS. But I've also personally seen a friends truck ('58 chevy) which was lowered quite a bit by using the stock axle and just removing about 3 leaves from the front suspension. Another option is to use those fancy monoleafs you can buy from various chevy truck parts suppliers.

I personally plan on using a solid axle on my '58 Chevy truck. I've already bought the disc brake kit and I am in the process of prepping the axle for the swap (I like to paint things as I go). When I say SWAP, I mean I'm taking out the stock 3/4 ton axle and swapping in a non bent up 1/2 ton axle....just to clarify.

I will be removing about 3 leaves from the springs and dropping the front of that truck through that manner.

Another option for dropping a front of one of those trucks is mounting the axle ON TOP of the springs. I've heard of people doing it this way...which would put the front in the dirt. I can't figure out how to do it without c-notching the front of the frame....which I'm personally not interested in doing at this time with my project.

There's always time to go back into it after its been on the road for a while..hehe.

Anyhow...thats my 2 cents worth...My feelings won't be hurt if anyone disagrees.

ya got it right Tingler - the straight axle works fine, and the rear can be re-geared easily as well, no need to start in on the shade tree engineering to "fix" a design that ain't broke

Bill

Here is a site that gives all the dimensions, the choice is up to you. http://www.teufert.net/other/rear%20end%20dimensions.htm

THANKS GUYS!

smitchell, You can go all kinds of ways on your truck. My 53 sits on a 79 Olds Cutlass frame, complete. Nothing was altered on the frame, cept the front and rear frame horns. I had to build a core support for the radiator, and the rear frame horns were sawed off and I added 1 1/2 tubing from the spring perches to the rear of the bed. I'm also working on my other 53, which is unaltered, I'm leaving all the original suspension and drive train in this one.
Sneak a peek
http://community.webshots.com/user/niteowl01244

resto44, nice 67 camaro.I use to own one years ago.Is it forsale ???

I agree with VonTingler, too. Why have an old truck if you rob it of its personality? Stick with the solid axle and put a set of mid-'70s GM disc brakes on it. Also, if you don't like the physical workout of steering it, you can reproduce the stock '50s GM linkage-type power steering with a C-3 Corvette PS system and a little re-engineering of the drag link. I did it and my '59 Apache steers easy and smooth.
Good luck.

Smitchell, the bottom line is do what you want with your truck you in the end need to be happy with it. Theres no right or wrong way to build your truck. Theres good reasons to do it alot of different ways. If you want a stock truck with straight axles and a rough ride to drive around for parades and going to the grocery store then keep it stock. If you want to really drive it alot then modify it and make it handle stop and go faster while making it more reliable then go the route you going. Just dont cut corners. Spend the money and time you need to do it right and the way you want not the way others would like you too.