Hot Rods Big Daddy's 55 2 door wagon gasser

In that case you should be able to go by the advertised spring rate.

 

or maybe even a '57 Olds or Dana 60. Easier to get parts for the 9" though.

 

Hopefully the ass end of the wagon is heavy, because I ordered 350# springs lmao!

 

Go real Big Daddy and mount the BBC behind the front seat

 

https://static.speedwaymotors.com/rs/cmr/PDF/QA1SpringRateChart.pdf

Using the info at the end of the chart....
1955-57 chev sedan rear 1775 lbs
+ extra for wagon/nomad 200 lbs
+ extra for big block engine 25 lbs
TOTAL 2000 lbs
.... so, a pair of 350 lb springs should compress a little under 3 inches...... (2000 divided by 700).

 

Probably lighter without all that glass and front bumper.

 

Yes. For some reason 350# sticks in my head. (could be completely wrong though!) The guy at Art Morrison, that I was ordering the spring kit from was rattling off so many different number's, this 18 year old punk (at the time) couldn't hardly keep anything straight, he might as well have been speaking a foreign language! DAMN, It's hard to believe that was 30 year's ago already! I sure hope I didn't give you Bunk Info, That'd be a real Jag Off move on my part... Sorry if they're the wrong ones Brother.

 

All good man, if it doesn't work I'll order some lighter springs

 

Lloyd , that 8.8 will take all you can give it and laugh ! Easy easy to narrow , short axle to long side . Disc brakes from later Explorer . Many gear ratios laying around everywhere . Factory LSD is as good as you will ever need .

 

The REAL question is...on the straight axle, do the spring shackles work better on the front of the spring, or the rear of the spring?

Discuss amongst yourselves.

 

Mine go to the rear. And I really don't care what anybody else thinks everybody freaked out about how good my El Camino drove, I said it's possible if you have a little common sense when you build them

 

Both, then name it the “Rock’n Horse”.

 

Now THAT'S funny

 

Just wanted to point out that these are cheap right now if anybody is looking for skinny front wheels.

 

I agree with Lloyd, spring shackles to the rear.

 

Those 5 spokes up front and the steel rear wheels just screams old school gasser to me. But as usual WDIK?

 

I bought the ansen style slots on the classifieds for the rear. Deserted the steel wheels lol.

 

The reason I asked about the spring shackles is I've seen it done both ways...and the reasoning behind the choice.

Another 55 chevy straight axle build | Page 5 | The H.A.M.B. (jalopyjournal.com)

 

Please NO torque thrust II's those banana shaped spokes look nothing like a vintage wheel and are way over used.
You may not agree with my opinion but there's plenty of people that think the same way.

 

Aren't the stupid looking ones called D spoke? I can handle these, not polished. We'll see, but I have the same opinion as you.

 

Still can't afford the skinny slots. Never will be able to afford them. I'm not in the more money than brains group lol

 

See what the guy did to my old el camino? And that's considered on topic for the hamb. Looks horrible to me

 

The 15x4 that I ordered don't look like those to me. I sure hope they aren't that ugly lmao

 

Sorry but the eBay buy do look like D spokes.

 

Guess I'll be like everybody else now. At least they aren't polished.

 

I should've just popped for the gasser ET 10 spokes

 

Even worse! https://www.summitracing.com/parts/are-vn2155465