Technical 1957 Chevy 3200 Lowering

Hi!

I've recently bought a 1957 Chevy 3200.
There's are a lot of lowering parts to buy for the 3100 but not so much for the 3200.

My question is, does the 3100 parts fit the 3200?

Or how have you guys done the lowering?

I want to lower it approx 4".

Thanks in advance!

Best regards
David

 

Think the only difference is the 3200 is the long bed? Might be wrong.

 

Correct 3200 is 8 foot bed 1/2 ton

 

Can't add much here but check out the gear hauling truck Joe Bonamassa cruises Nashville in.

 

^^^^ Correct ^^^^

 

57 was the first year of the 8' bed on half tons, the earlier long beds have 7.5' beds. But yeah, the 3200 is a half ton long bed

There are difference in the brake plumbing, and the frame is thicker, between long and short bed. The suspension is the same.

You can look up the differences in parts in the Chevy parts book

https://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/1929_57chevyparts/index.htm

 

Aren't the axles different? I got 6 lug wheels.

 

All early 1/2 tons had 6 lug even into the 70’s+. 55-57 cars needed them to compete in NASCAR because the 5 lug cars couldn’t hold up.

 

The 3600 series is 3/4 ton, with 8 lug wheels. The 3100 and 3200 are both half ton, with 6 lug wheels.

If you had a 3/4 ton then none of the 3100 stuff would fit. But you have a 1/2 ton, so it will fit.

 

Unsure how low you want to go, but @59Apachegail did one, sat nice in my eye

 

This forum correct answer is a dropped axle
The stock one can be “stretched”

on the OT forum you can drop em lots of different ways.

 

Just my opinion, but a TF axle has a lot of drop over say a 35-40 Ford axle.
Posies springs if not try to drop it to the weeds

 

Thanks for the info!

Is it possible to flip the front axle?
Like you do with the rear axle.

 

As the axle is, no, you would have to make pads for it under it. But keep in mind. The spring pack plus the axle thickness, plus the pad thickness, will be your drop. 6 inches maybe?

 

Yeah that sounds alot. How much does an axle flip in the rear lower the truck?

 

1/2 the diameter? I’ve never done it and measured it, but seems to me it would drop the diameter and the spring pack?

 

Wouldn’t that be X2 of said measurement?

 

I just put a 3” dropped axle in my 58 3200.

 

I gotta go eyeball my ‘57. Lol

 

But maybe I see now, since the top spring on top of the pack, will be closest to the axle now?

 

that's the spring plus two half tubes

which equals

spring plus tube diameter

Anyways, it's a lot of drop.

another way to do it is to put the springs under the frame, using the spring mounts from the front of the truck, and then it doesn't drop it so much...

 

You move the tube (top half)up half a tube to get the centerline of the axle inline with the springs. Then you move the tube (bottom half) up another half a tube to get it to sit on the springs. That has moved the centerline of the axle a full tube.

 

I think as well, but all? the spring pack thickness, right?

Which may be about the same?

Edit: So say the top spring above the axle is on a 3 inch pack. So then the spring starts off 3 inches above the axle tube and perch.
Now put that same pack under the axle, the top spring is now against the perch

 

It’s finally kicking in

where I messed up in my thinking is the last one (and the last couple) we set up we built it “flipped”(axle on top of springs)
So when figuring the axle CL it is the spring pack plus 1/2 the tube.
This was for figuring ride height.
It didn’t start out under the spring so I didn’t have to add the other half.
I’ll delete my brain fart

 

If it were mine and it’s a big window….I’d remove the bed, cut 18” out of the frame, cut 18” off the front of bed and double its value. But that’s just me!

 

I’d put a flatbed on it and kill the value just cause I like em

 

This one has a flip kit in rear and un mention able up front



This one has Posies lowering springs all around

 

What change happened to the first two pics?
The second looks lower

 

I have probably had 7 or 8 of these trucks. I've driven em with dropped axles etc. I would never own a Mustang II front suspension truck...Iv'e built em and driven them, don't want one. On the other hand the suspension that works the best I can't talk about here either.