School Me on '55-'59 Chevy Truck Suspension

I have searched this here and the internet and simple cannot find the answer. Im currently building up a little shop truck. I am working on the front suspension right now and need some help/advice. I picked up a '55 chevy 3100 truck axle from a swap meet for like $10, but don't have any other components like spindles, brakes ect. I am on a budget sense it is a shop truck and cannot afford new parts and simply can't find the original parts. So the question I guess is, what can I use on this axle other than '55-'59 spindles and brakes?

Heres a picture of it. By the way the items in the back arn't mine...

 

****, wish i heard this before my move, Ida hooked you up with the whole shabang!

as far as the interchangability im far from an expert, but im sure some one else has vast knowledge on the subject.

Good luck man.

 

I'm also rebuilding a 55 pickup front end and let me tell you spindles are hard to find. Check this site out www.brotherstrucks.com , they
have all the suspension parts you need minus spindles and brake backing plates. I don't think there is any other parts you can use but
the originals. Also take a look at www.oldchevytrucks.com.
Good Luck!

 

spindles from 51-59 half tons are the same.

The complete axles with spindles and brakes and springs show up at swap meets and on ebay pretty often.

 

thats killer info dude!

 

Also, a buddy of mine used a Toyota 4x4 solid axle steering box on his '57, there was a bracket available and a conversion pitman arm.
Worked well, I have driven the truck.

 

Still would like more info on this. Anyone else?

 

what else exactly do you want to know?

 

Can anything else go on the axle?

 

I believe Golden State Pickup Parts (check the web) used to have old original used parts for sale.

 

Flat-top bob can hook you up with spindles i'd bet...ask him.

If you don't have a catalog from LMC trucks you need one. They have all the brake parts you'll need if your going stock...zman talked me into keeping the drum brakes and they work great with a booster and modern dual MC.

And i have really liked the aftermarket parts i got from Cl***ic Performance Products . ( master cylinder/booster under the floor)

 

Thanks 30roadster. Maybe he can get me some, they sure are a hard part to find. Also I do have lmc mag, in fact I just ordered around $1K of parts for my wrecked truck >.<. Anyways Thanks for the connection.
Garrett

 

They are similar to many other Chevy spindles such as 49-54 car and early Chevy van spindles but you'll find the king pin boss is too tall on your axle to be able to use the load bearing. A friend overlooked this and found out the hard way that the damn thing wouldn't steer the way he bought it from the swapmeet. 55-59 spindles are generally cheap, so I'm not sure why you would, but there is enough meat to mill down the pin boss to use the 49-54 p***engers correctly. This would give you a 5 on 4-3/4 bolt pattern, which is why some old truck guys used to do this...

 

I don't know why you'd want to go to the trouble to adapt other spindles, especially if all you want is the car bolt pattern, because the 51-54 car hubs/drums go right on the 51-59 truck spindles/backing plates.

 

if you want it i have a 58 chevy truck missing alot of the body parts you can have if you want it. has the cab, engine, frame, and suspension. you have to come get it though. if you think you can use it, lmk. all the front suspension is there, nothing missing.

 

Not tring to jack someone elses thread here but, I'm curious how does this work? (Might be useful to the guys thread anyway)I've got a complete 57 GMC 1/2 ton axle and a few 55 second edition to 59 1/2 ton spindles. I've got the spindle and brake ***emblies from two 54 Chevy cars as well.
With what I have the spindles themselves and the boss on the axle are are taller on the 55-59 truck so the backing plates do not fit as the mounting points are farther apart, but the king pins are the same diameter. I haven't tried swapping the hubs to check the spindle pin. Maybe this works with the car hub but with the stock backing plate? I'm not new to the 55-59 stuff but most of them being NAPCO 4wheel drive, I've never tried this before....

 

like I said, you can put the 51-54 car hubs and drums onto the 51-59 truck spindles and backing plates. If you have car backing plates, it won't work, you need truck backing plates.

also I seem to recall that the angle of the kingpin is different on cars and trucks, so you're camber will be off if you do put car spindles on a truck axle

 

Check out www.fillingstation.com they have goodies for 1918 to 1987 Chevy and GMC trucks

 

thanks kornbinder. looks like can maybe get what i need from there.