Hello all, I'm bringing back to life an old 55 chevy g***er I purchased recently and it needs the front end rebuilt a****st other things. My 49 f-1 has a streight axle and I'm very familiar with the set up when it comes to them. Where I'm not getting it is for the new 55 Steight axle with radius rods set up.I've always wanted an old streight axle 55 and now that I have one I want to make it safe, and fun to drive as well as looking good on the undercarage. 1. What is the compleate function of radius rods and how are they better? 2. How do they work, radius rods that is? 3. How do you install them to the axle and frame, and adjust them? 4. Do they affect caster and camber? Thanks for talks input, pictures of builds or projects would be appreciated, as well as finished projects...
So, my first question is that did the car originally have a straight axle with radius rods? If the answer is no, then I would go a different direction. I put a straight axle in my 48 Chevy Coupe some 30+ years ago and drove it on the street and strip.....................it had a very stout 327 motor and M22 trans with 57 rearend. OK, the radius rod is used to locate the axle and put caster in the axle. I need to ask another question here, are you buying a front axle kit from someone or trying to make your own. Are you going to use an I beam axle or tube axle? You ask how are radius rods better????????????????better than what?????????????? The radius rod attaches to the alxe with a batwing and the spindle kingpin goes through the batwing and radius rod. Usually the you have rod ends/clevis or some other form of attaching the radius rod to the axle via the batwing. At the frame side you have another rod end and this goes to the frame or bracket on the frame. Usually you do your adjustment from the rod end at the frame......................but when attaching the axle you need to set it up with the correct ride height and correct caster..............if you were to set it up with 0 caster and tried to do all of the caster adjustment with the rod ends you would put the transverse spring into a bind...............causing steering/handling issues. The correct caster for a drag only car would be around 9 degrees negative.........meaning the top of the axle would be laying back towards the rear of the car. My suggestion would be to go to Barnes&Noble or Ebay and look for a ch***is book that explains straight axle cars/installations. If it were me, I would find a 55 Chevy 1/2 pickup and swap the complete front end, axles, springs drag link, tie rod......................to you 55 Chevy................pretty much a bolt in. Here is a picture of my 48 back in 1970.
Still have it, slowly but surely, has new floors and new/old frame that has been c notched by Lucks Blu, saving money but this litle shoe box came along and I've always wanted a 55 g***er. U know how it goes.
Do you have a radius rod front end? Or are you asking these questions before you buy one? The radius rods are simply axle location devices. Where they attach at the frame coincides with the axle caster. The higher on the frame, the less negative caster you will have, the lower they are on the frame...the more negative caster you'll have. Most guys run -7 degrees axle caster on a street driven car, drag cars run a bit more, closer to -10 usually. You'll notice alot of 'g***ers' that have radius rod front ends usually have brackets hanging off the frame rails to mount the radius rods in the proper location to put the axle at the right caster angle. With the adjustments on the axle end of the radius rods, you'll have clevises or adjusting nuts and you can fine tune the axle inclination/caster with those. For a g***er, I prefer a parallel leaf setup up front for the "easy" factor, but that's just me.
Good looking car a choped coupe, the 55 g***er, at this time does not have radius rods. It has a early 70"s droped steight axle out of a truck. Now that I've talked to my good freind Doyle who's my hot rod expert he told me that I would have to change out the whole front end axle ***embly and get the correct axle that the wishbones go on. Like I said, I don't anything about 55 g***er axle ***embly or the mechanics behind them only my 49 ford. I wish I did know more but u just explained a whole lot and I aprectiate guys like you for your knowledge. I thought it was a kit that you get and weld on. That being said I really like the radius rod set up and am probly going to go that route for this car as well as an old school lift bar set up out back or ladder bars. Well, you don't know till u ask right? Anyways I guess my next question would be is where can u get an original axle for the 55 and radius bar set up? Two lane black top is what set me off on wanting this set up visualy ever sense I was a kid and I'm 38 now. I could just leave what's there alone but the axle in there is set about 3 inches to far forward and I'm going to have to take it apart anyways do to tire rub and a cut out fender wells twards the front on the gl*** tilt which looks like ****. Not that I couldn't just move it but fabrication is going to be needed.
Is aleaf spring set up that I already have better as far as adjustments and ride? Just to let y'all know this is a real drag car and has always been one.
I have never seen a kit for shoe box, but I am sure you could piece one together by going to www.speedwaymotors.com or ???????????? So, are you talking about going with transverse spring like on a early Ford? If you are, this type of setup doesn't ride very well on the street, I would stay with the parallel leaf springs and just move the axle back to where it needs to be...........IMHO Here is some interesting reading: http://www.rebelrodscarclub.com/members/lonniecobb/55straightaxle.htm http://www.jimmeyerracing.com/tri-5_g***er_ch***is.html http://www.jimmeyerracing.com/tri-5_g***er_subframe.html http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NICKEY-55-6-7-G***er-Straight-Axle-Subframe-***embled-/280410125963
Personally I wouldn't run a straight axle with radius arms and a cross leaf under a later model G***er. I simply don't like the look. 4 bars and coilovers improve the look (and handling IMHO), along with giving some adjustability. For street durability and the best looks I'd go for a parallel leaf setup. Simple, relatively inexpensive, strong...dead on looks wise. "1. What is the compleate function of radius rods and how are they better?" They hold the axle under the vehicle and keep Caster in spec. They absorb the road impacts and resist brake torque. They get stressed highly. "2. How do they work, radius rods that is?" I don't really understand that question. You need SOMETHING to hold the axle in place... "3. How do you install them to the axle and frame, and adjust them?" Steel brackets dropped off the frame and welded or perch bolted bat wings or clevis brackets at the axle . Depends on the style of axle usually although there may be come mixing of methods. You adjust the axle clevis ends/tie rod ends/bushing ends etc to gain or remove Caster...or you simply raise/drop the frame bracket end to subtract/add caster. You can also do slight adjustments to set the axle square to the ch***is centerline. With parallel leafs you don't have that capability and MUST get it dead on while welding things together. "4. Do they affect caster and camber?" Caster yes...Camber no.
gripelec, Here is an article about putting the Jim Meyer parallel leaf into a 55, thought it would be good reading................... http://www.superchevy.com/technical/ch***is/frame/sucp_0809_tri_five_straight_axle_clip/index.html Also, take a look at these 55 G***ers; http://photobucket.com/images/55 Chevy g***er/ http://mrtachs.com/g***ers.htm I guess the point is, I have never seen a 55 chevy g***er with an old transverse spring and radius rods........................build/restore the car the way it was meant to be and don't use the transverse spring/radius rod setup....................it's great for early hot rods but not for a potentially nice 55 g***er!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IMHO
gripelec, Also, you mentioned about using a Ladder Bar system for the rear. I am ***uming you are still using leaf springs in the rear.....................if not then what I am about to say is not the right way to go.............. If you want to use leaf springs and put a ladder bar setup on the car you will need to put a "leaf spring pivot" system on the car.............if you don't the car will experience binding in the suspension and will never hook up right.........could break a pinion in the third member and will ride like a chuck wagon and very possibly break and axle tube. This setup on my car is not the only way to accomplish this, but it has proven itself over the past 30 years to be very functional/reliable and works very, very well. How do I know this you say, well............this rear suspension has been on the back of my 70 maverick for 30+ years...........it hooks good enough to need wheelie bars and has never broken anything in the drivetrain............ here is a picture;
Very cool pics, I'm sticking with the leaf set up in the front. The rears I've seen lift hars which are era correct but the ladder bar set up looks just as cool if not better. It's got a 12 bolt with 518 gears and leaf springs. From what I understand when they switched over to the 427 from the 350 they couldn't get it to hook up. Has air shocks only. I want this car to hook up and go streight! Suggestions??? What's the best.Period correct of course
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