Im looking for ways to lift the front end of my 57 chevy safely to give it more of the g***er look with out going to a straight axle kit just yet Im looking for about a inch or so also need ideas for lifting the rear end a bit to Thanks for your help Dave
Are you going with a radical engine setback too, because otherwise a four-door g***er sounds... funny.
Try a set of springs for a big block wagon, it'll ride like **** but it'll be up there. Or get some of those little sqaure spring spacers that you twist beteween the coils, not my favorite solution though. for the back you could mount the rear end under the springs, or maybe some extended shackles.
Why just because its a 4 door sedan ?? if you look in the books there were quite few 4 doors of different manufacturer in the 60's
Why do some people have to put down someones car because it's a 4dr.Is it like not having enough billet on your rod,or enough"traditional" parts.It's all ********,just another way of making yourself feel superior.If you're a real knuckle dragger it does'nt matter what you drive ,as long as you like it. My Two cents worth.
**** I got ripped off , my cars only got 2 drs ! Im for the bb springs to get that nose up, to snub all the 2 dr cars! I like it. You could also have longer springs at the same rate made not bumping to a heavier spring.
i would put a rubber 2" spacer[ i believe mr gasket makes them]under the spring. inexpensive and still a stock ride,but forget about alignment. i had these under my 64 gto for years and had no problems.hope this helps,bud
Speedway sells coil spring spacers, rubber and metal type. I bought a set of ball joint spacers and moroso trick springs. I also will use the rubber spacer from speedway. Moroso trick springs are one coil longer than the stock 6 cyl springs that I took off the car. So hopefully I will be 2 -3 inches taller than I started with. One more way is to lower the rear by 2 inches, it gives the impression that your front is higher than it really is. Nothin' wrong with 4 doors, I believe there was a g***er called Badman, it was a 4 door. I got a pic of the car from the twolaneblacktop fan site. http://groups.msn.com/TwoLaneBlacktopHomePage/_whatsnew.msnw G***erNorm
Nothin' wrong with 4 doors, he's right ,there were alot of 55-7 cars drag racing , mostly in the mod stock cl***es ,very few full blown type g***ers tho , I looked (and drove) an old 57 D/G gone street friday ,a guy had it for sale and would have bought it except for all the underbody rust, neat lookin car tho , g***er madness has a couple , but 2 drs were by far more prevelant. you want it -DO IT, an prove a moredoor can **** as good as a 2 dr.
Excuse me Sgary, I wasn't putting down his four door. I merely said it didn't sound like the right type of car to go g***er with. God knows I love four-doors, I'm all about road trips and good times. Just that a typical g***er uses a two-door body for the weight break - usually a post model. I'd feel just as odd about a two door hardtop as a g***er, or a convertible.
Keep an eye out for the old eelco ball joint spacer kits, I see them on ebay from time to time for about 100 bucks. they make a decent kit, I just sold one for 57 and up ford and it was nice.
If you're putting a small block in it, then put in stock 6 cylinder coil springs. Lose the front bumper and inner fenders, and there's another 100 pounds off the nose. 14-inch wheels in front will help the nose-high look by giving more space between the top of the wheel (not necessarily the top of the tire) and the wheel opening. For the rear, if you want it to go a little higher, replace the old worn out springs with a set of station wagon springs. The "regular" wagon springs were 5-leaf (sedan and hard top springs were 4 leaf), and the 9-p***enger springs were 6 leaf. The springs are available brand new for a really reasonable price. Then you can also take them to a spring service shop (like for trucks and trailer springs--check the yellow pages for one) and have them re-arched to give another inch or two of lift to them. Another way to raise the front would be to call Moog's tech line (or some other company that manufactures springs) and tell them you're looking for a spring with the same diameter and rate as your '57 Chevy, but two inches TALLER than stock. They might be able to help you out. '67-'69 Camaro SB springs are the same diameter and rate, but two inches shorter (I think that's the year of Camaro...anyway) that's how that bit of tech was discovered. Then you'll have off-t******lf springs that won't break the bank. Then call a shock absorber company and tell them you need shocks that have "X" static height, "Y" compressed height and "Z" full extended height, and they'll give you the part number that matches. Again, off the shelf part, good price. Depending on how much you raise the car, you may need the different shocks. -Brad
I agree with Biscayne,, and Buds 56 ,, both are giving you the easiest , and less expensive way to raise your front end .. Usually new front springs run somewhere around 90.00 and up,, USD ... and those rubber or metal spacers, are a lot less than that ..... now this is if you want the cheapest way to go .. JEFF
I have a buddy who's a lurker here that has a '57 2 door post. He put a 454, TH350 in it. Then he stuck those spring spacers in the front and bolted on the pizza cutter slot mags up front, with wide slots out back. Pulled the front bumper off and he liked to play "neighborhood g***er" with it, full length headers and all. Last time I talked to him, he was going to "pull those lousy, ******* spacers out" and swap out his "miserable, s****ing headers" for street headers. He wants his real car back. I've ridden in it a few times, and it corners like a dump truck. But it does sit *****in'. Jake
Not trying to bust anyones chops but I have never seen any 57 4 door g***ers. And up until just the last few years no selfrespecting hotrodder would even consider a 4 door sedan for a serious performer unless he wanted to be hooted out of the parking lot on cruise night. I am not against 4 door cars, one of my all time favorite cars was a 59 belair 4 door. Flash back to the 60s-70s, a lot of kids got the family 4 door p***ed down to them and put on some chrome reverse wheels, dual exhaust ect, but only the total ****s ever put any serious thought into fixing one up. I have a hard time getting out of that mind set. When car shopping we never considered a 4 door or an automatic ******. If it wasn't a 2 door stickshift it wasn't cool. Times have changed, but I haven't I guess. Just one old farts opinion.
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