Quick way to raise a '55 Gasser?

Does anyone make a front coil spring that would raise the front of a '55 Chevy a few inches? Right now it's raked the opposite way a gasser should be! Any help or other simpler ideas on how to raise it would be great also. Thanks,
-Dean

 

While putting in new,longer springs,swap the A-frames side to side;this lenghtens the wheelbase 3-4 inches then get springs that are longer,but not stiffer and put on some cheap or wore out shocks. This will allow the front to raise quicker. Make sure you get it aligned or it will be all over the road.

 

stock springs should to it... if you want to go higher... I know they used to make a lower ball joint spacer and an upper ball joint extender. The lowers on the late 50's early 60's Chebbies were ABOVE the spindle... keeping it in compression. I'll try to dig up an old Chevrolet book I have put out by Petersen that shows the set up on a sky high Chevy.
Sam.

 

We used 409 Chevrolet wagon springs......with air......62 or 63's

You could still buy them new .........back when I did it....

.

 

For some reason..., El Camino springs come to mind..!?!?!?!

 

JC Witney and Moroso still sell em

 

what's a GASSER???

,,is that the same as a CHOPPER,BOBBER or RAT ROD???

hahhaa,,funny how these names are thrown around so much these days....

,,im sure this was a misscomunication i was'nt understanding from samIyam,,or maybe im just retarded...???

 

Just put 409 Impala wagon springs in my 57 this weekend. It picked up the front end a good 4" from the Moroso drag springs I had in the car, (the Moroso's were also new and the car was weighed to get the correct spring.). Be careful installing the 409 springs though they are very long. Ride is not to bad.

 

Simplest and quickest way: take out engine -- front end will immediately raise 5-6 inches for that genuine gasser look.

 

I like the idea of the 409 wagon coil springs!
I've got a set of new, stock '55-'57 6 cylinder springs in mine right now. It raised it nicely with a small block, but the front end of my car is also several hundred pounds lighter than stock: fiberglass fenders, hood, doors, no bumper and no inner fenders.

I'm trying to line up a 409 for it, so the '09 springs will probably be in the plan now.
-Brad

 

,im sure this was a misscomunication i was'nt understanding from samIyam,,or maybe im just retarded...???[/QUOTE]

The balljoints on a late 50's - early 60's chevy in the lower arm face down. Ie if you are changing the spring you would pop the upper balljoint, that would allow the lower control arm and spindle to swing down. Also those ball joint spacers don't lift the car they only allow the frontend to unload more.

 

Your question reminds me of an incident in my hometown back in the '60s. A local had a 59 Corvette and felt that if the front end was raised and stiff it would be easy for him to do wheelies. The dope took out the front springs and shocks and replaced them with big steel spacers. Heard that it worked really well at doing wheelies, but about a week later we all went to a local junk yard to see the totalled Vette that had run off the road and crashed. So much for one guy's backyard engineering.

 

Hey Goober do you have any pictures of the rear quarters of the chevy you could post?

 

ok

 

go it,,thanks,,i was having a brain fart last night and forgot about the spindle attacthing below the lower control arm

 

The balljoints on a late 50's - early 60's chevy in the lower arm face down. Ie if you are changing the spring you would pop the upper balljoint, that would allow the lower control arm and spindle to swing down. Also those ball joint spacers don't lift the car they only allow the frontend to unload more.[/QUOTE]

Technically, the uppers (the ones you are referring to) are not ball joint spacers... they are spindle extenders, and yes, the do allow the front end to raise more under acceleration. The ball joint extenders that I was talking about, that were popular with the street machines in the 60's and 70's... were a little spacer that spaced the lower control arm ball joint downward, therefore raising the car a couple inches.

Sorry for the confusion... I was having a brain fart like Butt Reynolds was!

BTW, Goober...

"is that your car? That can't be your car... that must be your mamma's car!"
(sorry for the American Grafitti reference)

Seriously though, is that your car? I like it! Where did you get the rear fender flare? Is it steel or fiberglass? What motor you runnin?

Sam.

 

I think these are the ones your talkin about sam,
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...ry=34200&item=4556867443&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

They pop up on ebay from time to time. A buddy had a set on a 57' Ford. they seemed to raise it up a couple inches.

Drew

 

Take a look ...

Not my car -- ran across it for sale for $10k at http://www.eastoftheriver.com/55Chevy/index.htm

Sam, I prefer your '55s radiused wheelwells -- much more authentic as a gasser. Now, if I had yours I'd want to do the 10% engine setback and have some aluminum paneling in the interior to accomodate it for a real period look.

 

That isn't for the faint at heart... as the guy says on his site!

I mean, you have to have a lot of balls, even today with all the gasser madness going around, to show up at a cruise-in in something like that! The world we live in is still dominated by one-up-manship billet clad perfect Tri-Five Chevies! Blach! Yk-yuk! Petewey!

That car has soul... needs some work, but man... when it's running, it's gonna be cool! Ditch the trim, finish in black primer... big motor with a 4 speed... and watch out!

Yea, I like mine too... the wheel wells were done, and the lip is flawless... I'll need to see what it looks like when I get the back end lowered a bit, but I get the feeling the wheel well is a little forward... Anyway, the '55 will have stance in spades when it is done.

Interior? First I gotta get the inner structures welded back into the doors! But I'm leaning towards a waffle pattern that was popular in the late 60's... done in black naugahide. The squares are about 4" big... about 6" of carper on the lower part of the door panels, and a headliner material that has all those little holes in it.

Sam.

 

If someone had a set of these, I could whip up some copies on my Bridgeport for fellow HAMBers for the price of materials. I'd just need a set to copy. From the looks of it, they're only worth about $20.

 

Yea... those are the ones! The only thing I remember seeing in the old magazine my dad had... was they came with an extender for the upper joint too.

I think that one was so expensive because it had the original box... screw the box, it goes in the recycling bin after you install those babies!

Sam.

 

It's because they're for a tri-5 chevy. I've seen them top a hundred in a sandwitch bag without instructions. The ones we put on my buddy John 57' Ford were only $30 NIB.

They go between the balljoint and A arm. grind off the rivets, insert spacer, slap the long assed bolts included with kit in. Viola, instant "Super 70's Street Gasser".


Drew

 

I checked with J.C. Whitney and there all out of the high-lift '55 coils for the next month! Anyone know where else I could get them? Were trying to get the car semi-finished for next Saturday, but we cant drive a gasser with the nose pointing the wrong direction
-Dean

 

The 409 springs I mentioned were bought at Car Quest. Took a day for the local store to get them.

 

Would you happen to know the part number or type of springs thoes were? Will they fit into a '55 and how much of a lift will it give? Thanks,
-Dean

 

Dean,
Cehck with Rare Parts in Stockton California. They are coil spring GURUS!

Sam.

 

I don't know the part #, but they are Car Quest brand for 62 Impala wagon 409 with air. I just put these in my 57 Chevy so yes they will fit, but be careful they are very long and a high spring rate. They lifted my car 4" or so.

 

What about wheel alignment after lifting it up?? How do the 409 springs affect camber and caster??

 

You will need to do an alignment depending on how high the car sits now. My camber was off, but caster was pretty good.

 

heres a bunch of info on ball joint spacers:

http://groups.msn.com/TheWorldOfDuckusCrapus/balljointspacers.msnw