1954 chevy g***er build ! Needing some info on block up of frontend on my 54 ! What is the best way to raise it 4 inches ? I dont want to do a straight axle cause i plan on driving it a s#!t ton ! Plus some pics of fenderwell style header builds on these cars! Planing a 283 4 speed power plant and a 4x4 s10 rearend !here is some pics of how o found her !
There was a write up with photo's but I can't find it at this time. It's pretty straight forward. I'm sure other's will come to your aid quickly.
I have done a ton of axles! Just wanting to do something different this time ! I know axles is the way to go but i love being different and love to make people scratch there heads a bit !
Then you know the fundamental's. All you need is good bolts and to modify the drag link from the steering box to bell crank at cross member.
This is where I have to step back a bit. I "***ume" yes. I personally have not done one. But that would not stop me from doing one with out help from anyone. Start at what's easy, block the cross member and go from there and pay attention to the geometry between the pitman arm and bell crank. All the other geometry is all ready in the confines of the whole cross member ***embly, right?
I would look up another thread on here en***led "62 Corvette gets 63 Latham Supercharger" where he has photos of what what he is doing with his front suspension. He wanted not quite a 4" lift so he built his own spacers to go between the front cradle and the frame. You also have to add a similar height spacer at the front center where the steering arm bolts to the crossmember/cradle-also remember to add rubber shims at this point.The suspension on the early Vettes is very similar to the 1949-1954 front suspension. Some parts are interchangeable-some not. I have raised early Vettes from 2" to 4" many times and two of my Vettes are raised this way including my avatar car. Both of my cars are at a bit over 3" lift and there is no problem with the drag link. Have never had an issue with the drag link although at 4" lift it may be pushing geometry. Remember that you can change the spindle supports which will change the lift as well. The only point that I would stress for safety sake is that you have to get caster correct. The stock shims are supposed to be 2* but some of the reproductions I believe are closer to 1*. I machine mine to be closer to 2*. I would suggest if you are going 4" that you use 3 of the 2* shims as the early Vettes like to wander on the road and the track without enough caster. Camber is another thing and as you know the adjustment for caster and camber is kind of a rinky dink deal on these cars and the adjustment is limited. Once you lift these cars both caster and camber are a bigger deal than at stock height. Sometimes the spindle supports get bent and I made a tool where I can rebend them in my press. When you get to that point and if you have issues I may be able to give you a hint or two. Also keep in mind that if you go with 3-2* shims that you are raising the car another 1/2" let's say so IMO you are pushing geometry. I have 3"+ in both of my Vettes and they run straight as a string. The only other change is if you run a sway bar you have to fabricate the ends so that they are proper length to match your lift. I just had my Vette out this morning and a buddy that has a 41 Willys set up as a g***er (an old g***er as well) commented on how well my car handled and went down the road. I run my car on the strip and would feel safe driving it long distances as well. Once you get them set up they are fine.
There are 16 bolts/nut plates that hold the front suspension "cradle" to the frame. At one time, it was popular to use two sections of I-beam, one on each side, to raise the front end; that meant using 32 bolts/nuts to hold it all together, or 16 really L-O-N-G bolts. When we built the 51 Chevrolet Business coupe for the nephew, we used 16, 2", "nut spacers" and longer bolts. Then to give the illusion of the front end being higher up, we used shorter/skinnier tires on the front, and no front bumper. It handle fine; well enough that the nephew actually scared me how he was cornering. As an extra precaution, after the front end had been raised, we welder in some side plates to the cradle and frame. Most guys who use a "straight" axle, actually use a truck I-beam axle and the leaf springs/shackles from whatever truck gave them up, so it rides like a truck; how can it not? I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
Block the cross member as has already been stated and pay attention to the drag link from the steering box The 54-63 corvette had the same front set up Except the Center link had a bearing instead of a bushing to help stiffen things up There is also a aftermarket part you can add to the Chevy set up to take up the play on n the bushing It’s not being repoped but nos ones show up from time to time on the auction site
Not sure how to pull up the link-others may. In the meantime here are a few pictures from his thread.
Racing8up: Man, that car cleaned up nice... I like '54 Chevs, I worked on a '54 Chevy that had the 3" lift JimDillon describes. Lots of worn and loose bolts, etc. Replaced the worn stuff, and all the bolts/nuts fastening cradle to spacers and frame. Worked well... I would have used a tube axle and semi-elliptics, but as you said, 'something different'. The worst way I ever saw was a guy with a '55 Chevy 210. This character came to the shop with 6" long 1.5" galvanized pipe ******s and long construction bolts (1/2" X 7") going thru at stock Chevy body bolt stations. You could see daylight between body and frame... He said, "What's 'unsafe' about it?"
interesting way to build the raising blocks...I think I would have built the taper into the risers, instead of using shims...????
Jim you can do it that way but trying to get your caster dead nuts may take a bit of figuring. I did two 62 Corvettes the same way (or as close as I could) and on one car I had to use 2-2* shims to get 5 1/2* and 3-2* on the other to get 5 1/2*. In the future I may make a raising block with some wedge but still use an aluminum 2* shim to fine tune what I want.
I just jumped on ebay and found the corvette shims 3 sets of them for 15 bucks ! Of course i bought them !
This is very much like what I was trying to find earlier. It's way better than using l o n g bolts thru a chunk of steel. As for the shim's, well to each his own but I agree with Jim. It's not that hard to factor into the riser.
Not sure if any companies made any spacer blocks although I have seen some that were solid aluminum and may have been made by a company. I tried to use a solid block one time and it was a ***** to get the longer bolts thru. I learned the hard way and made my own with a top and bottom flange like the picture above and it makes installation and removal much easier. Now that you have the aluminum tapered shims you can use that as a pattern to make a top and bottom flange and use a tube of whatever to get your desired height in the center like pictured above.
I think he didn't find he needed shims till he had the risers done; some times when those front ends are rebuilt its impossible to get all the new parts where they should be to get the caster to come in so the recourse is the shims..
Could be, but it sure looks like that front end has not even had wheels on it yet, let alone a body on it
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