57 Chevy BelAir Gasser Build

Got my Speedway shipment today with the front brake/hub conversation, engine crossmember, front leaf springs and some other stuff...

 

Nice, I was impressed when I opened the boxes they sent me.

 

Yea seems like decent stuff, and I'm very pleased with it all so far! If I had one comment otherwise I would feedback that I don't like that the bearings, races, and seals were just thrown loose in the box with bigger heavier parts in little single baggies. I think the seals especially could be damaged that way, maybe the bearings and races depending on how the package handling goes but I think they're all ok so I guess it's all good there. I will say these leaf springs are far and away better quality in appearance than the rears I got from Woody's Hot Rodz, and their shipping efficiency is awesome! I'm looking forward to sorting stuff out and having a little shop time tomorrow.

 

Looking at the quality of the bearings for me it will be a track car, now if it was a street car I would look for better quality replacements for the long haul.

 

So what kind of springs did you get ?

 

I went with these 31-1/4" Speedway springs:

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Super-Glide-Front-Spring-48-Inch-Axle-Standard-Eye-Plain,7576.html

 

I got the drop axle stripped down to the spindles tonight but that's about it. Spindles look to be in ok shape to move forward. I'm not sure why I didn't just use my bare axle and buy car spindles and a king pin set but we're committed now with the truck setup and I'll go with it. I think if I swapped to car spindles it's just the bearings are smaller and I wouldn't need the bearing adapter that comes in this kit to adapt the 5 on 4.75 hub/rotor to the truck spindles. Anyway, we're off and running so I'll get back on that soon and it'll be time to get front wheels and tires mounted and chop the frame and fab up a new front section to hang this axle. Tires should be here Thursday.

 

If you didn't buy U bolts with the Speedway springs, you might need the late 50's truck U bolts also to ***emble the axle/springs.
I got my new spring set from Speedway last week, and as I knew already, the length of the new mainspring eye to eye was too long. In order to not end up totally reworking front and rear mounts on a finished car, I dis***embled the spring packs and took the new main leaf out. Then ***embled them to my old main leaf, and made up a spring pack that way. I'll need to fabricate a new lower shock mount as my shocks don't reach now. But since it's a bolt on it will be easily done off the car, and then installed.
You'll want to get at least two or 4 spring clips to put on those new spring packs to ensure the leafs stay in alignment. I buy them in 10 packs since I do these axles often. Easy to clamp to the springs, and then bend the tabs over to a perfect fit. They sell them as pairs for $12.50, or 10 for $21.50 Really only need a pair though.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/134443913896?hash=item1f4d7b52a8:g:k1wAAOSw07lj5S9P&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAA8M4kciVg6zixGKyk/NVM5rRp3Hgu4JZNqNnzDyVc2YCW45/cFvPytPiJCjABpgPy5yFesR2u8YvRaWaZ+aKdBHtLRgp9kefjoQcadBIfGy/dvbDg6GK82mCmJN4q4wtXFQuJuHI/J4/TSuvoGEnYO5moQ7bB50aDxhmiPGb0h9sS6WVTPZlp5JrBdOKYShgRbIiXSDAQV5398ktVoCMEwBjzw8NcTqnqi+NMe97P2aGk6w6uJVsmNAhtMv9zytXIplNwncWNPEp2we5h1/t8JsPjnW0V3fLcmAyUoanyhaBvWv8d3uHsgIb42qTdAo3HHQ==|tkp:Bk9SR_DCg-TcYQ

 

@1971BB427 I found the 1-3/4" ones too, seems nuts that the 2-pack is $12.50, and a 10-pack is $25.99. That's a big price break on the 10-pack! How many do you use per leaf pack? And which leaves do you bind together? Any pictures to demonstrate placement that you have preferred? My springs are a 6-leaf design with slipper pads.

I'm also going to likely build a hat section to go up and over the spring between the U-bolts as previously discussed. It will be simply a piece of 1/8" sheet metal broke in a "U" and inserted on top/sides of the spring and sandwiched by the U-bolts. That'll keep everything snug. It should also hold the leaves vertically aligned pretty well if applied over say a 4-6" section depending on how long I make that piece. Thoughts on that?

1-3/4" Retainer clips:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1344438600...OqTzG+wKKR8quQcyXjYQ249w==|tkp:Bk9SR5b4vO3cYQ

 

I have always bound any of the longer leafs together, and I usually only put them on one end as one end will hold both ends in alignment. On the Speedway pack I did the last three of the six pieces. It's also important to not put them on until your car is done, and weight sitting on the springs. At that point you can see the angle of the springs, so you know which end to clamp, so the clamps are on an area of the leaf that's uphill towards the eye. If by chance one end is downhill form the axle to the eye, or even level, it will work itself loose and end up just sitting by the spring eye doing nothing. That usually happens on the shackle end, as the eye is lower than the fixed end.

 

Cool, got it. Thanks for the advice on that. Down the road when I get the build a little more ***embled I'll take a look back at those front springs and see about installing those retainer clips. My rear springs I got from Woody's have them installed already. Wonder why these fronts don't come with any?

 

My guess is because Speedway knows buyers of their springs often adjust the spring packs by removing a leaf or two. So the clips would only make the cost higher, and add another hindrance to adjusting spring rate. I have reused good quality spring clips, and did so on my recent swap. I bent them open, and once I ***embled my new springs I hammered the somewhat rippled sides of the clips straight on my anvil, and then reinstalled them on the new springs.

 

Yea that makes sense! I'll be interested to see how the Chevy sits on these packs once loaded down.

 

When you clamp the rear leaf springs it's to aid in making them stronger by flexing less, flexing causes axle wrap



I'm not sure why you would want to clamp the front springs solid to prevent movement.
You need some flex for suspension travel to promote weight transfer and ride quality, it would practically cancel the leafs sliding on the teflon ****ons, which is what they were designed to do.

 

Got the front skinnies mounted this morning. These are the Firestone 6.40x15's. Bought through Summit at $246 each so they're not cheap but I'm happy I went this direction. Full set of Firestones is looking pretty damn cool. Tomorrow I'll be working on putting the front axle together and see if I can get to mounting the front wheels and doing some mock-up.

 

You'll be glad you didn't go with car spindles, and stayed with truck spindles. The car spindles require machining in order to work, vs. just putting the spacer on that the truck spindle kit uses for disc brakes. I tried this once, and after looking through what it took to fit them I sent the kit back to Speedway and ordered the truck disc kit.
Have you tried the springs and U bolts on the axle yet? I think you'll find there's no way to get the .125" spacer plate on each side. I put mine on, and after checking with feeler gauge I might get .065" shim spacer per side, but definitely not .125"! Been driving mine for over 2 years now, and no problems.

 

Good to know I made the right choice! Thanks for the info on the spindles...

I have not installed springs yet. I'm just now getting ready to have a little shop time so I'll be putting the axle together here shortly.

 

Tires and rims

 

Took a couple hours today and got the front axle ***embled with brakes and front wheels mounted and got it mocked up under the frame. I haven't cut the front of the frame of yet obviously but that's going to be a long ways to make up the distance from the spring to the frame with hangers and shackles. I might go ahead and switch to a tube straight axle but I'm thinking it over how I want to go about it from here. I dig that WAC moly axle option and keep thinking about that...

 

You may want to build your own shackles also. The Speedway shackles are OK, but they always seemed a little flimsy to me. I make mine from 1.25"x3/8" flat bar, with around 3"-4" centers on the holes.
My '39 with '58 truck axle.

 

Yea I plan to probably build shackles, these little things are pretty dinky. I only have them because it was cheaper to buy the kit with all the axle hardware, U-bolts, etc than to buy individually. I have them in the springs for mockup for now. I see you have a couple stand-off blocks under your springs as well, that would help make up the distance I'm dealing with too. I guess with slightly dropped mounts, longer shackles, and stand-off blocks I might be able to make something work.

 

Yes, I built those from 1/4" wall 2"x2" box tubing. Drilled a hole for the alignment pin head on one side, and then a 5/16" hole on the other side to install an Allen cap screw. Once the Allen was installed I welded plate over the ends to close them off, and painted them.
I needed to adjust the height without altering my mounts, or making major changes. Guys used to run as much as a 4" block, but I'd probably never go more than 3" myself. Always figured there's enough side force exerted that a tall block could rock over. But I see guys doing huge lowering blocks in the rear and no issues, so maybe I'm just paranoid for nothing?

 

It's hard to say, I think that's probably perfectly acceptable, as long as you make sure your U-bolts are always snug, as you would anyway. In the 4x4 world it has always been a no-no on front axle blocks but that's a bit of a different animal with the wheels applying torque to the axle. I would think your setup is fine and looks good. I think to get ahead of doing all that since I'm early in the build anyway, is that I'll probably go with the straight axle setup vs this drop axle. As much as I like the vintage look of the drop axle, and I was going to drill it, I think it'll just be easier and give me more options going the other direction. I have two nice condition drop axles so that's a bummer but I'm in them right and can resell them. I have a couple calls into Bill at WAC but haven't made contact yet. Still thinking it all over. I didn't premeasure enough nor did I have the ch***is on the cheater slicks in the rear to get the frame properly staged before ordering springs and all that. That's the other thing I could have done was buy some taller arc springs to make up the gap but it's already going to be light in the front and ride like a brick ****house so more arc/stiffer springs wasn't an ideal option.

 

Another question I have, in regards to steering arms...

If I run something like the Speedway steering arms made of plate steel, broke at a 90 and drilled to fit the spindle pattern, the bolts supplied in my disc brake conversion kit, which hold the caliper bracket to the spindle, are not long enough to also accommodate the use of any steering arms, which I thought was odd. There are a couple larger diameter and longer bolts in the kit, but not in the appropriate numbers to install on both sides. I'll have to call them up and see about the inclusion of said bolts in an order for arms if I go that route. I looked the factory 55-59 truck arms and I don't want to use those.

 

I have a few beam front axles. Craigslist i.d. #7588353102.

 

I don't know how to make that work, do you have a web link instead? Are these the drop axle "beam" style? If so, that's what I have two of, but might be going away from in favor of a straight axle (tube). Which do you have, stock truck axles, or aftermarket stuff, and what is the supplier info? Thanks!

 

Wouldn't it be better to put the body back on the ch***is and then adjust the ch***is height at the front? With the weight of the body shell, it will probably bring the rear down 4 or 5 inches, allowing you to lower the front some, and put a whole new perspective on the situation. Plus with the body bolted to the ch***is, it will be easier to see what may be a problem later in the build. Just a thought...

 

Yea it probably would be better. I've been back and forth about what sequence I want to do some of this in. I need to cut out and replace the trunk and floors so I need to decide when to go do that so I can prep the bottom of the body and get it bolted down on new body mounts, t just do an the mock-up first and pull it off again. I was hoping to not be off and on to many times with the body. You think it would really come down in the rear that far, 4-5 inches with just the body shell?

 

It'll probably come down even more by the time it's all said and done. If this was my project, I'd put the body back on the frame, shim it so the doors work right and bolt it tight. Then do all the work in the trunk that you want to do so you can get the rear end narrowed, installed, and tires fit so you can get it on the ground at ride height, then proceed to the front so you can get the rail's stubbed in, motor mounts set and set the stance, along with all the other misc. BS that need's to be done. Then blow it all back apart to clean paint and detail the way you want. JMO... Which is worth exactly what you paid for it... Maybe less...
Plus it's easier to get a visual and adjust if necessary when it all together.

 

Yea I should probably do something like that. I can't get the body on the frame with the rear tires on it without a narrowed axle so it would have to be on jack stands front and rear if I mount body to frame right now, which is fine, I can just ditch the stock rear end and roll the rear tires under there next to the frame and get my dimensions for narrowing.