Bought this 1952 chevy about two weeks ago. Wanting to lower it but can't figure out what year nova subframe it has install on it. The guy I bought it from did not know either. Is there anyway of telling? Figured there might be a few Nova guys in here. Sorry for the sucky pictures.
2x on the later subframe.The earlier subframes have the steering behind the control arms and the later have it in front.Yours is a better handling subframe but in most cars the steering box gets in the way of the radiator.You may be able to get dropped spindles to lower it a little.If I remember right Fatman Fabricatios made parts to fit that subframe.That would be a good place to start.
I know that '68 to '72 are rear steer so that rules that out..looks almost like a late 70's metric to me..and I'd get rid of the butchered centerlink if I were you.
Good eye,I missed the center link.That's the other problem with that subframe they are wide.I used one in the 80's and had to narrow it 2". I know how I did mine and it's still on the road but I would worry about yours without knowing who did it or how it was done.The best thing to do would be to install the earlier rear steer subframe and set the car at the ride height you want before you weld it in.I am sure this is the last thing you want to do but if that centerlink breaks that may be the last thing you ever do.
Well that's for sure not what I wanted to hear. Can I use a OEM center link? Can I not just replace the center link with the correct one? Or one that has not been hacked on?
Rear steer subs are okay,good luck trying to find one with disc brakes.(Remember the steering boxes are 40 years old.)Camaros and Nova SS had them and those guys are looking for them too. If you get a "kit",check the banjo bolts... Mine had drum brakes and a booster and I liked it better than the discs. Best of luck!
If it has 2 piston disk brakes could be 70 camaro clip.I put a 77 camaro in a 52 it was a little wide looks like they fixed that.It looks low now.
It may look like a hack job but it must have been on for years. Can you do better.They called mine a hack job to.
By the way the car drives straight and handles pretty good as is. Just want to make sure it is safe and to get it lower. Just going to be a around the town cruiser.
Yes from the look of it it's been on the road for many miles. Lots of road gunk under the car. Mike clean it real good and see if I can find any stress cracks.
Measure the length of your center link and check the bone yards for something that's matches the size you need, or get another one, cut and sleeve it with chrome moly tube, plug weld it and finish weld the ends. (2cents)
I'm going to measure it tonight and then do some research. I've been looking at some pictures of nova subframes and I have yet to see one that has a "a arm" like that one that is on mine. So who knows what I have under there.
Hey guys, my alternator went on the chevy so had to get a new one. The guy at advance auto said it was a alternator out of a 65 Chevelle. Found one pic on google and the A arms look to be the same. So maybe I have a Chevelle subframe...
Chevelles had full frames but a lot of guys did cut the front piece off to stub earlier frames. Those were also drum brakes on the front. Someone may have swapped it to disk though. You can't go by the alternator specifically because that unit fits a variety of cars. But you may be on to something as someone may have used a 65 Chevelle as the doner car for the whole swap.
Just became an Alliance member. I can see I'm going to get lots of advice and help on this site. Wanted to say thanks! Mr48chey, yea I thought that might be a good chance that it could not be. But after seeing those pictures of the a arms from a 65 chevelle it looks the same. Will get under the car and search a little deeper.
The Jalopy Journal
