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Old 12-01-2020, 05:46 PM   #5
dsraven
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: calgary alberta
Posts: 7,772
Re: what rear axle/suspension set up 55-59

questions or at least things to think about
what do you want it to look like when done, what custom stuff do you want to include. I suggest to come up with a plan and then stick to it
budget
how much can you do yourself, what are the state or local laws around steering, suspension and frame work being done by a non certified person. what liability does that leave on yourself should you be the guy welding in a new steering set up etc. hiring a welder after you have it all tacked in place like you want could be a good idea and cost effective. get a bill though, for your records.
do you have space to store the body etc while working on the frame and do you have the tools required to do the work. how are your fab skills etc
coil overs or air bags
how low do you wanna go
if quite low then the frame will need a good sized c notch out back that will require the bed floor to be raised.
for a diff you could look at an explorer rear axle which will likely come with a 3.73 ratio, disc brakes, a decent park brake set up and also AN OFFSET CENTER SECTIO. not a deal breaker but something to think about how to set up exhaust and suspension stuff. also the rear axle would have a different wheel bolt pattern but that is easily fixed as well. the ford 8.8 is about equivalent to the chevy 12 bolt or just about as strong as the ford 9". easier to come by. there is also one with a centered center found in mustangs. go to the ranger station online and see all the specs etc. it is a little bit wider the the stock rear axle but since it is offset at the center section some guys will cut the long side down to match the short side and then simply install a second short side axle after the cut down. that narrows the track width and also allows a deeper dish wheel. you may have to tub the box though. if getting a used diff from something be sure to grab everything, park brake cables, stabilizer bar driveshaft etc. the 8.8 also has the option to use a regular u joint style yoke. some guys also use an S10 rear axle or, like ogre, a camaro rear. figuring out your drive line power and gear ratio and tire size before you go too far will help you save time and money by getting what you really need the first time. there are calculators online to figure out engine rpm at cruising speed etc.
brake master cylinder on firewall or under floor (clean firewall or doesn't matter)
show truck or daily driver (lots of spendy chrome etc or painted stuff is fine)
tire sizes and widths. because you may need to tub the box and or move the front axle center line forward so the tires look right in the slanted front wheel openings and also so your front tires don't rub when turning as you will have a lower than normal truck.
there isn't anything wrong with keeping the stock rear suspension but for a 4 link there are kits available that bolt on or you can check a place like paul horton's welders series online for some do it yourself kits or parts. these guys have all kinds of kits and brackets etc for building hot rods
think about getting yourself an assembly manual or download the online one because this will give you some real dimensions rather than some home tape measure dimensions. once you see a pic of the frame you will see it is pretty much a flat straight run with a taper fpr the front end and a hump over the rear axle. easy enough to replicate with rectangular tubing should you be thinking of stripping the old frame, sandblasting, ensuring it is square and not sagged, boxing the original frame, cutting out old and building new cross members, fabbing a 4 link, filling all the frame holes that are irrelevant and then cutting in a big C notch in the back and welding in a whole new IFS up front. you could save yourself some time and money by simply making yourself a new frame. nice clean, straight, new tubing to work with. you could get some cash for the old frame once you are done. you would likely want to source some I beam or something similar from a scrapper to build a frame table but then you can also sell that when done and recover some expense. if i were to do it again, with a stock frame and not a swap, that is what I would do next go around. check out a supplier like TCI, Art Morrison, the roadster shop, canadian hotrods etc and see how they do theirs and what they changed to make it better.
https://www.trifive.com/d1/55-59Assy.pdf

anyway. hope that helps. don't be afraid to ask questions. it would be good for us to see what you have to start with as well as your level of fabrication skills. hopefully these links work and give you some ideas.

https://www.therangerstation.com/tec...8_8-axle.shtml

https://thefabricatorseries.com/buil...prelude-and-qa

https://tiresize.com/comparison/

https://welderseries.com/

https://totalcostinvolved.com/produc...-rear-chassis/

https://roadstershop.com/product/ful...truck-chassis/

https://www.artmorrison.com/55-59chevtruck.php

https://www.canadianhotrodsinc.com/f...BoCjLMQAvD_BwE

https://www.randysworldwide.com/calculators/rpm/

http://www.csgnetwork.com/multirpmcalc.html

here are a few pics of my 57 long box frame with home made C notch, ford explorer 8.8, ford ranger stabilizer bar with home made mounts etc, home made 4 link and pan hard bar using welder series parts, S10 4x4 rear shocks for mock up with home made frame mounts. air springs with home made mounts, home made frame boxing plates. lots of work. that's why I would start from scratch next time. my frame was tweaked, like a lot are, because these used to be work trucks plus they are 70 years old. that takes time to tweak it back straight again as well. under some of the frame brackets there was some deep rust that required some repairs. I used a TCI MII front end with air springs and 2" drop spindles set 1 1/2" ahead of the stock axle center line with 28" tall tires. that makes it quite low, I think about 8" at the front of the door rocker panel with a 2 deg rake angle on the frame and suspension locked so the lower control arms are level to the ground.
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