Camaro clip 55-59 No Limit style

[michaelnolimit]

Here we have a jewel of a 55-59 chevy pickup. All original, including the factory radio. 2200 out at pomona swap meet gets you a pretty nice fairly rust free big window short bed. We will be grafting a 70-81 camaro clip on the front. We will also be installing a mid 80's camaro rear end with one of our No Limit Axle flip Kits. We sell a video step by step how to install a camaro clip on these pickups or you can follow allong the forum.

[SBTork]

very cool project, looking forward to seeing progress.

[michaelnolimit]

The next step is to remove the front suspension. We usually do this in the biggest peice possible. Dont waste your time tearing everything apart if your just going to throw it away. Use a torch to remove the rivets holding the leaf spring hangers to the frame. After the heads are torched off use an air chisel to knock the rivets out and the hangers will fall off the frame.

The bottom of the frame has some goofy shape to it. So we take a plasma cutter and trim the frame so it is the same width as the top of the frame rail. heres a picture of the piece we remove.

The last picture shows some 1 inch by 1 inch square stock that we place at the front edge of the frame rail on top and bottom to keep the frame rails from srpeading when we take out the main crossmember. We also put one just in front of the toe board so we have a place to measure the axle center line from once we remove that portion of the frame.

[michaelnolimit]

sorry guys i forgot to take a picture of us taking out the main crossmember but its pretty easy. after bracing the frame you can cut the crossmember in five different spots and it pretty much falls out. after that you only have a couple of rivets to knock out and the rest comes out no problem. Remember to brace the frame before taking the main crossmember out. Also leave the factory trans crossmeber in for now. Ill explain more about that later.

[michaelnolimit]

oops

[michaelnolimit]

After the frame has been stripped of its front supsension you need to set the chassis level front to back and side to side. After shes level we tack weld four legs to the front frame horns that go to the ground and tie into a 3 by 4 chunk of square stock. This keeps the front frame horns level front to back and side to side. You will then need to take a few dimensions and make note of them so you can install this clip properly. We take a dimesion from our 1 inch by 1 inch square stock in front of the toe board, To the front tip of the frame, To the axle center line, and do a cross measurement side to side so we can put the front frame horns back in there proper spot.

after youve taken all these notes you can cut the front frame stubs off and set them off to the side on the stilts you just tacked to the front.

Now you do a little math to figure out how far back you cut when removing the stock frame portion From my memory its about 11 inches after the axle center line.

Clean frame and get ready to spread some rails.

[michaelnolimit]

Before we can continue on the frame we need to modify the clip a little bit so we can take some dimensions off the clip so we know how far to spread the frame so that the clip slides into the stock frame. heres how we did it. These pictures are of the top of the clip.

[nikwho]

Thank you! Can't wait to see the finished product. how it all comes together. i like the idea of welding on the stilts to support the front frame stubs. I dont remember that part from the video. This is a good method. Thanks No Limit.

[lolife99]

Do you keep the stock wheelbase or move it forward,... so the wheel looks better in the wheelwell opening?

[michaelnolimit]

We do move the front suspension forward 3/4 of an inch so that it is centered in the wheel opening.

Today we finished grafting the clip into the stock chassis so here are some more pics.

Friday we had the clip welded on the backside. We also boxed the rear portion of the rails using a small portion of the stock truck chassis.

Today we slid the front frame stubs up to the camaro clip and took a couple of measurements to see how much we had to trim off the front stubs. Now this takes a few tries to get everything to fit nicely.

You will trim a little bit, but the stubs back up to the clip, cross measure, and measure to the tip of the frame rail. If your dimensions dont match the factory stuff trim more and test fit again.

You will test fit and trim three or four times to get the front stubs to fit nicely. Once your cross measurements and front frame horn dimensions match the notes you took off the stock chassis you can tack the horns in place. Double check everything before final welding.

[troy54gmc]

Hey Mike great job. can you please show some up close pictures of where the two frames hook together?

[ChuckDriver]

What angle do you install the the clip in regards to the upper A-arm mounts?

[56ClassicTruck]

Nice topic very helpful............... Do you have a dimension form the shock hole to the front of cab mount bracket?
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[michaelnolimit]

Originally Posted by troy54gmc

Hey Mike great job. can you please show some up close pictures of where the two frames hook together?

Here are a few up close pics. Sorry I couldnt give you more details. I work at a pretty fast pace and I didnt get as many detail shots as I should have. But we do have a video that shows you how to accomplish this in much more detail than I have provided.

[michaelnolimit]

Lots more pics to come

[troy54gmc]

Hey thanks for the pictures. Very cool thread, i like even though you sell a video for this same application that you put this on here for all of us for free. very stand up of u. I have said it before on here in this day and age its very difficult to find people that will go the extra mile for their customers and it seems like you allways help us out when we have a question with suspension or fabbing. It just shows what kind of person you are. Very cool!!

[bobinbc]

Is the frame still on jackstands? Could you measure from the front lower edge of the rocker panel to the floor and from the bottom side of the crossmember on the clip to the floor for reference? Thx

[Dan in Pasadena]

At the risk of being rude, can I ask what it costs to drop off a complete truck like that, have the complete frame graft done including cleaning and painting, and pick up the truck reassembled like in the last picture?

I assume the price of new upper & lower A frame bushings, ball joints, tierod ends installed, etc is NOT included but do you offer to do that too while you have it all blown apart?

[michaelnolimit]

About 5,000

That includes

#1 The actual camaro sub frame from Pick A Part

#2 Grafting the sub frame onto the stock chassis

#3 A quick wire wheel and spray paint

#4 Cut one coil off the spring

#5 Drop Spindles

#6 No Limits bolt on Brake Kit

#7 All brake lines, prop valve, residual valves plumbed to the calipers and wheel cylinders

#8 Axle flip kit with new shocks and sway bar hooked up

#9 No Limits 21 gallon fuel cell installed and plumbed up passenger rail to front core support


This does not include rebuilding the camaro clip. Customer was on a budget and wanted us to do the hard stuff now and he will enjoy rebuilding the front suspenion in the garage with his buddies when he can.

[Dan in Pasadena]

That seems like a really fair price to me for the security of knowing it was done right by a pro and of course for how quickly you can do it as opposed to someone like me. It would take forever for me and I'd not be totally sure I got it on there right.

Thanks for the info and description. I'm going to take a lok at your other threads now!

[Fat Mike]

Thank you for the info. Because of the few little hints you gave I got both side of my upper a-arms set at 7* on the anti-dive and everything is tying in together like it was never even cut. Thanks Again!!!

[Lucky13driver]

About how much will this lower my truck using stock springs and spindles?
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[1958Warrior]

I just did my truck by following the video, still have a ways to go before on the road. I've tried to get the T-102 video for the rear end swap and brakes, but no limit doesn't sell it any more???but its on the website ? They did refund my money . Would be great if you could do a thread on the rear swap and flip and brakes next time you do one, and ask them why the T-102 video is not available.

[d's56gmc]

Can I ask what measurements if u have some from front cab mount to end of frame rail where front bumper bracket mounts to I have a 74 nova clip installed and looking for measurements to locate rad support to install front end

[1958Warrior]

Welcome aboard d's56gmc, Its customary to introduce yourself to let everyone no who you are and what you do ,experience, abilities ect.

So I'm guessing you have a 56 GMC, the GMC sheet metal attachés different from a Chevy , and Chevy 55-57 is different than 58-59 as the frame is 2" longer in the front.

On my 58 Chevy , I'm pretty sure it is 58 3/4" from cab mount to the end of the frame, the end of the frame drops 1 1/2" lower than the frame at the cab mounts .

Yours being a 56 I would think it would be 2" shorter at 56 3/4" ( not in stone)
here you can see the drop on the front of the frame


Lets see some pics of what you got to work with , the pics they help identify problems / issues best.

Here is a link to a thread where the guy is doing a clip , he builds his own bumper and sheet metal mounts.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...d.php?t=148978

But you can use the search feature to find others with 55-56 GMC's and probably get a better answerer and a tip or to on how to go about it , Good Luck.