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.

[michaelnolimit]

heres the bottom side of the camaro clip.

[Fat Mike]

Thank you so far for all the helpful information!!!

[michaelnolimit]

heres what it should look like when you turn the plasma cutter off. Now break out the grinder and clean up all the edges.

[michaelnolimit]

At No Limit we can do a camaro clip in about one day depending on how often we get inturupted with phone or walk in customers. To do this in one day your moving at a pretty good pace. Well unfortunatly I forgot to take a few pics. But ill do my best to descride the next steps. In the pictures we have taken out a pizza slice on the top and bottom of the frame. The outer edge needs to be heated and bent inward intill it meets back up with the camaro clip. then weld them up and smooth them out. this makes the camaro clip about three inches narrower. Next measure four inches forward on both camaro rails and put a mark. measure the distance between the marks. It should be about 35.5 inches. Now measure the rails on the truck and youll see they are 34 inches outside to outside. Do a little math and that will tell you how far each rail on the truck needs to be spread. I usually do an inch per side wich will give you a .25 inch gap on each side. After the clip is slid in a c clamp will close that .25 inch gap.

[michaelnolimit]

One last thing you need to modify on the clip is the bottom side. The clip started to slope down and changes the height of the clip. We make a small slit in the frame tap it down a .25 inch weld and smooth it out. If you dont do this when sliding the clip into the factory frame it will be really tight. If you do this it slides right in and makes axle center line and cross measurement adjustment very easy.

All of this info is in a much more detailed dvd that we sell if you guys are looking to tackle this at home in the garage.

[michaelnolimit]

We use an old modified bumper jack to help us spread the frame rails. You mihgt be able to see a 5 X 12 X .25 inch thick flat stock that is c clamped to the frame rail. This plate has a hole in it to help stabalize the bumper jack. We use a torch to heat the top, bottom, and side of the frame. When its red hot put a couple of clicks on that bumper jack and spread untill you have reached the one inch per side mark. Take jack out flip over and do the other side. Now your frame rails will be wide enough to slide the camaro clip inside the factory truck frame.

This is why we leave the factory trans crossmember in place. We are spreading in front of the trans crossmember. The trans crossmember will prevent the frame from spreading to far back. Notice we are spreading just in front of the front cab mounts. Any farther back and you may affect the position of the cab mounts. After both frame rails have been spread you can now remove the stock trans crossmember.

[michaelnolimit]

When you slide the camaro clip in you will find that the lower control arm mount hits the truck frame. You will notch the factory frame to clear the mount just as we did in the following pictures.

[OrrieG]

Good information, can't wait for the next installation. I must be getting cabin fever the third photo in post #10 looks like a big trout getting ready to take a fly!

[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?

[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

[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

[michaelnolimit]

These just show two small boxing plates that tie into the front of the camaro clip and go to about the front of the core support mounts. just a little extra strength were the stock front frame stubs tie into the camaro clip.