55.2-59 Beautiful build (1956) and a question????

[hotrod1]

Don't know if you have seen this build - Detroit Speed - with plenty of pictures. Love it.

Question: Why do they raise the rear fenders and add extensions to the bottom? I can see if the truck is meant to lay frame and space is needed but I think this one is running coilover shocks and is not really low. Is there some body line that I am missing?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/detroi...15417874/page1

[G&R's57GMC]

They raised and sucked in the bumper no mods to the fender ..

[_Ogre]

I'll add that you can't lay frame on a TF truck, without cutting off the bottom 6 inches of the whole body. You can lay rocker, lay bumper, just not lay frame

[gottattooz]

They raised the rear fenders to line up the body lines on the top of the fenders to the line on the cab, doors and front fenders. My dad did it on his 59 because he didn't like that it wasn't even. He raised the bed 4 inches and then ran 4 inch exhaust turn outs under the steps.

-Josh

[G&R's57GMC]

Originally Posted by hotrod1

Don't know if you have seen this build - Detroit Speed - with plenty of pictures. Love it.

Question: Why do they raise the rear fenders and add extensions to the bottom? I can see if the truck is meant to lay frame and space is needed but I think this one is running coilover shocks and is not really low. Is there some body line that I am missing?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/detroi...15417874/page1

They raised the bed so that the car fender line lined up with the cab line and then extended the step down to match the bottom of the cab . They also raised the rear bumper and sucked it in closer to the bed .

Study the pic of my stock step side and you will see the difference .

[G&R's57GMC]

Originally Posted by gottattooz

They raised the rear fenders to line up the body lines on the top of the fenders to the line on the cab, doors and front fenders. My dad did it on his 59 because he didn't like that it wasn't even. He raised the bed 4 inches and then ran 4 inch exhaust turn outs under the steps.

-Josh

I like this idea of raising the bed especially if one wants to add short side pipes .

[1project2many]

I raised the bed on the truck I owned back in '86. Folks thought it looked strange back then and gave me a bunch of flack. But I wanted the body lines to work. I think the biggest issue was leaving the gap between bed and frame visible. Back then we weren't dropping trucks, we were raising them so the gap was very easy to see.

[_Ogre]

I always thought the bed was to low and shallow on tf trucks
I like what the builder did for the bed, I'll bet that is a half mil build

[57tailgater]

I have seen pics of this truck a few years ago and I see what they did to get all the lines to match up. Not sure if I like it or not. With the bed in the stock location it matches up with the recess in the back of the cab. I don't recall if they did anything there. Right now I have mine raised up 1.5" for tire clearance and it covers the top of this recess and it kind of bugs me as you can see the sides of the recess. It will be going back down in the future. At the stock location it does make the rear of the truck look like it's sagging especially if you don't have a rake (which mine will have a rake). Like other things, to each his own which is fine by me.

[G&R's57GMC]

Originally Posted by 57tailgater

especially if you don't have a rake (which mine will have a rake).

Is that a cast thick tine rake or one of those springy tine rakes ? LOL

[57tailgater]

Originally Posted by G&R's57GMC

Is that a cast thick tine rake or one of those springy tine rakes ? LOL

I prefer the springy ones - I am getting older and they weigh less.