Topic: 57 sedan delivery

[frankc]

hey guys im starting to put some ideas together as well as gathering parts on the next build   ive had this 57 chevy sedan delivery since i was born  long story there lol  any way ive got a front  strait axel from a early chevy van    the car of course  and also a couple engines to pick from  bbc   sbc  with fenderwell headers for it  and either a 4 speed muncie or a auto trans   i guess i need too know whats the safest way to put the axel under it  should i cut the frame and start from there or just cut off the suspension clean up the frame and go that way???

[oldskool49]

I have been doing some digging and this is what I have found so far:

http://www.droppedaxles.com/index.html

Lists straight-axle lengths for older Chevy, Ford, & Dodge trucks. Very helpful if one was planning to run a straight-axle.

Of course, this may be the easiest way if you have the cash:

http://www.jimmeyerracing.com/1962-6..._Subframe.html

And then:


Most solid front axels have a drop in the. The look is for a straight tube axel and that is something you'll have to buy new and usually you find a set of spindles and order the axel to fit them. The brakes are determined by the spindles and the more oddball the spindles the harder it's going to be to find decent brakes for them. Maybe you could take a front axel out of a 4x4 and remove the gears and axels and nake something that way. The Dana style axels are tube fastened to a cast center section and they usually have a long tube side and a short tube side. Maybe you could get a later model Chevy 4x4 front axel complete and find a junk housing that has a straight long tube side and use two long tubes and weld them together to make an axel. You'd be able to make it the width you want. Take the spindle and brake off the short side of the good complete set-up and install them backward on the extra long tube. If you use Chevy (or GMC) 1/2 ton stuff you can keep your 6 lug wheels. Maybe they didn't change the frames on the earlier Chevy truck ('55 - '59) so that you could fit the leaf spring set- up from an earlier frame to yours. Just ideas. GPster


So far this is what I have found.


 

[frankc]

cool the axel is the 64 to 69 van type   this car was a gasser drag car in the 60s it has ball joint extenders on the stock suspension up front  ive seen a few of these in a resto mod /street rod  versions and would like to keep it bare bones and simple  as ill be duin all the fab work myself  and i dont want somethin soo nice id be afraid to drive it

[oldskool49]

Ya when you build something like that you want to be able to pound the pavement and smoke the hides when and where you want without the worry. Got any pictures? I know that a PD and or a gasser is at the top of my list. But like what you have, both worlds combined. KOOL. Trying to sell my 64 so that I can pursue that dream.


 

[Greybeards Customs]

Okay here is the link you need  http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Semi-Elliptical-Straight-Axle-Kit-for-Chevy-Spindle,8982.html  This will take the guess work out of it . It may not be the absolute cheapest set-up but it will work well and they offer it for other type spindles also .

[frankc]

cool site there  really got the gears turnin  now     the cars packed into the storage barn  lol  im hopin for mid august to get it out  and start workin on it   it hasent seen the light of day for about  15 years