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'53 P/u and which suspension?

2K views 15 replies 10 participants last post by  joe123 
#1 ·
This question is asked over and over on every website I go to but I can't seem to find the right answer. I have been looking around for the past few weeks everyday so I figured I'd just see what the experts have to say about it. This sit has a ton of great info on almost everything.

Ive heard that you cant keep the original inline six in the truck if you use a TCI IFS because the cross member will hit the oil pan. I would probably like to go with a 350. However I keep hearing different stuff about which frame I should use. I thought about the s10 but I think it sits a little higher than I would like. I thought about the Mustang II ifs. I also want the front and the rear to sit level or have the rear end just a tad higher but nothing insane. Ive heard stories about people getting the front to low and than they are screwed. People also say go with either the camaro or nova clip. Please be very detailed about this because this will be my first extensive project. Sorry to be repetitive. Thanks in advance.
 
#2 ·
i use the camaro/nova clips a lot. i do not care for mll. i also use the s10 front frame section to graft to the frame. on my 46 ford the s10 slides into the ford frame in the middle of the door. mates up really good. here is the last camaro clip i did. this truck rides great. and no the tires do not hit :D the black truck needed some lowering blocks in the rear but i left that up to the owner.
 

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#3 ·
Around here the Nova/Camaro clips are getting tough to get so L am looking more toward the S-10 because they are readily available. Tip if you have not done this before is to block the chassis at ride height and take the springs and shocks out of the clip so you can adjust the height easily..then slide the pieces together so you can see where and how much you need to trim to get it all to fit together..and check you alignment before you weld as I have seen some of these swaps "dog walk" because the guy did not measure 3-4 times and weld once..

Strike a center line of the vehicle on the garage floor and then the centerlines of the axles where they go..so you have reference points to work from..I spend a substantial amount of time on my setup so the chassis comes out "right" and very close to finished ride height..That way I can get some better handling and driving..The casual observer will never see that work but the driver will sure like it..

Sam
 
#5 ·
JonBlair said:
Ive heard that you cant keep the original inline six in the truck if you use a TCI IFS because the cross member will hit the oil pan.

. Sorry to be repetitive. Thanks in advance.
I would contact TCI directly. They should know if their front end will fit with the origianl I6.
If they don't, then I think I would contact some other manufacturer. :rolleyes:
 
#7 · (Edited)
This is a 58 Chevy truck I did with a nova. :thumbup:and a 57 Chevy car I did with the camaro. :thumbup:The nova is 1.5'' narrower then the camaro.hub to hub. :thumbup:This is how the 57 sat when done. :thumbup:
 

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#11 ·
This is how I lowered the 58 chevy I did.Put the rear end on top of the springs,c-notch the frame.Then you can put what ever size block's between the rear end and spring. :thumbup: Didn't have to use block's on this one,It was low enough. :thumbup:
 

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#15 ·
JonBlair said:
http://streetrodengineering.com/

Has anyone on here used this guy before on an advanced design pickup? On this site I really like the stance of the truck but I want to know if its a dependable setup. It shows to have a hub-to-hub kit for about $1700 which is reasonable.

i've used a couple (47 plymouth and a 50 dodge).
there will not be a 3rd...

btw, if you think you can handle it (i don't mean this as an insult), a 79-87 G body clip fits nice but as always, the steering box gets in the way....
 
#16 ·


I had the same problem a while back. The post is mostly garble goo but it does have some info... I ended up going with a 1979 camaro front clip with all new Moog parts for about $500 less rotors and pads. I haven’t driven the truck yet but I'm very happy with the way it has turned out so far. If my frame was good I might have considered a MII but it would have cost a lot more and I don’t think I would have learned nearly as much. That said if you can afford it an MII it would save 10’s of hours of not as fun work (cleaning, removing rust, more cleaning etc), it is a lot of work to rebuild an old camaro clip and then have to rebuild the fender support, rad supports and front frame horns. But it looks cool and I really enjoy being able to step back and say hey look at that.
 
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