I found a company that manufactures the springs custom to order. They drop them 1,2,or 3 inches and they are still a full set of springs and cheaper than CPP. I have found CPP to be pretty slack in the customer care tech department. I'm installing the 3 inch drop axle along with a 1 inch drop spring. That leaves me about 3 inches between the frame and the springs. I was afraid if I went any lower I'd be bottoming out. Hope it gives me the stance I'm looking for. I don't want to drop it to the ground, just an attitude to share with the tubbed rear. I'll let you know if I have any steering problems. I'm crossing my fingers.
Dave

dave - who is the company that makes the custom springs and how do i get in touch with them - phone? web site?
i am thinking about putting a front clip in from a chevy colorado 2WD. some very quick prelim measurements look like the front stread width may be close enough - maybe with a spacer. The frame of the colorado at about the '57 firewall area is almost the same size and width as the 57's frame - will need to find somebody with one and get under there and do some more exact measuring. it would be neat if the new frame rails just slide into the old and welded up --- i know, i know, dream on!

Rrumbler it has been a while since we heard from you.You have been busy and putting allot of thought into your project.Dave and Gator have been putting allot of work into their trucks.I have been on the surgical side tour that seems to never end.In 4 weeks they will have to fix the hole in my wifes bladder.She is holding up well and is not looking forward to more surgery but she is glad that they got all the cancer and no chemotherapy or radiation will be necessary.I will get back to major work on the 58 when all this is over.Dave on the brake cable I have a 67 chevy truck brake cable I plan to adapt to fit the 58.It will hook to the stock handle I just have to manufacture a bracket to mount it to the column support and a bracket to hold the other end so I can hook it to the stock splitter that pulls on the lines coming from the rearend.I can take some pictures of the existing stock set up for you if you want.I will be back in Ely tomorrow afternoon.Later in the week I will be drawing my design for the brackets to use the 67 cable.The stock set up has a rod and a bracket that a bare cable hooks to and goes around a pulley to the splitter.It would be so much cleaner to run a normal cable and eliminate that rod and bracket set up.I will post pictures of that set up when it is complete so you can make one for yourself.

progress report: i have started to patch my fenders up. so far i have made them all by hand and welded them with oxyacetylene torch welding. both fenders should be done in about 2-3 weeks ill try to get some pictures on here with the progress!

Hot Rod......
Here is the company I ordered my springs from.
http://www.eatonsprings.com/
They were very helpful. The only deal is that they make up the springs as they go so it takes a couple weeks to get them. Their phone number is on the web page.

DD..... I found some emergency cables at the lokar site. I'm not sure what hardware I'm gonna need to run them once they come together from the wheels. I'll be pickin your brain when I get there. I"m gonna get my new compressor tomorrow. Got the welder up and running today. Had a problem with the right ends on the power cords. Gonna start welding up holes this week. Really lookin forward to this new compressor.
Dave

aahh yes the luxuries of life

Wow! There's been ALOT of activity since I first posted here! Here are a few more pics of the truck. Its painted now but now I'm broke! I still need a new interior, steering column, and power brake setup with disc brakes up front. I will also be putting on red steelies and wide whitewalls. Oh yeah, still need wood for the bed! Hope to have it all tied together by April or May. Will keep yall posted as time goes by! later, J


BTW: Here's a quick couple of vids with my cheapo exhaust (just to make it legal). The cherry bombs were already on there when I bought the truck. I plan on a full re-do of the exhaust to make it "right"!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjGTJwHa5Mo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rLMgHq7cgQ

Attached Thumbnails

         

Ok update for me. Got my cab ready to pull. I went and bought all the pipe I need for my compressor. I sent this past weekend painting it yellow so it will look pretty on the wall . I did figure out the wiring I needed for my compressor and electric stove (powder coat oven) thanks to some electricians here in the garage forum. Hope to install the pipe this week after work. I'll post progress pics as we all like pics.....don't we.

Rrumbler had mentioned he didn't think any current PB set up worked with a stock clutch. If he is talking about a 55 2nd series truck, I know CPP sells one..it's in my truck that still has the granny four speed.

Gator....
I'm running air line for my compressor this week also. My brother is a pipe fitter up in KY and when I told him I was going to run PVC pipe for my air he had a fit. I don't have access to a thread cutter so black pipe would be a real hassle. I used the PVC in my old workshop and never had a problem with it. The pipe itself is rated 600 PSI but I'm not sure what the joints would rate. Any thoughts?

I started welding up the holes in my inner fender wells today. The idea my brother gave me seems to work real well. Cheap bolts the size of the hole. Tack weld it in place. Tack all the way around it and grind it off. I have found that tacking thin metal is better done with the volts cranked up a bit and use very small bursts. Long way to go getting all these holes filled.
Dave

Dave, I used black iron but I made sure I could use off the shelf lengths. I went to home depot and saw what they had in stock then cam back to the shop and designed my system. For the most part mine will all be on one wall. I am putting a tee in the line to run a line over to the other side at a later date.

As far as the firewall patching I haven't heard of doing it with bolts. Just be careful...I don't know if the cadmium plating is toxic. I know galvanized is when welded on. I am a sheet metal worker so I like making the patches. I do use copper on the back when I have a hard time with the patch or keep blowing thru due to really thin metal.

Maybe some of the "old timers" can jump in about the bolt patch....you might be onto something here

Later
James

I have heard about doing the "bolt patch", but if you are doing a high quality job you would have to grind on both sides. personaly what i would do is cut the patch for the holes and hold them in with magnets. this might be a little more work then putting a bolt though a hole and taking it in place but makin little patches would give you a more clean look. what every you do i hope the best and hope it turns out well. keep us posted! Mike

Mike,
I didn't have any trouble welding up the small holes, but the quarter inch holes are really tough without blowing it out. The larger holes I'm cutting patches for and holding in with a magnet to spot in. The holes I'm filling are in the wheel well and I am grinding off the inside. I'm only pushing the bolt in just enough to get it tacked. My fenders are undercoated on the inside so it will be really easy to patch the inside. I'll finish off the inside with primer. It seems like 1/4 inch hole is too small for a patch and too big to fill with weld without blowing through. I need to try the copper idea. Haven't tried that yet.
Thanks,
Dave

i just kinda skimmed through this post and it looks like there is quite a bit of info on here. i'm building a 57 chevy truck, you can take a look at it here: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2248966 i built this truck completely out of parts from junkyards and napa for fairly cheap. i think so far i have around $2,000 invested. i'm planning on finishing body work this summer, and airbaging it. as far as welding holes goes, when i welded the holes in my fenders were the emblems were i used a piece of copper on the back of the fender. not only does it let me weld a fairly large hole, but it also absorbs some of the heat, helping to keep the metal from blowing out. if you have any questions about my truck don't hesitate to ask.

i just kinda skimmed through this post and it looks like there is quite a bit of info on here. i'm building a 57 chevy truck, you can take a look at it here: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2248966 i built this truck completely out of parts from junkyards and napa for fairly cheap. i think so far i have around $2,000 invested. i'm planning on finishing body work this summer, and airbaging it. as far as welding holes goes, when i welded the holes in my fenders were the emblems were i used a piece of copper on the back of the fender. not only does it let me weld a fairly large hole, but it also absorbs some of the heat, helping to keep the metal from blowing out. if you have any questions about my truck don't hesitate to ask.

i just kinda skimmed through this post and it looks like there is quite a bit of info on here. i'm building a 57 chevy truck, you can take a look at it here: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2248966 i built this truck completely out of parts from junkyards and napa for fairly cheap. i think so far i have around $2,000 invested. i'm planning on finishing body work this summer, and airbaging it. as far as welding holes goes, when i welded the holes in my fenders were the emblems were i used a piece of copper on the back of the fender. not only does it let me weld a fairly large hole, but it also absorbs some of the heat, helping to keep the metal from blowing out. if you have any questions about my truck don't hesitate to ask