[Zimmo]

If any of you are considering lowering the front of your '55-'59, I just installed a dropped axle in mine & I'm glad I did. I was really looking at going with a Camaro clip or Mustang II, but I ended up with just installing a 4" dropped axle instead. Here's the link...
my dropped axle install
Click on "View as Slideshow" & you can adjust the speed.

[madfrog]

i like tha look. i am probly gonna do the same set up on the front of my apache. same year, diff color. i am in the process of doin patch panel work. curious to what u did to the rear suspension if anythang. did the installation paperwork tell u how to adjust for the drag link clearance problems or did u just have to figure it out on your own. i am pretty mechanically inclined but this type of suspension work is new to me. buildin this truck for my daddy for fathers day so i gotta get cookin on it. thanks. if u want to answer, could u just send to my email, that is easier for me at jnlperkins@comcast.net. thanks, jay.

[Zimmo]

Hi, the entire job wasn't too bad. I've never done a axle swap before I did mine, so I was a newbie too. The most difficult part of the job was seperating the drag link from the pitman arm (the pitman arm is attached to the steering box). After I got that off, I just took the drag link & attached steering arm to a machine shop to have them seperated. As for instructions, their wasn't any. The guy that modified the axle just "told" me how to do it with email & a couple of phone calls. The reason I did the web page was to add some instructions to it.

About the easiest thing to do would be to remove the drag link & both steering arms & send them to Sid. He needs to modify all 3 pieces to make it all work together with his axle. The steering arm mod is for 2 reasons: it lowers the tie rod to go below the leaf springs side to side (it would hit the springs with the unmodified arms), & it allows the use of new style tie rod ends. The drag link mod is to prevent bump-steer. The idea is to keep the drag link parallel with the frame. The forward end now attaches to the steering arm from the bottom up, instead of the top down (like the original)
He has axle cores, so I just sent him my steering arms & bought one of his axles. In hindsight, I should have sent him the drag link as well. The drag link just needs to be twisted 180 deg, so if you have a torch & a vice, you could do that at home.

Before you get the steering kit & tie rods from Speedway (like I did), get the axle, drag link, & steering arms installed first. Measure the length from the steering arm tie rod eye-to-eye, then order it.

You will need to get caster shim blocks from Napa. They go between the springs & axle. This allows the axle to "tilt" back for more tie rod clearance.

Good luck!

Oh - the rear is planned for another day