Just finishing up a long, long, project to go on the road, I'm down to just installing the tailpipes, but noticed the springs are inside the frame and nowhere for the pipes to go. I looked close at the outer frame and there are no weld marks there or on the outer ends of the housing, looks like it came this way from the factory and not moved inboard. Don't know if it was six or nine passenger. Does anyone here have a '55 Chevy wagon like mine or knows if it came from the factory this way?
never heard of one made that way from the factory...maybe whoever did it, ground off the original welds, as if they wanted it to look nice? Pictures would help, of course
I did a few of those back in the 70's, by swapping the front hangers left to right and outside to inside. If you take pics, include how the rear shackles are mounted.
Quite possible, the car has lots of "back in the day" typical intications of that. converted from wagon to sedan delivery, multiple underlayers of old candy and flake paint. I like the mini-tub tire space but will have to be careful handling stabilty I guess. Going to get photos posted soon, have lots of shots of interest like in 1963 my brother putting a J-2 Olds in a '53 Sudebaker Starliner, thanks for the info!
not factory, cheap and easy way to gain more clearance for wider tires, just swap the frame hangers side to side. rear brackets were riveted on.
OP, to clarify... when you say your rear springs are 'inside the frame'. Do you mean the springs and their hangers are on the inboard perimeter side of the frame rails, or the leaf spring ends are actually mounted in the frame rails? If the leaf spring ends are actually contained in pockets made in the frame itself, then someone took the time to 'pocket the leaf springs' to get a bit more tire clearance - not a factory feature, but a prior owner mod. Leaf spring pocket mod kits are actually available for this somewhat popular mod, particularly for cars doing rear wheel mini-tubs. If the leaf spring hangers are on the inside perimeter of the frame, then I think that is another prior owner user mod. I'm only aware of the leaf springs being mounted on hangers on the outboard perimeter of the frame, from the factory. Scott/Gotta56forme
Problem solved,, did more exaiming of the situation this afternoon, where as the old welds were cleaned up so as not able to tell, when relocating the spring hangers to the inside found the welds there are far from "Factory" yes a previous owner moved them in. At the start of this didn't think (for handling purposses) the factory would do this, but was unsure maybe possible to accommodate nine passengers,, not the case. Thanks for the help, have picked up new exhaust pipes to go around conjested area.
Had a 57 Belair like that a while back. Did the tank get narrowed also? That modification will give you a little more room for full exhaust.
The tank and springs fill the exhaust exit area, had to take the pipes throught the arch in the frame over the springs. Was lucky two cheap 45 degree elbows (2 each side) did the job just right. There is lots of room for very large wheels and tires now but really need a shorten rear housing to go with the mini tub spring moving.
Just pick out a tire for the wheel well, order a pair of rear wheels with the proper back and front spacing, and skip the rear end narrowing. Include in the plan being able to get the wheel/tire off without unbolting the spring.
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