Jaguar IFS swap onto 1953 Chevy Coupe w/ pics

Night one, removed my attempt at a gasser axle (for sale )
Quick Mockup of Jag front end.

 

Nothing really lined up. I had heard that two bolt holes line up, and while close, it doesn't really.

 

I need to do some fine tuning tomorrow night. I got it at the right wheel base and within 1/4" left to right. Getting it to sit with the correct caster will be a little more tricky. I'm hoping I can weld up a wedge to make it solid. We'll see.

 

the center diameter of the hub is larger than the old chevy wheel. and I sold the jag wheels already. smart huh?

 

these swaps are popular over here.

 

The hoses will need a little tweaking, and I might be able to use the factory u-joint with a 5/8 to 3/4 joint, intermediate shaft, and a 3/4 to 3/4.


Edit: If I move the engine 1/2" to the passenger side I can run a single shaft and add a bearing to the OEM column. I got a 3/4 48 spline to 3/4 u-joint and a solid 3/4" steel rod, fits ok to the stock column. Still need fine tuning, but.

 

Anyone else have pics of the steering shaft or how they mounted the crossmember in their swap? I'm open to ideas.

 

Looks good from here. I'm putting a Jag front in my truck too. They are beginning to catch on.

 

Some of the reasons why I'll be getting rid of my '76 XJ-S soon... Hard to find cool wheels that aren't damn expensive, or custom machined. And $350 plus for a remanufactured Lucas wiper motor.
You might also have difficulty getting the offset correct.

 

I have a XJ6 suspension under the front on my '57 Chevy Suburban with a Big Block Chevy in it, worked out very well. Previous owner did the swap and put Chevy rally wheels on it. I am not fond on the rear steer rack and pinion, but I can live with it.

 

Its not too much trouble to turn the center of the wheel. looks like it needs .060 or less to clear, and the 14 inch steel wheel might clear the caliper. I'll be looking for some 15's If anyone has any.

I've been gathering info for a front end swap for some time. This seemed like the best option for me.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=267899
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=75313
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=72871

 

is the stub that comes out of the box splined? might try a borgeson U-joint.

anybody know anything about pan clearance with the rack where it is? hard to tell but it looks like it may interfere. I have mine here with MII and no front sheetmetal so I went and took a look.

if you look at it from the front, how far down does the crossmember go below the frame?

I keep reading about this but have never seen it done.

 

I don't know if everyone has this problem, or if it's specific to my car, but the oil pan (350 chevy) looks like it's almost sitting on the rack. I think if I were going to keep it, I might "adjust" the pan slightly with a dead blow.

 

I used the complete Jag subframe in my Lincoln.

see post 13
http://www.nz-hotrod.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=4984

I have a 500 caddy in mine and modified the sump to clear the rack.

 

LMAO, really? Supremes fit fine and are cheap.

 

I’m in the process of installing a Jag ifs to my –47 Olds. I got the idea after reading Zman’s work on his –57 Buick. Nice work there Zman. First the Olds frame was too wide so I have to massage it a bit to get the jag unit to fit and second, mine came from a rhd car so I couldn’t use the stock rack but I think I can use one from a Saab 9000 who seams to be almost the same length and the pivot points at the right place too. Here’s a few pics.


The stock ifs.

 

Took a couple hours, but I turned the hubs. Wheels fit now. Any drum brake lathe can do it in about 10 minutes, once you have it apart.

 

always heard this was a good swap but nobody had picts of it on a chevy...thanks for the picts, can't wait to see more!

 

i used this on a 54 chevy 210, nice ride from it. some tips on this would be, channal into chassis so you can get a good weld all the way around and, you also get abit more lower but filling in the gap will work also.if you still are going to use the coil setup weld the top shock mount to the crossmember not the chassis,had the mount rip a chunk out of the chassis.the steering hoeses will need to be custom made,to fit a saginaw power steering pump,becuse the stock ones are metric on both ends but any bigrig parts place can make them.

 

I kept the pump from the Jag, I hope to find a way to make it work.

 

I did...



I made a new mount for it, there wasn't one for the Nailhead that would work. The pump itself is a GM piece so rebuild parts are cheap.

 

Just dropped a sbc into the chassis engineering mounts I had on w/ the stock front. Miles of room, I'll throw the exhaust on and take pics.

Edit, the 80s truck style manifold worked for both the stock front, and now the jag. but if I move the engine over I'll feel better. A little too tight, still in mock up.

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=486811&page=2

i have been loking into a jag ifs swap for my 50,the thread i did had some info that might help you,,thanks for posting some pics and info for your swap,good luck

 

I cut off the front rubber mounts and welded in a 2 x 4 .125 steel tube. I sectioned out, very slowly, part of the cross member on either side, welded it in and am using the factory holes to bolt in the front. at the rear mount, I'm making a filler piece an drill a new hole in the crossmember. only 1 3/8" size bolt held the rubber mount on the rear and a very large rubber mount up front. I think 6 bolts each side will hold it. Now to slide the motor over to clear the steering.

 

speedway sells a u joint that will spline onto that....

 

I ended up with a USA made U-joint, a USA made Intermediate, and a borgeson usa made double d to finish it off.

 

I put one under my 49 F-1. They fit like a glove. I chose to soft mount mine with the original mounts since the stock mounts fall under the 48-52 F-1 frame (32" outside rail to outside rail) If you soft mount, grab the original Z joint from the donor. It helps isolate soft mounted movement of the IFS. With the sbc, I used the angled back rams horn since it provides more space at the steering shaft/universal.

 

EDIT* less than 4" below the frame across the front EDIT*
plenty of pan clearance though. I need to make a nicer looking support for the intermediate shaft. 2.5 turns lock to lock. I might even feel comfortable driving like an idiot now.

So far, I'm -50 on the jag front end, +150 for u-joints, , and the donor suburban is about to give up the 350/700r4. If I can sell the shell, I might break even-ish on this project. Someday I'll learn to leave well enough alone. )

 

Suburban shell is gone, so far I have spent +$500 (but I took a 6hp 60 gallon compressor on trade) so I'm about at $0. By my calculations, that is cheaper than a corvair front, rebuilt, with a different rack, and disc brake kit, and modified steering arms.

Got the engine and trans cleaned up, painted and am making a drop out center section in the OEM trans crossmember, so it is easier to adjust angle for the future If I bagged the rear. I think I'm going to drop the motor down so the 700r4 isn't almost rubbing the floor.

Plumbing the brakes, I ended up using the suburban combination valve. We'll see if it works better than just an adjustable prop valve in the rear line. I put on new brake lines throughout, even though the others are only 3 years old.

I was never impressed with my old setup. Malibu discs and rotors, vette master, s10 drum rear.
Stopped fine, no problems. Just not as quick as I'd like. I'm only getting 3-4 hours on saturdays to work on it, so I have way more time to think about what I want to do, than time to do it.

 

Quote: "I was never impressed with my old setup. Malibu discs and rotors, vette master, s10 drum rear.
Stopped fine, no problems. Just not as quick as I'd like."


I thought Vette's had 4 wheel disc brakes (except for the very early ones) so wouldn't that have been the wrong master to use with your rear drums? Which might also explain why they "didn't stop as quick as I'd like".

I have S10 discs, G-body calipers, and a drum '68 Camaro 10 bolt ... I am using an S10/Blazer master and booster and it works fantastic.