Hey all. As the title implies, I'm putting a question out to the Hamb to ask whether you can get a set of forged uprights for a 1953/54 Chevy sedan? The reason I ask is because my engineer told me he wouldn't certify the welded ones that you can buy from various vendors. I have no doubt the majority of them are quality, but they aren't legal here in NSW. What would be great is a set of forged ones that look just like the original component, just lower. Do they exist?
Fatman used to do them, here's an old article Have you thought about having them x-rayed? NZHR did an article on similar tubular A-arms and they failed testing, poor weld penetration. Speedway has them as well, you'll also need dropped steering arms as well. Chassis Engineering apparently doesn't do them as I couldn't see anything in it's catalogue.
Do those spindles lower the front end at all? I read up on them but couldn't see any info on them having any drop to them. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
The photo mgtstumpy posted will Not lower your car. The pin boss on the up right needs to be the part modified. The Wizzard
Jasper just make up yourself a Spindle Kit like we used back in the day, two steel bars welded to the lower a arm to raise up the spindle lower bolt, DND
Thanks guys. I'm feeling like these uprights in question aren't easy to come by. I was hoping on at best coming across a set of those forged ones that Fatman made a short run of, but no dice. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Just going to give this a little bump. Still on the hunt for dropped uprights. What about early Corvette uprights? Is that an option? Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I believe the corvette is the same as a passenger car. Not dropped. I sold my 54 spindles to a Corvette restorer years ago when I put the welded dropped ones on my 54. That deal got me free dropped spindles.
Fatman still offers them. Though they're newly constructed, they're welded, so it would be a no-go. IIRC, Merc's are able to be flipped and swapped side for side for a drop w/o any welding. How much work would be involved to do this on the 53 (looks as though the upper and lower pin holes are different size and would have to be addressed)? If it were me, I would get the car signed off with stockers, then swap in the dropped uprights (welds metal finished smooth with filler before paint) and run them. If you get stopped and closely inspected, tell them the 2" drop is via coil springs. I'm sure most cops wouldn't know a stock upright from a dropped one standing on their head looking under the car.
The part you're actually referring to, is called "steering knuckles" by GM; the upright part, not the spindle. When I sold my 51 Bus Coupe, all the catalogs and literature I had, went with the car. I've always heard they were made with forged steel, not cast iron, and could be safely welded. But, I believe there are "lowered knuckles" made that are't welded. Maybe try the 49-54 forum guys over on ChevyTalk.Org. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
I feel like there would be a reasonable market for dropped uprights that look stock. I think a lot of people who like keeping things stock/traditional would find them appealing over the straight tube, welded jobs Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Hi Jasper6120.....Any cut and welded steering components are not acceptable under the ADR's and the cert engineer wont pass them....most of international dropped spindles wont pass X ray or engineers here in Australia.....most of them are cast steel and come out of China....dont mind if you want to terminate your self but you must think of the public that use the road as well....Insurance would be a problem if you had a wreck...only dropped spindals in Australia are made from billit ,,come with engineers cert and # and are $1000 a set......and are for Holden
I have no immediate desires to terminate myself or the validity of my comprehensive insurance. This is why I imagine there would be people all over the place that would happily fork out the beans for a solid set of dropped uprights that get the tick of approval in countries like ours. Those dropped Holden spindles would have no business going under an old Chevy I imagine. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
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