Projects 56 Chevy truck dropped axle

Hey guys. I haven’t been on in years. I’m building a 56 Chevy truck and I’m wanting to keep the dropped axle and leaf springs up front. I had the springs reworked at a local spring shop. I also bought Sids adjustable steering arm also have the heavy duty tie rod. I’m still looking for a stock column to use so I don’t have to do the power steering upgrade. I will add disc brakes up front. But everyone is telling me I’m nuts and I should take all that stuff out and throw it in the trash and use a camaro or mustang 2. They tell me it’s going to ride horrible and I’ll end up just wasting my money in the end. Please help with any info. Thank you

 

yep, will ride/steer like a old truck

 

I have a stock column w/wheel out of this. Should have kept it.

 

Have you driven a leaf spring solid axle truck before? If not I'd be looking around for someone who has one that can take you for a ride before you make up your mind.

 

I drove my 59 Chevy pickup with the stock suspension, steering and brakes (but a big block for power) last night, and it seemed to be fine.

maybe I'm used to it after 40 years? but really, it's not that bad.

 

It is an interesting, fun ride. I have the same thing in mine, had to put thick rubber between the leafs and frame to prevent metal on metal contact. I would never consider changing it though, it’s the nostalgia in me.


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I have not driven a solid axle truck before. It’s so hard to find someone with one. Everywhere you look its IFS or camaro. That’s part of the reason I want to keep the axle as well. Just to say yea it can be done. But I want to take my kids for rides cuz they like to go fast. So I’ll need it to ride good also lol. I heard the stock steering isn’t to bad

 

I had many of those early Chev/GMC pickups and never had a problem. There are exchange houses on the columns and a 57-59 is shorter so you can use a dished wheel. You must make sure the ends of the axle are not worn but they can be bushed by a truck shop that knows what it's doing.
My last 56 I used a flat Corvette steering wheel which is needed with no PS. Also 6" wide wheels with the center directly over the hub helps no wider. The stocks were 5" for a reason.
I would put Teflon between the spring leafs for a better ride, no squeaks that way.

 

My column is trash. I found a 58-59 column and I was going to use that and just use my 56 steering wheel. Would that work?

 

the steering wheel will sit a couple inches further away from you...which some guys did on purpose, so they'd be able to fit in the truck!

 

I agree with the comments by Jimmysix and Jim, that having a solid axle isn't a big deal, and the suggestions they made such as, tight suspension components, replace the separaters in the springs, new spring bushings, will give you a good, reliable combination.
I have had my solid axle truck since 1968, and I have no intention of changing from a solid axle. I am in the process pulling the 4x4 components out and putting a 55 axle back under the truck.
In order to mount a dished steering wheel, I replaced my 55 steering column with one from a 57. The only problem you will encounter, is that the angle of the column is different. and you will either have to modify the support on the dash, which is what I did, or slot the steering box mounts on the frame to allow you to mount the wheel in the correct position.
I have been pondering a couple of ideas regarding the steering. Years ago, I purchased the Corvette power steering actuator, and had planned to switch to that, but lately, I have been looking at the idea of going to something like a Unisteer. My point is, that there are options that will make a truck steer better.
Another thing that will improve the handling, would be to mount a sway bar. I have a heavy unit out of a 3/4 ton that I am considering for my truck.
Just remember all the rods that are running out there with solid axles, and nobody is pressuring them to change to IFS.
Build it the way you want it, and enjoy.
Bob

 

nothing wrong with a straight axle lots of good advice already given, when it comes to old chevys @squirrel on here will be your new best friend if you listen to him Tom

 

Is it highly recommended to add disc brakes up front or is the drums fine?

 

Disks are not nessesary, judgement is.

I have owned a 51 3100, 1st 55 GMC Hyramatic 100, a 2nd 55 3100 and my Ford F1 all with straight axles and drum brakes. As a matter of fact all of them used the original system.
They all did fine and were and are very fun rides.

One suggestion....
The dish wheel was a safety feature. If you use a later column that faces your face and chest you really need a dished wheel.
My F1 has the flat wheel but it's column angle is more up than than straight at me. The bottom line is. If the column angle changes a dished wheel may be the best bet.

Personally I would find the correct 56 stuff and be done with it.

 

I have disks right now, but with my replacement 55 axle, I will have drum brakes until I can make a disk conversion. I had drum brakes on it for all but the last 15 years, and I have no problem with either.
One reason I like disks better than drum, is that if they get soaked, (for instance, by running through a deep puddle of water), the drum brakes may not work. It happened to me once in a bad storm where there was some flooding. No problem with disks if they get wet. At least I have never had a situation where the disk brakes were adversely affected by getting them wet.
Bob

 

Ok so the 58-59 column with the 56 steering wheel is a no go? I thought they were just shorter, but sounds like the angle is different as well. It’s just so hard to decide. $350 for a disc brake kit, $350 for brake booster, new shocks, maybe new posie springs that’s $375. That’s over a $1,000. So that’s a hard choice

 

Nah, trash it all and go with a clip...............oh btw you can send all that old junk to me .

I love the way a straight axle rides (cars and trucks).....I've had a '64 Chevy panel and the coils are too soft. Old trucks are supposed to be just that, old trucks. As long as the drums are in good shape they're fine.

 

I had a 66 Suburban, and I loved the way it rode.....nice and cushy, not like my 59. But I've been driving the 59 for a long time, and I don't mind the ride.

Drum brakes are fine if you can drive without tailgating. Of course, I'm assuming the brakes are in good condition, etc. Maybe you need modern brakes? disk brakes on an old truck still won't make it stop like a new car.

 

An alternate perspective from having had a couple Task Force trucks. One a '57 with stock suspension and the current '55 one I drove stock a few years before swapping to IFS: Where do you think the saying, "Drives like a truck" came from? Straight axle, leaf sprung, non power steering with a huge steering wheel trucks is where.

My now OT avatar truck looked like I wanted but I frankly didn't enjoy driving it much. Was going to switch to disc brakes (I still have the kit) a dropped axle and Posie's Supersliders til I realized it would cost as much or more than switching to IFS.

 

That 57 Suburban I built with a Camaro front clip rode really nice...so I sold it, and kept my leaf spring 59 truck.

maybe I'm nuts.

 

I think I’m more confused now lol. Driving me nuts. It shouldn’t be like this lol. This should be fun to do not stressful. I’m lost

 

I've driven my truck with leaf springs well over 200K miles and while it did ride a bit rough it damned well didn't ride any rougher than my BMW 528I with 235 17 tires on it as that is the roughest riding little bastard I have ever owned. How a truck rides with leaf springs and a dropped axle is mostly in what you compare it to. If you are use to soft riding cars like Cad Devilles you probably won't like the ride.
Even on stock leaf springs taking the spring packs apart, dressing up the springs so they can slide on each and either putting in the teflon strips or greasing them between the leaves helps a ton as far as ride goes. Most guys that bitch about the ride of a leaf spring truck have only ridden in trucks with springs that are pretty well rusted together.
As far as Camaro subframe or any stub swap that is 80's hot rod cheap guyTechnology and obsolete for our purposes now. It works but you spend more time making things fit than you actually do installing the stub then you usually have to rebuild the suspension and brakes anyhow.
Industrial chassis sells a crossmember that uses Dodge Dakota pieces. The Crossmember seems a bit spendy but Steve builds seriously stout stuff and it is well thought out. The Dakota donors have rack and pinion and it is simple to go to larger brakes. I'm putting one under my 48 after a few false starts with other ideas.

 

yeah, it's confusing. And we can't tell you what you like.

 

My 38 truck has a Bell 6" drop axle axle,with 80's Camaro disc brakes,Camaro tilt steering column, a couple of leafs removed for a lower stance and softer ride , it rides real nice not like a bucking horse ,it had an original Mustang II steering rack mounted to the front cross member right below the radiator , drove and steered nice , 1" sway bar in the rear helps the handling , drove it on Oval race track several times 90+ MPH and hugged the turns nicely, couple years ago had a mishap got on it hard and rear lost traction truck got squirrel y and hit a curb hard flatten both front tires, RHS axle sheered the spring bolt and bent the steering rack, bought a cheap aftermarket rack and that did not last long ,now it binds when making sharp turns, A friend of mines has given me a brand new Mustang steering box and a used one that I'm going to install and redo the steering set up on the truck like the 4 X 4 trucks with front leaf , I could buy a better Quality rack and be done ,People will argue the rack wont work it did on mine? I bout the truck with steering set up that way and worked fine even in the rain? I have been told too "Oh if it was my truck I would have trashed the front suspension and put something modern like a Mustang II suspension , Camaro/ Nova clip or S-10" I like the look of a drop axle and its staying, if I want to go to a modern up grade then I would have start with a whole new chassis

 

I have driven lots of miles with straight axle both drum brakes and disc. Lots of miles with independent suspension, drum and disc. As long as everything is in good shape they all drive good and stop good. Yes, there are limitations with each. But it beats the alternative of not driving your hot rod!

 

After stalling myself on many projects, my advice is this:
Get it running and drive it first. Once you know the truck it will speak to you (not trying to be existential).
I went through a period of thinking I had to put a crown vic and 4.6 clip on my 58 f1 to make it a viable driver.
That thought was dumb. After tuning up the Yblock, I'm not changing a thing.
Folks drove these trucks all over creation in 58. There is a lot you can do with the stock suspension to make it feel decent.
It's a truck. Leave it as such and enjoy the feeling of masculinity that you'll evoke by living a slightly more difficult existence than the guy next to you in his new Ram. It's rewarding.

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Jeff,

I apologize- think I contacted you about my spare column a while ago and never followed through! I still have it if you are interested.

Thanks,

Bill

 

Hey Bill, no problem at all. What are you thinking you want for it. Any idea on shipping cost for it shipped to California. Thank you

 

Well do you want a Lexus or a truck?

All traditionally built vehicles ride and drive differently than modern vehicles. You either love 'em or hate 'em. In my mind and probably because of my love of what I grew up with if you ever once get someone behind the wheel of a car/truck built with obsolete technology (actually the Pinto or Camaro is now obsolete too) they will never ever want anything else ever again.

Guess I am an idealist. LOL

By the way I believe that you are on the right track with what you have told us about the truck

 

Build it, drive it, change it or improve it. That’s what this is all about, I like mine with the dropped stock setup. Now it doesn’t handle like an IFS, but it’s nothing to worry about.


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