I just bought a 40 Chevy that has an ifs subframe bolted under it. It’s not one I recognize and not sure these pics will be much help. Any one got any idea what this might be?
GM IFS #5328534 Looks to be OEM with upper and lower rebound rubbers matching original schematics? GM casting on upper control arm
...................I hope you are right, but the more I look at the pictures, the more it looks like a crack!
Well don’t I feel like an idiot. I wondered if it was original. But to be honest, it’s my first 40’s vehicle and had no clue it would’ve had ifs. Assumed it was a straight axle. Looks like I’ll be doing a MII swap. The steering blows. It’s got a late model steering column and not sure if the geometry of that install is all wrong or it’s just worn out 80 year old parts.
You are not that wrong....1940 Chevrolet Special and Master De Luxe got an "Independently Sprung Front Axle" .......and Master "85" got "Conventional Front Axle".....
Skin_dog1..........'Mum' is the word..... A surgical 'edit' of your post would be even better.... Ray
...that's orig. 40 Chev independent front susp,..not called knee action , knee action fronts were only available from 34 thru 38...
Think again and read the OP's 2nd comment on this thread. He's happily going to replace it with street rod parts. -Dave
They used knee action front ends up to 54 Up to 63 in the corvettes Different set up then yours but kneee action the sane
Sounds like all they did was cut OEM column shaft and graft a new column in if using original steering box which might be OK and only require adjustment? The only thing required when that column was swapped in was a universal joint connecting it to box output shaft and a seal on tube where it was cut. The column needs to be secured properly at toeboard and lower dash rail. Post some photos of column attaching points and universal joint. It could be poor workmanship or fabrication (DD shaft) that needs rectification apart from tube shock angle. You already have disc brakes. Don't overthink it, the OEM suspension including kingpins might be OK and still safe to use.
So the indipendant front suspension from 1938 is nothing at all like the indipendant front suspension in 1939 or did the name change and not much else Edit ;the earlier one looks like shit!
The suspension Chevrolet first used that was commonly referred to as 'Knee Action' also was known by it's designer's name ...DuBonnet. It was was a massive and ugly appendage and bears almost no resemblance to the photo above in post #22. Given that the DuBonnet was commonly called 'Knee Action', the marketing people most likely decided to capitalize on the name recognition and, as the ad copy above indicates, referred to as 'the improved knee action'......which it certainly was. However, it is arguable that any upper and lower A arm style suspension could be referred to as knee action. The design's main change was the substitution of ball joints for the pin and bushing pivots in the earlier designs. Ray
Tons of bolt-on kits that will fit this frame, all the same stuff that works for 49-54 cars will work here.
...I stand corrected,..looks like even the GM ad writers continued to refer to the front susp. as "knee action",...altho it really was coil spring,..here's what the true knee action fronts looked like,...
No u joint. That may be why the steering is so jerky. Imagine a slightly bent shaft rotating, getting right at one point then freeing up at another. Somehow I doubt that shaft is perfectly straight from the steering whee to the steering box.
If the same guy who installed the tube shock modified the steering, I'd be worried. Looks like part of a u-joint (welded!) at the fire wall. What is that?