Projects Building a 57 Chevy Shop Truck

20's and snow, more snow tomorrow better get the springs off my snowblower boot.
Springs are all painted, dropped the rear ends off today and will get everything welded up Tuesday during our lunch.

 

I decided to try the street tires off the Henry J inside the wheelwells, I knew they wouldn't fit according to the tape measure but what the hell, let's shove them in.

Next I grabbed a Cragar with a short little 60 on it that measured 9.5 inches wide, the hole is 11.5 so I knew I'd have an inch on either side. These fit good width wise and gives me a good idea on where to go when I do decide on rims and tires, but definitely need way more sidewall.


Springs are ready to go in after I clean up the spring pockets on the chassis, probably clean those up tomorrow. I ordered 16 new rubber grease seal washers and cleaned up the rest of the stock shackle hardware to reuse, keep it's bones intact..ha ha

 

Any idea why only 1 end of the rear spring is reversed?

 

Maybe it won't fit in the spring pocket, I have no idea, I'm sure Posies would know ?

 

Everything is in which is great but the bad is I don't have any rims that fit the space. I thought my burnout wheels off the t-bucket would fit but the rim has to much backspace, so I need to find some stock ford truck rims, put a small wheel tub in the bedside or redrill my axles/drums.

 

I can see in your pics that the front of the spring would indeed hit the spring pocket if reversed, thanks for posting.

 

We all know how these projects go and this seems to be no different, yes it's getting way out of hand.
What started as just wanting to see the truck sitting there lowered with mags while it waits it's turn turned into a major project. I pulled the rear back out since I have no rims that will fit in the wheelwell but I did have some in a different bolt pattern, see where this is headed.
So after it was out I cleaned it all up disassembled it, replaced the seals, all new brake parts and ordered a jig to redrill the axles to a new pattern. Unfortunately the jig wouldn't work with the access hole for the retaining plate in the stock axles, so what's a guy to do other than order new Moser axles in the desired bolt pattern.
See how this thing is getting out of hand..lol

 

Lets hope your steering wheel fit's the column just fine.

 

All together and under the ol girl, first time in it's life to have a 5 lug rear and a ford one to boot. I don't have taller tires for the rear yet so I put the skinny front ones on for now to just get s feel for it.

 

You need a few more projects in that garage, Phil!

 

Bana Bana...Bana bana bana ba....
Say it out loud

 

Swapped some tires on rims to come up with this Cragar package and cleaned up the old rusty chrome reverse up front, I think this will do while it waits it's turn. The spiders were up front just like they were in the back so we burnt them up like before, then I put the impala wheel on loosely to get an idea on how that's going to be, I like it.

 

Going to be nice Phil..cragars look great

 

Thanks Jeff, these are 15x8's but only a 2 inch backspace so they look wider than they are, kinda neat.

 

Taking a break from other frustrations I decided to put the front lowering springs in to get the full lowering effect.
Once again everything came apart fairly easy, with the spring eye pins unscrewing by hand, which I just find amazing. Once the spring was out



I got a little caught up in the cleaning under there. I told myself I was only here to put the new springs in, so let's keep it to spring attachment points.



Everything painted up and dry it was time to put the spring in which was straight forward and easy. Now bolting it up to the axle was a totally different situation, I couldn't get the center pin to seat in the hole, no matter how much prying and cussing. I decided I would try to squeeze it in with the U-bolts, what the heck those don't want to clear the spring and of course chewed up the fresh paint.
I spread the U-bolts a bit but couldn't get them in the axle holes, I'm starting to question myself being worn out from the days activities, so out they came again.
I lined up the new to the old and it's not even close on width, what the hell !



Next day I make a call and they apologize and send out new ones, so I'm at a stand still until they arrive.

 

You know the old saying "idle hands are the devil's workshop" so let's pull the whole freaking axle out and clean that up too, so much for only cleaning the attachment points. Once again nuts came loose and brake lines had fluid still in them, so not to bad other than manhandling it out from under the truck.



Next day I took a wire brush by hand and started knocking the 62 yr old crud loose.



Today I broke out the power tools and went through 4-5 wire wheels and cups, not something you should do in shorts, those pieces of wire really stick in ya.



Tomorrow I'll try and get into the nooks and crannies I couldn't reach, really don't want to disassemble the axle but you remember the first part of this update and how this stuff gets out of hand..ha ha ha

 

Clean enough for Rustoleum and a brush, for a fleeting second I thought about clearing it the way it is but the bucket and brush prevailed. Sweated my ass off today getting it all in primer and a first coat of black, tomorrow after doctor's appointments I'll hang the other spring and put another coat on the axle, hopefully by Wednesday back under the truck.

 

Shiny black



And back under the truck, couple days later than I thought, but it's back on 4 wheels

 

I'm digging it, probably drop another inch with the addition of fluids a battery and a radiator up front but I'm not looking for super low with this one.
What really impresses me is the ease of movement the front suspension has now, this thing should ride pretty nice.[

 

Damn . I need a kick in the pants from you to get myself going

 

Kidney approved

 

I put the same Posies springs on my 57 recently, love em!
Last week the front sway bar went in which eliminated all the body roll. Handles better than ever.

 

I plan on adding that as well, maybe a rear one too, two should make it twice as nice.

 

Phil..lets get that 307 fired and and cruise

 

Ha, ha, it's a long ways off from that, I think that motor would fall right out the way it's just sitting in there. Speaking of which that's probably the next step, getting the motor / trans mounts trimmed and set into place.

 

I just read through, nice looking truck! I really like the stance and the wheels fill up their corners really nicely. What are you using for shocks?

 

OK now; you've managed to get "one of our Washington State trucks", and in return, I'd like the sweet young thing in your avatar; I thinks that's only fair. My younger brother had a 56 Chevrolet 3/4 ton, with the big back window, and the super economy sized, loooong bed. After he tossed a rod in the 265, we swapped in a 60's 283 we rebuilt, and reused the 56 Power Pack heads he'd just had re-done before it tossed the rod (no damage to the heads). Kept it a two barrel, but used an adapter to mount a Holley two barrel, added a pair of Hedman headers, and had an exhaust shop do the full length exhaust system. They used the longest glass pack mufflers they could find, and ran the exhaust to the rear bumper. To this day, I have't heard a better sounding exhaust on anything, let alone a truck. I gave my brother one of my Muncie 4 speeds, he had the front I-beam rebuilt at a truck shop in Port Angeles, Wa, where he lives. He had that truck for 30 years before he gave it to his BIL, and bought a new diesel Dodge 1 ton truck. After the BIL wrecked the truck, I got my 4 speed back, and gave it to a neighborhood kid to get his early 60's Chevy II on the road; made his day! Anyway, love those 55-59 Chevrolet trucks. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

I plan on getting Bilsteins for the front from Posie, the rear I'm still up in the air about since I want to tow my car trailer with this thing.
I have a friend with a 56 Ford that has a small airbag that fits between the spring and the frame, he uses it when towing his camping trailer.
When I welded the new shock brackets on the rear I did push them outboard a bit to take some of the factory angle out, but of course that makes the shock shorter, so the rear is up in the air for now.
Here's what that airbag helper looked like

 

And a cool thing I noticed was the Deluxe heater control in the dash

Ya, there are many other cool things, but I beat to a different drum.

 

Another one of the reasons I pulled the trigger on this one, uncut dash, deluxe heater and the speaker above the rearview mirror, all the little things.