1940 chevy coupe question?

hey I thinking of lowering a 1940 chevy coupe with a straight axle up front, wouldn't a IFS front end from 1948 chevy bolt right in?

 

no, they dont un-bolt. get one from a 51-54

 

Thanks, I know several interchange, just a bit rusty on which ones.

 

48 chevy coupe ifs DOES unbolt from the frame..

I've unbolted one!

but isnt the 40 chassis narrower than the 46 - 48?

 

See thats what I thought, about them unbolting. There might be a rivet or two butt... I dont think the frames are too different, I know a ton of this shit interchanges, I have a book I just cant find it.

 

But that wouldn't be a straight axel !

 

no rivets on the 48 I had.. I used a chassis engineering mustangII crossmember (which BOLTED back into the place of the stock crossmember..

I know C/E makes the same for a 40 because i've installed one..

check chassis engineerings website.

 

correct me if I am wrong, but a 40 chevy coupe does not have a straight axle. I know mine doesn't and its all stock.

 

A 1940 CHEVY MASTER DELUXE IS IFS A MASTER 85 IS A STRAIGHT AXLE. OK we I guess I should reiterate. I want to lower the front end on the 40, but I want to keep it traditional, ( for lack of a better term) I guess what I want to know is less expensive ways to do it.

 

unless you come up with a FREE front suspension from a 46 - 48 and Unless you find out its a bolt in.. I dont think it will be cheaper (given the effort you'll invest)

but.. thats your call..

just a side note..

what do you plan to do with the stock
brakes?

 

I retrofitted a '48 IFS on a sedan delivery 35 years ago with a saginaw ps box. Made a steeering arm out of the old and new so it cross steered the same. Worked great! Upper control arms in good shape for that series IFS are getting hard to find. A guy might use a 49-54 upper control on a home brew mount and shock tower though. Could be done reasonably inexpensive.

That said I have a Heidts MII on my 31 year '40 chevy convert and it's fine...but they aren't as soft as the original front end - IMHO is all.

Charlie

 

The frames and wheelbase on Chevies arent a hell of a lot different from '37 through '54, in fact I know the master cylinder will physically interchange from like 40-54. I wouldn;t be surprised if the front end on a '40 is easily removed, be it bolted or riveted in.

And frankly I'd look at something like a '75-'85 Jaguar XJ6/XJ12 front end for it before I put in a 51-54 front end (bendix brakes), the difference is night and day. Most of the same rearends that fit 49-54 cars should also work in a '40-'48.

 

According to my 1946 Chevrolet parts book the front suspension crossmember is the same 40-46 (47,48 should be the same) but it lists different frame (and frame rail) part numbers for IFS and beam axle cars in 1940. Could just be that the frame is drilled differently for the different crossmembers from the factory but I would double check the shape of the bottom of the frame rail in this area first.

 

Take some arch out of the springs.

 

I have the complete IFS front suspension from my '40 Sedan sitting next to my shop. You can have it along with the rear end and torque tube if you want them. I bought a bolt in end front suspension from Jim Meter Racing.

 

The 40 chevy was the last year for the stright axles on the chevys. My dad had two 40 chevy coupes. One with a straight axle and with out a straight axle.