Ok so today i went to F&F speed shop (Blains Farm & Fleet) to get 3'' lowering blocks. I tried to put the blocks in, and the are a little to big. The pin on the top is a little big so i will grind it down. I am keeping the stock rear end, and i am not butchering the frame. Will it have enough travel, and what did you guys use please help
The leafs on these cars are narrower than off the shelf lowering blocks. I built my own out of 1/4" flat bar. 3" is what i made em.
Ok so couple things the reason the lowering blocks are to big is that the springs and perches on the 54 and earlier chevys are narrower and the pin isn't centered like on 55 and up Chevys, as far as how low and clearance goes your fine with 3 inch blocks you loose clearance but you'll still have travel. I did 5 and a half inch blocks on my 52 without cutting anything granted I had little travel but it's doable! Hope it helps and post some pics. Ray
I just slammed a buddys 54 2DHT in my shop and used his sourced 4 inch blocks. Went in just fine and looks great. We used a set of Fatman droped uprights and Jamco springs up front. DO NOT grind down or grind off the alignment pin!!!!! You're only asking for major problems. Do a thread search on lowering 53 or 54 chevys and you will get a wealth of knowledge from other HAMBers who have already done what you're trying to do. And buying the right parts the first time will save you big in the long run! Good Luck! J
ok. I am gonna take the blocks to work after school, and i am going to machine pieces for them. Thank you guys for the help.
I bought 3" blocks from Chev's I think. I don't remember any offset, they were however narrow something like 1-3/4" wide. With the old wore out springs it lowered it 5" with 1 leaf removed. I did notch the frame and the ride is ok after installing new shocks.
you need more than the RIGHT blocks you also need u bolts . we sell every thing one needs to lower these chevys .new dropped leaf springs , blocks , square u bolts . dropped up rights and steering arms .
I also bought some "off the shelf" 3" lowering blocks for my '53. Here are the problems with that; 1) As already mentioned, the centering pin is a little too big. I tapped an impact socket over the pin and used my impact wrench to narrow the pin. That was no biggie. 2) The blocks are too wide for the leaf, and the U-bolts that come with the kit are WAAAAAY too wide for comfort. Furthermore, they are round-top whereas our application calls for square-top U-bolts. 3) The base plate holes on our stock leafs are too narrow to accommodate a wider U-bolt. 4) The lowering blocks are hollow, and the perches on our axles fit between the forward-most and rear-most walls of the blocks. I purchased narrower square-top U-bolts (x4) and two helper spring clamp kits that matched the new U-bolt width. The new U-bolts are a little wider than the stock U-bolts and fit rather closely to the sides of the block. The new bases are also just a little bit wider than stock. That took care of the bottom bracket problem. I used the forward-most stock base (the one with the shock mount attached) and drilled out the outside-most hole so the new U-bolts fit. This allows me to use the original shock mount in its original mounting position. It also reinforces the new base made from the helper spring clamp kit. The only issue remaining is the "hollow block" factor. If you tighten down on one U-bolt too far it will rock the axle back (or forward) and sink the perch down inside the block. Essentially you are teetering on just the center support of the lowering block, and I wouldn't put any faith in that. I'm going to need to fill the lowering block with... something. My first thought is to use lead. It's cheap, sturdy enough to form a solid base, melts at a low temp, and will actually prevent any metal-on-metal squeaking that could occur. I just need to source some lead. Second thought is to cut some good solid hardwood, maybe oak or the likes, to fit tightly into the blocks and then cut it off flush top and bottom. It would be inexpensive, less time-consuming, and would probably be just as effective. Any thoughts? Any other ideas are welcomed. I know, I know... it would be easier to just return the kit and get the right kit. Unfortunately, I've already "altered" this kit and bought the necessary brackets and whatnot, so returning anything really isn't an option at this point. I'm just going to need to figure out a way to make this work. I'm not trying to hijack your thread, but it seems like we're both having similar issues. I'm just a step or two further along than you are and I thought it might be a help to know what I've been doing to make it work.
Just get the right blocks it'll make your life a lot easier. I dropped my 53 with blocks and new springs and I'm very happy with it. ~ Carl
Make or have some blocks made with the right offset out of steel, then get the right narrow-square ubolts.
OK, your old bolts are going to be too narrow to fit around the sides of your off-the-shelf blocks. I learned that the hard way, too. The helper leaf binder kits come in two widths. I used the narrower of the two. O'Reilley's sells the square-top U-bolts individually for around $11 and change. Kinda steep, but they're not cheap garbage steel. The threads aren't cut half-assed and the zinc plating will keep them serviceable for a long time. I also bought a set of four square-tops, same size, from Pep Boys for $20 but the nuts seem to bind up halfway up the U-bolt. I snapped one before it even hit the plate. Pure garbage. I'm still working out the kinks with the axle perch not spanning the top of the block, so more on that tomorrow... or whenever I get it figured out. Our U-bolts (stock) are actually the equivalent of trailer axle U-bolts and can probably be gotten at Norther Tool or the likes. Again, use your old U-bolt to make sure it will go around the lowering block before you go sourcing new U-bolts in the stock width. I know mine didn't fit.
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