Hot Rods Somebody school me on tri five transverse setup

Hey guys I just acquired my first 55 Chevy that I ever owned at 13. I tracked it down and bought it back. I have my other one about where I want it at, I race it with the southeast gassers. I want to build this new/old one more mild and make it streetable. I have a 60s GM aluminum block 302 motor, magnesium wheels, 12 bolt, and a slew of other cool parts. I built everything from the firewall forward on my other one with parallel leads, but I love the look of the transverse spring setups. This car will be a black 150 with magnesium wheels so I thought a chrome transverse spring and axle would really set it off. I've never done one so I kinda want to get it straight in my head. Maybe pics? Anyone want to school me on what the cool setup is? Thanks. I'll post a pic of my current 55 that I built, we are about to letter it up next weekend.

 

28-48 Fords had transverse springs. They allow to much body roll for a 55 in my opinion

 

They are simple set ups.
A little difficult to forget everything you know and wrap your head around the spring being mounted with preload tension.

What ride height are you after?
What's the track width?

Here's a 4" drop axle, you might want one that's straight if you want taller stance. You can always add a thru frame sway bar if the body roll is too loose.

 

Epic paint.

 

I'm trying to read the name of the one in your avatar; Bad JuJu? Don't "overletter" the green, laced one; it's NICE just the way it is! In need of a cross ram? I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

Look up a '55 Chevy called Tabasco....April '67 issue of Hot Rod....one my favorites...had a chromed transverse leaf setup...

 

I started building my 57 to SEG rules, just chopped the frame up to steering box using stock steering to a arm on top of spindle , will have a deadperch , I used 48 axle ," A" bones and 48 spindles where car sits now crank centerline is about 22"

 

Trying to get my head around what 60's GM aluminum 302 block you have.
If it turns out like the other car, you have a winner!
Awesome paint, wheels, radius, headers, scoop, stance and attitude. The short list.

 

The weld em up people make a really nice torsion sway bar that would help control body roll.

 

Is there an advantage to traverse vs. parallel leaf?

Sent from my LG-TP450 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Welder series. Alliance venders too.
Very nice folks and very nice stuff.
Here's their sway bar kit in rear application , I took some creative license with it.
A crafty fella could put it anywhere since it's a cut to fit design.

 

Here is one Jimmy Shine built.

 

Damn East Coast guys!
Dude, you beat me, I was about to ask the same question.

 

Transverse leaf springs were mainly used by Ford up to 1948. Their sole advantage is cheapness, nothing else. In effect he got 2 springs for the price of 1 which adds up when you are building a million cars. In every other way they are inferior to a 2 spring setup which is inferior to IFS.

They were used on gassers because they were cheap, available, they got the front end up in the air and were a little lighter than stock IFS if they were made for the purpose.

You would be better off the keep the stock front end and raise it. Even better, keep the stock front end and don't raise it. The only reason for raising a car in the sixties, was to get more weight transfer onto the rear tires. This was because the best drag slicks back then weren't very good, today we have tires that grip and drag cars are not raised up the way they used to. A raised car can get pretty squirrely at high speed and as speeds rose, too many raised cars were crashing.

I am thinking about a fast car, with a primitive front end design, wonky steering, that has been jacked up, and has no front brakes, with a trap speed of 100+. In a car like that the question is not whether you are going to have a disastrous crash but when.

 

Wow,you did get some info,some good some off an also some that don't know how Transverse leaf springs even work. So they just repete stuff they hear about how bad they are!
A few things that are good but often over looked or they just don't know;
When wishbones are slpit=they became a swaybar,so you now have limited roll.
Another is lbs is less over IFS/good for racing.
Most other facts I could list will likely piss off some that don't knowcrap but think they do,bottom line is Transverse leaf springs set up right,work very very well.

 

Are you on the right message board?

 

Dana Barlow is correct, they work great when set up right . I got in a big spitting contest on the tri five site over this . People who don't understand the radius rods and their relation ship to the front end when split are certain the cars will roll over on every corner. Here is the deal ,a tri five chevy with a properly set up tranverse spring will not roll any more than a stock suspended one with no added sway bar.
I contacted several people who own ,race ,and drive these the street and they all just laugh .
If you think its difficult to convince people of that try to tell someone that has ladder bars in the rear that he is wasting his money on a sway bar. Good luck on the build ,make sure you come back and let everyone know that it drives just fine.

 

Thanks guys for the replies, I really love the look of the transverse setups and I wanted my new/old car to be different from my green one. I heard a lot of the same with the axle setup I have now with parallel leafs about the driving bad, but I've had my green car close to 140mph and it's on rails. I've built a bunch of the same setup as mine for guys on parallels and they drive very nice. I also want to do a transverse just to learn about them.

 

Thanks man, the aluminum motor I have is one that I've never seen before. Its an aluminum block, 4 bolt main, 4" bore, large journal, 2 piece rear main, steel sleeves. Its identical to any cast large journal small block, except aluminum. Has GM casting number in regular spot, but it starts with 0 which I have been told was common on experimental stuff. I've had a lot of guys look at it and none have ever seen one. It also has aluminum heads with the winters "snowflake" on them, which I've only seen on factory big block heads, never small block. It also has factory GM magnesium valve covers. They look like Z28/LT1 covers only magnesium. I got it from an old guy that had some ZL1 stuff, he said he bought it at a swap meet around 35 years ago.

 

That's a seriously rare piece. Unobtanium. Must be worth a LOT, Leno might want it.

 

Hell, I want it, but I already have an alloy motor.
Any cast-in dates, block, heads, anywhere, please lord make it HAMB kosher.
Man, this could be a whole nuther thread, hint, hint.

 

If you haven't seen this you might find it interesting.
Discusses early aluminum and magnesium GM blocks.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c1-and-c2-corvettes/2801916-magnesium-block.html

 

That issue has a how to article on installing a transverse setup

 

That aluminum block is dangerous, give it to me and I will properly dispose of it. LOL. Anyway, you a so lucky to have that block. I would like to see some pics please.

 

Here's a pic of my aluminum 302 I'm gonna put in it.

 

The valve covers are GM and magnesium.

 

May I have more please!
Definately gotta see more photos.
Coolant temp sender boss in head, first year for that was 1968 production in the 291 steel heads. Do the mag valve covers have rocker arm oil drippers cast in them?
Do the heads have the O.....casting number like the block number sequence starts?
Heard the experimental possibility about that.

 

Corvettes in the 80's had magnesium valve covers and were painted.

 

You are gathering up all of the right parts for this one. That aluminum 302 is unbelievable. I never knew that something like that was ever made. Your green 55 is top notch and I believe that this one will be even better. I am definitely following this thread

 

Very cool