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dsb's chevy gasser build

75K views 787 replies 17 participants last post by  dsb 
#1 ·
Well, time for me to join the party. My first stint on here I was building a 1949 chevy styleline 2 door gasser. Ran into money problems and went back to HD choppers. Well, sold my bike and decided I was going to go another direction. I started with my running gear first since that is where most of the money is. So, without further ado, here we go!


For the motor- it is a mid 70's 350 bored .040. Camel hump heads with screw in studs, comp cams muthr thumpr, Edelbrock air gap intake, edelbrock carb, new pistons, polished crank etc...

Wheel Tire Motor vehicle Automotive tire Hood


Transmission is early 80's TH350 with 56000 miles on it. I put a B&M shift kit in and a new pan. Should be in good shape there.....

Automotive lighting Motor vehicle Automotive exterior Hood Gas


Motor vehicle Wood Gas Engineering Machine


Rear end is out of a 1997 Trans Am WS6 with 15x10 wheels on it.

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Front tires are morose drag skinnys

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continued next post....
 
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#39 ·
Yea, I found out quick that mapp gas was not gonna get me anywhere fast. I tried a homemade puller and got nowhere, so I will take them somewhere and have them pressed out. I do have to say that I am really disappointed in Speedway's instructions. I am glad I remembered a little bit on the last straight axle I put together on how it works. Also disappointed they left out the 2 washers and the castle nut for the end of the spindle. I mean, everything else is new right? Why skimp on 3 little parts, 4 if you count the cotter pin. The good news is that once I have those parts, I can finish assembling the front end and get ready to mount it to the frame.
 
#42 ·
OK. Got the whole front end put together. Went pretty easy once I got the right u bolts and the castle nuts. Luckily Speedway is just down in Nebraska, so my stuff gets here pretty quick. Yes, I used a closet rod to connect the tires since I forgot to order an arm. it works! Here is my dilemma, measuring between the holes where the springs mount is a nice even 24 inches. So I marked 12 inches, found the center of the axle and that was my center. So I measured up the frame, dropped a plumb bob lined it up and all looked good. Then I measured from the inside of the tire to the outside of the frame rail and it is off. Not by much as you can see, but still off. My question is this- which measurement should I trust?

Motor vehicle Automotive tire Wheel Wood Fender


Tire Wheel Automotive tire Motor vehicle Tread


Tire Wheel Automotive tire Motor vehicle Vehicle


Temperature Tape measure Tool Office ruler Measuring instrument


Ruler Tape measure Office ruler Wood Tool
 
#44 ·
I'm unsure what you're trying to accomplish Dave? Are you trying to locate the spring mounts and set the wheelbase? Or are you trying to get the axle centered left-right on the chassis? If you're trying to set up the wheelbase length I'm not sure I'd weld anything until you know for sure what body you'll be using. At this point everything I'd do would be tacked, as it might need to be adjusted once engine and trans are in, and the body is on.
Kingpin angles, pinion angles, shackle angles, wheelbase, etc. will all change slightly with the weight of a complete car and drivetrain added. Now is the time to set it up close, but not to get too permanent until the body and drivetrain are in it.
But if you're trying to set up the wheelbase length I'd simply put a pair of roller wheels on the axle and sit it under the chassis. Then measure the length from rear axle center to center on the front axle. Then before going further, check kingpin angle and get it close by stacking wood blocks, or box tube between the spring eyes and the frame. Once it's set, measure wheelbase length again to see if it changed. After that I measure up the blocks I put between the spring eyes and the frame and determine what size to build my mounts, and shackles to get the same again.
After all this the mounts can be tack welded to the frame, but nothing more until the rest of the weight is on it. Don't forget to measure corner to corner also to ensure it's all square to the chassis too. I usually use the kingpins in front for corner to corner checks, and the center of the spring pad in the rear.
 
#45 ·
Vall, I am trying to get wheelbase set and to locate where I will have to make spring pads. This axle is way different than the speedway one I had in that the springs are longer than the speedway springs in their kit. I will have to make some frame extensions for the front pads. The good thing is that 1949-1952 bodies all use the same front clip, I was using my notes from my first 49, so I remember doing all that the first time around. You are right, I was not going to do any finish welding until the motor and body are available.. Same with the rear axle. I am going to re-read your post as I learn better from pics not words, but I will get it.
 
#47 ·
Yikes! Extending the frame to make room for longer springs will get ugly pretty quickly, and also make for a weaker spring mount. The mounts will likely stick out past the body and that's not a good look, regardless of strength.
This can all be solved by just buying a pair of trailer springs and tossing those stock springs. You can reuse the same U bolts, and end up with your spring eyes well under the car's frame rails. The springs I bought cost a whopping $67 shipped for the pair off Ebay, and are 4 leaf, so I can remove leafs if I need to soften it up. They're rated 1500 lbs. which likely is a few hundred pounds too heavy. But a leaf removed will fix that easily.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Double-Eye...1863418069?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=
 
#48 ·
Glad you caught that before I got too far. I was questioning the length of those springs as I rolled the axle up under the frame. I may run down to my local shop here to see what they have. Or, better yet, I will work on the rear axle today and take a break from the front.
 
#49 ·
Doubt you'll find springs locally that are 1.75" wide, and short enough too. And then if they do have them the price will be triple. Everything I found locally was 3x the price of Ebay springs, or not available.
Kingpins should be 7 degrees back, but again, you can't set them permanently without the weight on them. And since a truck axle doesn't have the same weld on spring perches, it's not something you can adjust easily later.
But there is a solution to adjusting kingpin angle on these Chevy truck axles. Get it close, and once the car is done to the point of weight on it, re-check the kingpin angle and if it's not around 7 degrees (5-8 degrees) then you can purchase spring shims to adjust it to the correct angle. They sell them at Summit and other places in various angles, and they're pretty cheap. They're usually for 2" springs or wider, but they're aluminum and easily cut down to fit.
 
#50 ·
Hey Vall, I did find some locally at a mid-west chain called Northern tool and supply. They have a ton of springs and hardware in stock 37 bucks out the door for 27 inch 4 leaf 1500 lbs. I decided to wait, slow down and re-set myself. I am hurrying too much and not getting a plan together. So, I decided to at least get the rear axle set under the springs. I used landmark welds on the rear axle along with the fact that the factory brackets had the little round nub that goes into the bracket hole forward about 1.5 inches in front of the axle. The perches I bought from Speedway will work out perfect as the front hole will hold the button and then I can weld up pieces on the sides of the perch to hold the springs sideways and then mount a top plate with U bolts. I think it will work pretty slick. First time setting it on the axle, I was off by .25 of an inch. So a little grinding and I will be in action. Tacking it together so I can set pinion later. Pics to come later.
 
#52 ·
I wouldn't tack the spring perches now. I;d simply clamp the perches between the axle and the springs and snug down the U bolts. That will hold it, and once the rest is in place you can tack the perches, and then pull it out to permanently weld. Tacking now at the wrong angle wont accomplish anything, and will mean you have to redo it by cutting the tacks later.
 
#56 ·
OK guys, sorry I am so full of questions, but here is another one. I am not liking the drop on my 1950 chevy truck. I spotted this on Speedway-

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Speedway-1949-54-Chevy-Car-50-In-Plain-Steel-Straight-Axle-Univ,370155.html

It is in their garage sale section. Will my 1950 kingpins fit on here or am I missing something? I just want to take the kingpins off, put them on that axle and buy Vall's leaf springs off ebay. I am hoping that the car does not look too street freakish, but maybe that is OK too.
 
#57 ·
I'd encourage you to stay with the dropped truck axle myself. It might not be street freak high, but it will be super strong, and with the right mounts it will be as high as you'll ever want. One can also use a spacer block of a couple inches between the springs and the axle, along with longer U bolts, and really get it up in the air. That could be done later if you get the body and drivetrain done and it still needs a little more lift.
Ohio George ran 3" or 4" spacers on his '33 Willys and was running 140 mph 1/4 mile runs. It is safe to use them.
Besides stronger, the I beam is old school and looks so cool with some holes drilled in it to "lighten" it.

Here's Gene Schwartz's '51 Chevy that has that same axle in it.

 
#61 ·
As Lash mentioned, it's how the blocks are built, and how tall they are. Even up to 4" is OK, but I prefer 3" max. And the blocks need to have a pin in one side, and hole in the other so they still locate the axle and spring when installed. There are companies making lowering blocks that aren't expensive, and can be used to raise when the springs are above the axle. Just need longer U bolts to use them.
 
#62 ·
Not much progress. I spent all last week learning how to use Solidworks. So as I get better with the program, I can do some CAD work for you guys. Then I drove over to Bismarck ND to meet my biological mom! I had been looking for her for years and we met through Ancestry.com with a DNA match. It was a good weekend. Oh yea, I found a 1951 Chevy Bel Air car for my body. Rusty? yup, but not too bad. Pics coming....
 
#64 ·
Happy for you Dave. Must have been exciting to meet bio mom. Glad you found something car wise. If the price is right then rust is ok.
 
#68 ·
my 2 cents is I love the stance on the dark color one. But the front axle is just a little too narrow for me. Red one is too wide. Somewhere in between would be perfect for me.
just my opinion.
 
#69 ·
Yea, that dark one has the stance I am going for. It has to be high since I have 15 x 10 mickey thompson Sportsman tires back there. My axle should put the tires exactly where they need to be. I hope!
 
#70 ·
Hey Dave, are you close to French lake auto parts? They have a lot of old stuff.
 
#71 ·
Not real close, but close enough you can do a day trip there. I tried to contact them looking for a body, but they never answered. Maybe I will just take a drive up there and look around.
 
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