Thread: 55 Chevy straight axle

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Well, I'M gonna do it anyway. I posted a response a little while ago to a fellow in Hawaii, my post was about why not do it, to his question about a straight axle kit. To a man you guys said no, don't do it. All the responses were in favor of at least keeping a stock IFS, and or lowering it, or going all the way to an aftermarket IFS. So I went back to my old stomping grounds at Chevy Talk.com. I got all the support and advise I needed. To a man it was all positive. What works, what doesn't, and answers to my loads of questions. You guys could not or would not give me any first hand experiences of your own. Just, "the kid down the street built one and it handled like crap" , type stories. I needed more "proof" that a straight axle is bad, all I got from you guys was don't do it. I wanted reasons, from experiences, to real enginering. And I don't mean "money" engineering. So, just thought I'd let you guys know I'm gonna be at Chevy Talk. I'm 56_Gary there. See ya's.................

Well Gary, your having to do a "neener-neener" post speaks volumes..........................................about you!

But, if you follow through on the project, you WILL have proof.

I guess i did come off a little "neerer-neerer" as you put it. I was just trying convey my thoughts about how you guys are..........I can't think of a way to put it........one track minded, that the only way to do something is your way. Cookie cutter cars are not my way. And throw money at it to make it a cookie cutter car is not my way either. Yes it speaks volumes about me. A little more "inventive" maybe, or a little more "try to make an idea work", and less follow what everbody else does. It's to bad my one experience here has turned out.....um, not well. I like to think I'm a bit more of a free thinker. See ya's...............

Just out of curiosity I went over to the chevy talk site. The way I read the replys, many pointed out the same problems with a straight axel that were posted here. The big difference was instead of trying to talk you into a well handeling car they encouraged you to go foward with it based on the LOOKS of the car, not it's drivability.

From the pictures of the straight axel tri-5s posted the term cookie cutter seems to apply to your project as well, (looks to me like you will be copying someones elses work too).

You asked for an opinions here and got them, sorry they were not what you wanted to hear.

Oh by the way.... as far as driving one of these cars, I have, for a while just before the butchered frame was replaced with a stock one and upgraded suspension so the owner COULD actually drive the car cross country.

You can put a van straight axle under your car and it will work fine. I built one and I have driven it at the drag strip in the 10's at 120 with no problems. I use the original 10 inch drum brakes. I had springs made at a local spring shop but only because I had limited room forward of the axle.I used a 66 Dodge A-100 but I am sure you could use an econoline or chevy light van Ibeam axle. I bought mine at a junkyard for 100.00. I had the guy at the yard torch off the frame mounts and got the shackles also. After I put it in I tightened down the original brake lines to the 65 Plymouth and bled the system. The brakes worked with the original rubber brake lines. I have driven the car on the freeway and in town. The brakes are a little grabby and I am not going rallying with it but that's not really my kind of thing anyway.

You can put a van straight axle under your car and it will work fine. I built one and I have driven it at the drag strip in the 10's at 120 with no problems. I use the original 10 inch drum brakes. I had springs made at a local spring shop but only because I had limited room forward of the axle.I used a 66 Dodge A-100 but I am sure you could use an econoline or chevy light van Ibeam axle. I bought mine at a junkyard for 100.00. I had the guy at the yard torch off the frame mounts and got the shackles also. After I put it in I tightened down the original brake lines to the 65 Plymouth and bled the system. The brakes worked with the original rubber brake lines. I have driven the car on the freeway and in town. The brakes are a little grabby and I am not going rallying with it but that's not really my kind of thing anyway.

Originally posted by Streets
I guess ya skipped over MY post where I said that ALL my rods had str8 axels and it takes some time getting use to driving with them, and that they DON'T handle as well as the IFS does.. IF all ya wanted to hear was, "Go ahead it will be fine", then why did ya bother to ask! and I truly hope that ya don't come back either..
Streets...

Your being down right ill tempered to a guy who just wanted advice on how much of a detriment if any a straight axle would be.

Hes right if he installs a straight axle at least his tri-5 wont be another cookie cutter hot rod. once again ive got to say REAL rods have straight axles. Street rods have after market IFS installed. Anyways you can get just as good a ride from a properly setup straight axle as you can an independant front end and you can get them as low or as high as youd ever want as well. By the way what looks better under a rod, some clunky complicated IFS or a nice simple straight axle?

Id apreciate it if ya didnt email me any more dirty little notes....Streets

We all like to get on our high horses don't we...

can't we just leave each other alone, build a bridge and get over it?

Rodding is about building an old car the way we want, whether that is a bellybutton, or somthing we consider individual. In most cases someone else has done it that way before anyway....

We can always find somthing to complain about, if someone doesn't want to hang out here, well that's their choice. If we think we've done somthing to prompt that, then deal with it, fix it and get over it. We don't need to complain and make it worse....

I count my self in this, so I'm not aiming it at anyone in particular....

Outback

you try to be helpful and tell a girl her guy is a loser and you lose a friend.

Bye Bye miss 55
Drive your Chevy to the levee and keep on going.

I bet if we told you to quit smoking you'd go find a website that says smokling is good.
later biatch

I have both styles of cars now. I first did a frame off build on a 55 Chevy that took 4 years to complete. Swore I would never sell it! I was going to build a straight axle gasser and unfortunetly let my friends talk me out of it. So I lowered it pro touring style. Put tube a-arms 4 wheel disc brakes air bags 18's in the rear and 17's in the front and it handled life a Corvette! I thought it was the bomb! Couldn't wait to take it to a car show. When I finally made it to its first car show and parked it I couldn't find it in the crowd. They all looked the same! I sold it 3 months later and started building what I really wanted a straight axle. Got all my parts from Speedway and I am glad to say my straight axle 56 Chevy is complete and I couldn't be happier! It doesn't handle as good as my lowered 55 did but Hell who cares? As long as it goes straight and stops on a dime with 9 cents change to me thats all that counts! So far a best time of 12 20,s in the 1/4 but I know she will make into the 11's. At 121 miles per hour she floats on a cloud no problem. And she turns twice as many heads and thumbs up as my lowered 55 did. At the car shows even in primer black (its permanent color) it always draws a crowd. People will walk past a $50,000 tangelo lowered magazine car and take a picture of mine! I love it! I still own a pro touring 61 biscaine its a great parts runner! LOL! I also just picked up a 2dr 55 wagon gasser, Fun Fun..Anyways build your car the way YOU want and don't let anyone talk you out of it! Straight axle cars are fun and if done right are just as safe as a cookie cutter. I heard someone say straight axle cars are cookie cutter cars too? Well all I know is that there are only a couple in my hood and mine is one of them, the other 999 are lowered belly buttons. There is another site ran by Walt who owns the original two lane blacktop car. Its called two lane black top home page. Its full of tri-five gasser lovers like us check it out 55 straight axle you will fit right in as we all think outside the box there. I am glad you decided to go straight axle you will be very happy! Oh by the way the Biscaine is for sale, gotta make room for the wagon.....
Just my 2 cents worth......

yo 55 straight
Everybody tried to talk me out of building my 57 with a glass tilt nose because" it will be a pain to keep from cracking, blah, blah. Well I did it anyway and seven years later it is fine and like 55 chevylover says when people see that front end tilted up they just gotta take a look. My next deal will be just what you are doing, and if done right will be fine. Do it your way cause you only have one dude to keep happy, the one in the mirror. Good luck

Originally posted by 55 straight ax
You guys could not or would not give me any first hand experiences of your own. Just, "the kid down the street built one and it handled like crap"

I posted a pic. of my panel truck (Str8 axle). I said it handled O.K. I think that's first hand experience since I drove that panel truck for 'bout 14 years.

Why so defensive? Iz' it sooooo nesesary to get approval to build your car the way you want? Apparently your looking for approval or you wouldn't have posted in the first place. When you ask for an opinion chances are you'll get one. No need to get defensive just because you don't agree with the opinions you get.

this is not aimed at anyone directly but here goes, a perosns hould build a car the way he or she wants it. whoc ares what anyone else thinks if it makes you happy do it!!!!!!. and besdies, gassers do kick major ass ............scooter

Originally posted by five-seven
yo 55 straight
Everybody tried to talk me out of building my 57 with a glass tilt nose because" it will be a pain to keep from cracking, blah, blah. Well I did it anyway and seven years later it is fine and like 55 chevylover says when people see that front end tilted up they just gotta take a look. My next deal will be just what you are doing, and if done right will be fine. Do it your way cause you only have one dude to keep happy, the one in the mirror. Good luck

Five-seven and gassers rule are right build what makes YOU happy and no one else (except maybe your wife),,,,, And gassers do rule absolutely no doubt about that!!!