Thread: rear suspension change

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I bought this 51 chevy 1/2 ton pickup some before had hydo's on the rear going to take the old cylinders out and put in new shock got any good ideas on what size or brand?

Before you figure out the shocks you're going to need springs. That single leaf ain't gonna cut it when you take out that Rube Goldberg setup. Here's a good place to start to learn what some options are; http://www.classicperform.com/4754chevtrk.html

In my honest opinion ,I say all thats gatta go!! U need new leaf springs and new stock type shocks.Having said that ,I do not know if that mod to the suspention was for lowering or......? I would look at the link that was posted and figure out what fits your needs.Who ever built that there set up would be about the only one who would know what it needs or will fit on there.

To start, torch all that junk off. Then decide whether you want your truck at stock ride height, or lowered. It looks like the original spring mounts and shackles are there, so you should be able to bolt in a new set of leaf springs with the appropriate ride height to meet your plan. If you want to keep it at stock height for now, it should be as simple as a new set of leaf springs and shocks.

i agree thats a ugly mess, heavy rear axle in there,looks like 3/4 or 1 ton.
you could do like henry said or another way woulds be to fab a mount and use a rear coil shock setup . the spring will not hold much but will locate the axle.
just a thought. one couls also use a std rear auto coil in a mount and have a seperate shock, you still would need the leaf.

Boy, that's some nice work! The guy must work in a farm shop somewhere, that top cylinder mount would look at home on a rock picker!
The stock spring mounts look okay, find some leaf springs and shocks off a newer pickup or big car. Take some measurements and spend a day or so in your friendly neighbourhood boneyard.

What the heck is that adapter bolted to the brake drum/rear axle flange?

Originally Posted by Henry Rifle

What the heck is that adapter bolted to the brake drum/rear axle flange?

he must have had it hooked to a wood saw, or something and thats the reason he has all that spring on it to keep it from jumping up and down when the belt turned. just a thought.

Wow. All I can say is Wow.

Not dumping on your truck, because you didn't build this mess. But the guys are right, torch the whole mess off, get a decent rear axle assembly, add normal springs, and shocks, and you will be good to go.

Don't even think about trying to straighten out anything that is here. It is horrible and very unsafe. You were very smart in asking for help.


Don

thats for the wire rims i had on it,i still have a couple leaf springs left but i want it lowered for now going to change it later just want to get it rollin by aug. 1st for hot august nights been sanding it all down and replacing the wood bed

hey henry i 1st thought that was the flange for a hd full float axle but i dont know quite what it is now ?

Please forgive me if I am reading your response to the suggestions provided by the members incorrectly, but it seems to me that you are sort of going to let things as they are so you can "just get it rollin' by August." And it appears you are more concerned about the cosmetics of the bed wood than the engineering (or lack of it) in the suspension of this truck.

If that is the case, you are making a huge mistake. Let me put this in a way I would advise my best friend: This truck should never move one foot down the road until you remove all of the garbage the previous owner badly fabricated onto it. Period.

You see it all the time........"..I just want to get it on the road," but building a hot rod or custom is more than paint and stance. The important things are the parts you never see, like good suspension, steering, and brakes. If the rear suspension is this cobbled, what is the front like? He must have done some modifications there too.

I don't know you or your qualifications to rebuild a car like this, so once again, forgive me if I say something wrong. I suggest you get in impartial opinion on what the truck needs from some knowledgeable builder about what changes need done, and that you follow their advice. The truck looks pretty decent and solid, so it may just be a simple matter of getting that extemely weak single leaf out of there, having a spring shop fab up a new 5 -7 leaf spring set (very cheap to have done at a truck spring shop) putting some lowering blocks to get it down a couple of inches, and then adding some simple shock brackets to the axle and frame.

As for the front end, I would bet good money it is similarly modified. If they have done ANYTHING to it, that is even worse than the rear being screwed up, as the entire control of the truck depends on this being soundly built.

You came to this forum for advise, and sometimes people tell you what you don't want to hear. But there is a pool of very knowledgeable people who have tried to give you the best advise they can, all of them who have responded have pretty much laid it on the line. Your truck is in need of some major changes if it is to be a safe and dependable driver.

Not only will your life be in danger, but those of your loved ones riding with you and other drivers on the road. Hot August Nights will be there again next year, the question is..................will you?

I apologize for the frankness of my reply, but this truck needs to be corrected properly before you use it. If I offended you, sorry, but we are only trying to keep a tragedy from happening.

Don

Those single leaf "springs" arent really springs as we normally think of them. Assuming this truck was set up with hydraulics, then the only possible purpose for those "springs" is as a track locator. It's a cheapo way to keep the rear axle from shifting side to side. Pulling them off - along with all the associated hydro junk - makes it possible to put just about any kind of rear axle under the car. The simplest would be a set of new springs made for a '51 Chevy pickup. They can be stock or lowered, depending on your plan for the vehicle. However, it's excellent advice to look at the front end also. With the "workmanship" shown in those photos, it's hard to tell what's up front. Take a close look, because I'm guessing that the rear suspension isn't the only chassis problem.

I wouldn't drive that setup to the end of the driveway . . . no offense . . .

Can i stil use that rear axle with new leaf spings and shocks

Originally Posted by PLAYA4REAL

Can i stil use that rear axle with new leaf spings and shocks

Yes, but you will have to cut all that other spring mounting brackets off of the frame and axle.