Thread: 57 bel air front suspension alot of Q's thanks

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stepdad has a 57 bel air that was heavily modified sometime before the 80s for racing use,

it is tubbed,

and 9" with rear leaves and coils and airbags combo,

front suspension is solid axle knuckle spindle steering with rear mounted steering box close to firewall

he needs/wants to go to IFS,

what can he do or should he do ?

i know of a '71 cutlass supreme right now for real cheap that we could take the IFS from and put under the '57, could this work somehow ?

and did '57 come with IFS originally with normal ball joints and control arms- instead of knuckles and spindles ??

or were these things originally solid beam front ??


and was steering originally rear or front style ?

where can i see info at on these things?

thanks for anything

55-6-7 all had the same basic frame, coils w control arms in the front, leafs in the back. This month's{oct} Super Chevy has an article on improving the handling in a 55, lots of pics you can see
what it looked like stock. Chevelle frame is most likely wider but it
might fit, ... money would be better spent on something that WILL fit. Agian SUPER CHEVY is a good source of pics and adds for stuff for these cars....just my 2 cents worth

Do you want to go back to stock or still have a modified chassis? Big question is what's your budget for the project? If you don't mind spending some cash there are some kewl possibilities out there. Also, what do you want to use the car for? That will be a determining factor also.

I am a new classic car owner. Drove to El Paso from Arkansas to buy a 57 Chevy Belair to get almost rust free car. First of many questions I expect is, how do I get rid of play in steering(have power steering) and auto trans. Thanks Dennis

Just my own opinion, but the basic original style 55-57 suspension makes a pretty good basis for a street driven car, and can be upgraded to just about any level a person would wish. The Tri-5s are about the most heavily supported classic cars on the market and the pieces are readily available. Unless your frame has been butchered beyond repair, I would say it is likely the most cost effective to go back to a stock or hi-bred configuration. I'm guessing from the way you asked the question about swapping the Cutlass pieces that you have never done a suspension swap. Such swaps need to be completely researched and well laid out to be successful. If you are not capable of doing the set-up and welding yourself you'll find that having it professionally done will be more expensive than just going back to stock pieces (even if you have to replace the frame). Good luck on your project and let us know what you come up with.