SUSPENSION UPGRADES

[Gobs]

Hi All,
I am new to the site as well as the Tri-five models so I need your feedback.

I just purchased a stock 55 Belair post car and plan to put an LS3 motor in it and upgrade the suspension and brakes to make a great cruiser. What do I really need to do to the suspension to make the car a great cruiser? The more I read about Art Morrison full frame suspensions and Jim Meyer front bolt on clips, the more confused I get. Do I really need to go this route?

Lorne

[Run-em]

You need to check out Chevynut's 56 Nomad. He builds Corvette suspended tri-five changeovers at his home in Colorado. Wish I had found out about his stuff before I started accumulating stuff for my Chevy in years past. It surely would have been easier, quicker, and probably less cash to have gone that way instead of purchasing a little at a time each month for ages.

[Rick_L]

There's almost as many ways to do this as there are members on this site. And the members will have about as many opinions.

To me there are 3 levels:

1. Stick with the stock frame, put dropped spindles and (if you want) an upgraded brake package on the spindles. Out back, new (lowered) springs, perhaps rear discs. Finish it off with big sway bars and good shocks front and rear. Many choices on components.

2. Do a frame clip like Chevynut's or Progressive on the front. Or Jim Meyer's bolt on suspension. At the rear C4 Corvette IRS or a 4 bar. No clip needed on the rear but many mods. Also consider an X member kit like AME sells (or Progressive).

3. A complete frame like AME, Roadster shop, or Jim Meyer.

Air bags are a possible choice on all 3, as are coilovers.

There's nothing "wrong" with any of them unless you mess up.

[chevynut]

I don't only sell C4 clips, I build complete C4 converted stock frames as well. Check out my picturetrail link and in the classifieds and other posts here.

Thanks for the mention, Run-em!

[Gobs]

Thanks for the input Rick.
I guess the real decision is how much $ I want to spend. I really like frames that ChevyNut makes. Since I'm really not familar with building suspensions my best bet would be to by one all complete frame and all.

I heard a lot of talk about bump steer if the suspension is not built correctly so I would prefer a knowlegeable person do mine. I will look at your classifieds Chevynut.

[chevynut]

Hi Gobs, please feel free to e-mail me at Lnobi53@yahoo.com or I can give you my phone number if you'd like to chat about a frame. We've built 30 projects so far, and have a couple lined up for the future but have some time to build another one. I believe we're the most flexible, and lowest cost C4 option out there. We also sell suspensions and frames, or do frame swaps on a core charge basis. We only do this in our spare time, as my son and I both have full-time jobs. Where are you located?

[jim '57]

Gobs there is another manufacture of custom frames that no one mentioned. Newmans Car Creations in central California was the first to comercially produce frames with c4 components.
He began converting c1 and c2 Vetts to c4. and then went to the 567 Chevy and then Chevy truck.
You can buy a new frame with mounting for the c4 stuff or a completed rolling chassis. He will also convert your frame to c4 also.
Some say his prices are too high, I say you get what you pay for.
Wait for it!
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[Gobs]

I see half of the chassis builders are using C4 suspension on their frames and the other half are using the AME style with dropped spindles in the fromt, coilovers, and 4 link rears.
Which would give a better ride or would both be about the same?

It also appears that most of the Chassis builders are in the west coast of the USA and I live in Ontario Canada so I will have a big freight bill regardless from who I purchase.

Lorne

[Run-em]

View the AME chassis ride on Youtube videos. Think the Vette suspended chassis would have better availability of parts via Chevy dealers and salvage/recyclers though. Chevy nut might be able to give you references as to prior clients and their impressions. On the freight bill, do a frame swap on exchange basis and vacation in Colorado one year--or would the border regulations be a problem? Do know, it would have been quicker to go C4 purchased ready to run (engine mounts, trans mount, rear suspension, yadda, yadda, yadda) than one part at a time as I have done.

[destroyertta]

dont know what a full frame would cost to ship but i had chevynut biuld me a front clip and rear setup and the shipping from colorado to new york was only like $250 from what i remember still doing the work so i havent had a chance to drive it yet but from what everyone says they handle great and chevynut does great work too good luck

[chevynut]

I shipped a completed frame to a customer in Maryland and one to the Toronto area. I think both were $900-1000 to ship. I may be able to do better than that, but not sure.

I sell a full converted frame for $5900 using your frame and C4 k-member. I sell suspensions for about $1000 apiece, depending on year, condition, etc., and sell 2-piece frames starting at $550. Once in a while I have a seamless frame available. I also can do front-only conversions, clips, or partial conversions that the owner can complete himself. I do a "basic" conversion like that for $4300, which includes all the construction necessary to bolt the C4 rearend and front suspension onto the frame in the proper location. The engine mounts, trans mounts, swaybar mounts, shock mounts, axle bumpers, etc. are left for the owner to install. Basically everything you need to do in a jig is completed for you.

I can do LS, BBC, or SBC engine mounts, and coilovers or regular shocks with the stock C4 spring.

Most new frames start around $10K...Newman's new frame is $9995 bare with no suspension, AME's is around $12500 but you get suspension parts with it. I think Roadster shop's frames are even higher than that. All of them are nice products, but I can deliver a full conversion with suspensions for under $8000 (on your frame), depending on what extra you want me to provide. We do custom tubular transmission crossmembers, AME-type crossmembers, and offer some parts.

My conversion gives a 3" front suspension drop and a 2" rear suspension drop. One of my customers in SW Utah says his 55 is the funnest car he's ever driven, and it "drives like a slot car". Another customer recently e-mailed me after installing one of my front clips and rear kit in his '57 and said:

"thought you would like to hear that your frame worked great. We drove it full speed today down the NJ Turnpike it feels like it is on rails, it doesn't feel like a large car at all it feels like a sportscar. It took a lot of experimentation to get the trans verse leaf springs both the front and back to work. I will send you some more pics of the car complete. Thanks for your help"



I can provide some references or pics via e-mail on request.

Here's an example of one finished car:

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL97/465705/1279938/397391684.jpg