Hey all,
I too have replaced the straight axle on my 56 Chevy PU with an independent front. I did it mostly because I was towing a boat and needed help from power steering in reverse. At the time, power steering kits for tri 5 Chevy PU were not available so I made my own. It proved to me that my geometry skills weren’t up to GMs level. So what I did was buy a cross member from Gibbons that allowed me to bolt on Mopar torsion bar suspension. I wanted adjustable ride height so I went with the Mopar instead of the Ford. Power steering, power disk brakes, taper roller bearings, adjustable ride height, easy install and good parts availability, not bad for 1 install. I have run this for about 14 years and just now I need to replace ball joints. Maybe if I had greased it regularly it would have lasted longer.
My point is if you have the desire to do something more custom then weld in that Nova sub. If you want something that bolts/welds in and comes with instructions, then consider a M2 kit or other prefab.
No matter what you do it will be cool. I don’t think I have ever seen a Chevy I didn’t like, especially if they start with a ‘5. My first ride was a ’53 and ever since then I have been a Chevy fan.
“Old Chevys never die, they just go faster” or in our world “Old Chevy Sixes Never Die”
Luis
