You may recall from the "Rizzo" days my '55 Chevy Stepside--the same one I said would retain its dual parallel leaf system for its daily driver duties. Well, age and distance have taken their toll (I've since moved quite further from work, and the age thing, well...) and the old truck and its pilot just ain't what they used to be. At the 2001 SEMA Show, I dropped by the Total Cost Involved booth and struck up a conversation about their four-link kit for airbag applications. Thinking I might as well bring the underpinnings of the pickup closer to today's standards, I became sold on their application, but that only solved half my problem. Looking at me like I had just fallen off the proverbial veggie truck (an effect I've been known to have on many), the folks from TCI "suggested" their IFS as the obvious companion. Fine. So the sometimes-difficult task of choosing appropriate components was handled--now I just had to get everything installed.
Despite a normally hectic schedule, TCI worked out a few days to do the rear suspension on the '55. Being that the four-link is a relatively easy job, it was a definite drive-in/drive-out type of deal. As for the frontend (which you'll have to wait till next month to see the results), I thought it best to give TCI a little break, opting to have Temecula Rods & Customs wrap things up. And since the IFS is not a bolt-in, it took a little more time, but once they had finished with the last detail, suffice it to say I was one happy camper. We'll leave all those details for Part II.
Before we move on and let the photos and caps do the talkin', let's briefly run down what the rear four-link setup entails. For starters, the locators were provided in stainless steel, but are available in regular steel as well, and feature laser-cut frame and rearend bracketry. Although the brackets for the rearend housing are not bolt-on items, the kit we're dealing with includes a Ford 9-inch, so that's not an issue in this case (they can be ordered separately). A bolt-in, square-tube crossmember provides mounting for the shocks, while a weld-in piece provides that for the airbags, and 1/4-inch boxing plates with C-notches allow rearend clearance and frame strengthening. Speaking of the rearend, again, the Currie-based unit was supplied with a TSD third member, which in laymen's terms is a modern posi, complete with 11-inch drum brakes. The airbags are Firestone's Ride Rite sleeve-type with a standard compressor and 2-gallon air tank. Being that the bolt pattern would be going from six (stock Chevy truck) to a 5x4.75, a new set of wheels was necessary, so Wheel Vintiques steelies with '56 pickup caps were ordered along with a quartet of BFGoodrich Silvertown wide whites (6.70-15 all 'round). You'll also notice in the lead shot that the pickup's sportin' 18- and 20-inch American Torq-Thrust IIs with Toyo Proxes 35-series radials--we borrowed those from a photo shoot for sister publication Custom Rodder just to see how they'd look...it's a toss-up which style best suits the '55.
All right, hopefully you've got the picture now...let's move on to the real pictures. Stay tuned for next month's wrap-up of the frontend install at Temecula Rods & Customs.
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 With new leaf springs and...  With new leaf springs and Bilstein tube shocks, the stock suspension in the '55 surely rode better than it was ever intended. But since she's not serving duty on the old farm anymore, daily driving will be much more enjoyable with an airbagged four-link! |
 To make the job that much...  To make the job that much easier, the bed was removed prior to the entire rear suspension being disassembled. If you're doing this at home, make sure you've got the truck well supported on jackstands. |
 Being this is a pre-designed...  Being this is a pre-designed kit, locating basic components such as the rear shock crossmember was already figured out. |
 The next order of business...  The next order of business was to locate and mount the forward four-link brackets, which bolt on in the vicinity of the previous spring perch front mount. |
 Laser-cut boxing plates are...  Laser-cut boxing plates are next to go, followed by the actual C-notch itself. For those wanting to go "super" low, an actual step-notch is required... |
 ...but keep in mind that this...  ...but keep in mind that this particular four-link system has limitations and may require minor
modification for that purpose. |
 The 9-inch rearend housing,...  The 9-inch rearend housing, with its locator mounts already welded on (which also serve as lower shock mounts), is then set up on jackstands and the stainless four-bars installed in order to configure the airbag crossmember and lower brackets. |
 The driveshaft and 3.70-geared...  The driveshaft and 3.70-geared positraction third member were required to properly set the pinion angle and subsequent lower bag mount position. |
 With the sleeve-type airbag...  With the sleeve-type airbag in place, the upper mount/
crossmember was located and tacked in place. |
 Once everything was in its...  Once everything was in its right place, it was all TIG-welded up, ground smooth where needed, and coated semi-gloss black. |
 The rearend housing was sent...  The rearend housing was sent over to TCI's production welders to have its bracketry welded up in a jig. |
 The two-man team from the...  The two-man team from the tubing department wasted no time bending up stainless hardline for both the airbag supply and brakes. |
 AN fittings were used to finish...  AN fittings were used to finish off what turned out to be an impressive plumbing job out back. |
 The air tank and compressor...  The air tank and compressor were moved on the outside of the passenger framerail, right below the cab floor, to keep things nice and tidy. |
 After the paint had dried...  After the paint had dried on the 9-inch, it was sent over for final assembly, which included the TSD
differential, 31-spline axles, and the
11-inch (truck) drum brakes. |
 From there, the rearend went...  From there, the rearend went right back to its jackstands... |
 ...to be reunited with the...  ...to be reunited with the four-link for a final adjustment. |
 Typically, coilovers are used...  Typically, coilovers are used with a four-link, but since this setup uses airbags, only standard gas shocks were needed. A special bracket was made to lessen the angle of the shock. |
 The lower-rear four-link end...  The lower-rear four-link end also acts as a rear mount for the track locator, which was used instead of a typical Panhard bar. Track locators are actually more effective, and in this case, was our only option due to lack of upper space for a Panhard. |
 Over in Stanton, Ron's Wholesale...  Over in Stanton, Ron's Wholesale Tire was mounting up the Coker/BFGoodrich Silvertowns on Wheel Vintiques 15x6 steelies, which came powdercoated gloss black with a set of '56 pickup hubcaps. |
 Meanwhile, the TCI was still...  Meanwhile, the TCI was still buzzin' along with final touches such as gear oil (with posi additive!) and air lines and switches to the controls in the cab. |
 Save for the rusted exhaust...  Save for the rusted exhaust and primer-spotted bed, the entire rear section of the '55 looks a million times better--but more importantly, it rides that much better, too! The bedwood will have to be modified at a later date to compensate for rearend clearance when the bags are deflated. |
 Even with the taller 6.70-15...  Even with the taller 6.70-15 tires, the back of truck laid down pretty well. As you can see from the lead shot, the truck lays down even better with the IFS installed. See you next month when we wrap this job up. |