A lot of stories have been written about how to convert your truck from an axle to a Mustang II-type setup, but I wanted to steer off the beaten path and let you know about the option that costs a lot less: the dropped axle. So I headed over to Classic Performance Parts (CPP) in Anaheim, California, where owner Jim Ries and head honcho of R&D, Craig Chaffers, helped put together a kit to lower '55-59 Chevy trucks.
I started off with the idea of lowering the truck from 3 to 41/2 inches, depending on what parts I was going to use. Before we started I told Ries and Chaffers what my plan of action was, and they explained my options. A 3-inch dropped axle is and you most likely guessed right, 3 inches. If you wanted to go lower than that you could add a set of CPP 1.5-inch lowering leaf springs plus a CPP 3-inch dropped axle to get a total of a 4.5-inch drop. With the CPP 3-inch dropped axle it is not recommended to use a monoleaf lowering spring as a simple bolt-on kit because the axle would be placed too close to the frame and the suspension travel would be very limited. Limited travel will affect the ride quality (bottoms out) and cause pretty severe bumpsteer. The bumpsteer can be corrected with some creative fabrication and commitment to the challenge. For the sake of an easy install and not having to fabricate on the frame and other components I chose the CPP 3-inch axle and CPP 1.5-inch drop springs.
I already lowered the truck's rear end, and the truck was sitting in a stance I like to call "reverse stick bug" or a lowered pre-runner. Besides the stance issue, the majority of the front suspension parts have been on there since the late '50s and the term loose would be an understatement. Plus if any of you remember back then they used a torch to heat the axle and a bottle jack to bend it to close enough alignment. In my case the stock axle was warped from end to end and twisted, so I would get a pull and premature tire wear due to the wheels wanting to go in opposite directions. When I removed the stock axle and compared it to the new one the difference in quality was night and day. CPP uses a 2-inch seamless steel tubing with one-piece CNC-machined ends to make the axle. If you are worried about twisting or bending the axle when hitting a huge pothole you can just get that out of your mind and start worrying about your low-profile wheels and tires instead.
So if you're on a budget and have a limited amount of tools this may be the option for you.
I wanted to measure the front...
I wanted to measure the front end height before I installed the new CPP axles and springs. Thirty inches was the stock front end height from the ground to the bottom of the fender. As I said my front end was pretty much done for, so your stock springs may be slightly stronger than my springs and that would vary the ride level from vehicle to vehicle.
The next step is to support...
The next step is to support and raise the vehicle and remove the front wheels. Chaffers made sure we place the lift on the frame of the vehicle and away from the front spring shackles. This made sure we had plenty of room to move the front spring out of the way in order to remove the axle and replace the spring. Also it would be a good time to make sure you have all the parts you need before you tear stuff apart. The axle comes bare metal so now would be a good time to paint it.
Chaffers removed the hubs'...
Chaffers removed the hubs' outer bearing cover and cotter pin on the spindle lock nut. With a large crescent wrench or the correct-sized socket and ratchet the outer hub bearing nut can be removed. At this point you can remove the brake drum, but be careful; it will be heavy because the hub is attached. The front bearing can be removed and set in a clean location on a rag.
Older vehicles such as our...
Older vehicles such as our '59 Apache sometimes will have the stock drum and hub riveted together. This might confuse you when one drum slips right off the hub and the other won't come off. Notice the difference between the left replacement drum and the stock riveted drum/hub on the right.
Remove the cotter pin and...
Remove the cotter pin and loosen the nut on the tie-rod end. Remove the nut halfway and use a hammer to hit the spindle end as shown. Snap-on makes a tie rod removal tool, but if you want to reuse your tie rods make sure not to damage the outer boot.
CPP offers a replacement tie...
CPP offers a replacement tie rod that is 1 inch in diameter and is a whole lot stronger than the stock 3/4 tie rod. Chaffers removed the driver-side tie-rod end and placed the drag link next to the new CPP for comparison. If you replace the tie rod you need to measure the old one and match the length with the new one by twisting the tie-rod ends. Matching the overall length will get you in the ballpark.
Remove the upper and lower...
Remove the upper and lower shock bolts and remove the shock. You will need to replace the stock length shock with a CPP shock that has a shorter stroke so you will have the correct dampening and rebound.
The drum backing plate needs...
The drum backing plate needs to be removed next; two cotter pins and four bolts hold it to the spindle. Remove the four bolts and support the drum backing plate with a hanger or hook. Make sure you secure the drum backing plate so it will not move when removing the other suspension parts, and that the brake line is not stretched or kinked.