We all wish to have the “best of the best” for our custom trucks but, what if our pocket books don’t match our desires? Rent, bills, and kids can swallow the majority of the monthly income and make it hard to afford hot rods parts. With that said, I have friends that will buy truck parts before they put food on the table and starve for a week.
When it comes to fixing our classic trucks, sometimes it’s not all about showing off your custom suspension but rather improving the stance of the vehicle. In the past we have covered the higher end builds, but when it comes to custom suspension they’re other choices. For instance, the more wallet friendly mono leaf front suspension can enhance the stance by lowering the vehicle 3 to 4½ inches, depending on the drop chosen. For this particular tech article, we made a call over to Performance Online in Fullerton, California, where the helpful sales guys walked us through picking the correct parts. I explained to the salesman that the owner wanted to have a traditional looking pickup using monoleaf front suspension but with the added braking performance of disc brakes. He suggested that we use the 4½-inch drop monoleaf that moved the front axle forward 1 inch to center the wheel inside the fender. We also added the Performance Online master disc brake kit that will help tie everything together on the stock front end.
One of the cool things about lowering a vehicle with monoleaf suspension and upgrading the brakes is that the vehicle was back on the ground within a day. The ride quality of the monoleaf is not all that bad when you compare it to the stock suspension and in fact, I think it rides better because of the lowered stance. CT
I started off by lifting the...
I started off by lifting the vehicle and supporting it with jackstands. We supported the the frame toward the front of the vehicle so we had plenty of room to install the monoleaf and master cylinder booster.
Four bolts hold the drum backing...
Four bolts hold the drum backing plate against the spindle. Remove these four bolts and the stock drum brake hoses.
Since we were also upgrading...
Since we were also upgrading the brakes from drum to disc is was necessary to remove the old drum brakes.
Next, remove the old U-bolts...
Next, remove the old U-bolts holding the axle. Make sure to support the axle or it will fall and possibly damage the spindle treads.
Next, remove the old U-bolts...
Next, remove the old U-bolts holding the axle. Make sure to support the axle or it will fall and possibly damage the spindle treads.
RJ removed the cotter pins...
RJ removed the cotter pins and spring shackle pins holding the springs on. It may be a good idea to order new bolts that hold on the springs because the bolts might be pitted or rusted. We inspected our ’56 spring shackle bolts and they were OK.
Supporting the spring, RJ...
Supporting the spring, RJ pulled out the spring shackle bolt on the zerk fitting side. Repeat this step for all of the spring shackle bolts.
With the springs removed they...
With the springs removed they were laid side by side to compare the drop. We used the 4 1/2 lowering monoleafs from Performance Online.
Notice the monoleaf spring...
Notice the monoleaf spring centering hole is 1 inch forward compared to the stock springs. By moving the hole forward it will center the wheel inside the wheelwell.
The spring shackle bolts were...
The spring shackle bolts were then wire brushed and lubricated with new grease.
Slide the new Performance...
Slide the new Performance Online monoleaf in the stock shackle and install the bolts. We tightened the bolts and installed new cotter pins.
The provided centering bolt...
The provided centering bolt was then installed on the monoleaf.
We then greased the shackle...
We then greased the shackle bolts again to lubricate the bushings.
Using the provided U-bolts...
Using the provided U-bolts make sure you tighten these down with a torque wrench. A 1/2 air gun will give you a false sense of torque. The stock axle bracket and shock bracket were sand blasted and reused.
The shorter Performance Online...
The shorter Performance Online shocks were then installed making sure not to over tighten the bushing.
Next, the brake rotor bearing...
Next, the brake rotor bearing adapter is installed on the spindle. We used an old piece of pipe and gently hammered the adapter on the spindle.
The zerk fittings on the spindle...
The zerk fittings on the spindle needed to be moved over to make room for the disc brake caliper adapter.
After drilling and taping...
After drilling and taping the spindle in all four zerk fittings we used the grease gun to push out the metal shavings. Place the grease gun on the old zerk fitting and push grease out of the new hole. Once the shavings are clear from the holes, plug the old hole and transfer the zerk fitting to the new hole. Performance Online states that the king pin will not be damaged by performing this step, but you should be carful not to drill or tap into the king pin
On the drivers side we placed...
On the drivers side we placed the caliper bracket facing toward the rear of the truck. Notice the three washers in between the caliper bracket and spindle that help index the caliper to the rotor.
We packed the bearings with...
We packed the bearings with disc brake bearing grease and installed the rear seal on the rotor.
The rotor was then placed...
The rotor was then placed on the spindle and the castle nut with new cotter pin was installed.
A carbide deburring tool was...
A carbide deburring tool was then used to notch the caliper. Make sure only to remove a small amount of material on the caliper.
We then bolted the caliper...
We then bolted the caliper on the bracket checking for clearance issues between the bracket and caliper. The calipers are left and right and can be distinguished by the brake fluid bleeder position. The brake fluid bleeder should always point upward.
The wheel was then test-fitted...
The wheel was then test-fitted to make sure the inside had enough clearance for the caliper. Note some wheels will not clear but we got lucky with the wheels that were on the ’56 Ford.
The rubber brake lines were...
The rubber brake lines were then attached to the caliper using the copper washers.
The stock location for the...
The stock location for the brake line is used but I did have to use a stepped bit to enlarge the hole slightly. Use the U shaped spring clip to hold the brake line on.
The clutch pedal and brake...
The clutch pedal and brake pedal were removed, then we removed the stock master cylinder and bracket.
The brake master cylinder...
The brake master cylinder bracket was then drilled to fit the new brake booster and brackets.
The master cylinder can now...
The master cylinder can now be bled by using the provided brake line kit. I used a Phillips screwdriver to plunge the master cylinder piston in and out until the hoses no longer had bubbles.
The new brake booster and...
The new brake booster and bracket are attached to the stock pedal/master bracket using the provided bolts.
Then the assembly is bolted...
Then the assembly is bolted back on the frame using the stock holes.
In order to make the brake...
In order to make the brake booster work you will need to provide a vacuum line large enough to fit around this fitting.
The master cylinder was then...
The master cylinder was then installed and the front brake line needs to go into the proportioning valves right side open hole. The rear brake line is located on the left. The brake light switch can then be wired to the brown wire on the side of the proportioning valve.
The brake booster rod was...
The brake booster rod was then attached to the pedal assembly and adjusted so that the brake pedal rod was not applying pressure to the master cylinder.
The monoleafs lowered the...
The monoleafs lowered the front end by a total of 4 1/2 inches. Now all the owner needs is a simple rear axle flip kit and rear shocks for the rear end.