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Re: [oletrucks] Advance Design front end mods

To: "Oletrucks list" <oletrucks@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: [oletrucks] Advance Design front end mods
From: "Mark Self" <markself@discover.net>
Date: Wed, 8 Sep 1999 06:51:22 -0700
-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Fischer <bfischer@utm.net>
To: oletrucks@autox.team.net <oletrucks@autox.team.net>
Date: Tuesday, September 07, 1999 3:34 PM
Subject: Re: [oletrucks] Advance Design front end mods


>Hi Mark,
>Good timing since I'm contemplating the same thing. I read the same "tip"
but have not actually gone out and measured a few trucks in the yards. I
posted a question about dropped axles still being available, however I
didn't get any answers. Looking around in the old yellowed mags I found a ad
for Mor Drop Axle in the Oakland area. I did a search and found a web page
for them, which actually only lists a phone # to call. I called and found
they still drop Chevy (and most anything else) axles on a exchange basis.
>
>(I also found a Feb 77 issue of SR with a article by Pat Ganahl, several
pages, putting a SB Chevy in his 50 AD)
>
>The price I was quoted was 2" - $250, 3" - $275, and 4" - $300. Core charge
is (oouch) $500!! plus you pay shipping both ways.
>I have no problem with the parallel springs, tube shocks etc in good
condition, however I would like to lower the truck front and rear (later
open drive) and add disk brakes to the front. The 49 AD currently has a 283
bolted to the original 4 spd with the torque tube rear, with 215/R75's on
7"X15's frt and 8 1/2"X15 Rr. It's no sports car but it handles OK and would
be even better with a rebuilt front and 3 - 4" lower.

>

Bob:
    I checked out MorDrop also.  I was real excited,.  Then I was talking to
a friend who had a really cherry '57 Task Force, that he had lowered big
time with a MorDrop 4".  He said it took 3 tries before he got a straight
axle.  That shut me down in a hurry.  i don't have that kind of money to
play around with.

>Given the above info however, it doesn't seem cost effective to spend that
much on a king pin set, shackles and a disk brake kit plus a dropped axle,
plus shipping (st tx for me also)  Briefly checking it appears a 2" axle may
work OK, but anything more will probably require lowering the tie rod to
clear the springs. This could turn into a big  on-going job with steering
geometry problems, clearance problems, etc which I really don't need.


The guy I talked with at MorDrop said the same thing.  They do the dropedd
tie rods and I think they were like $150.
>
>>     Last week while lurking on this list I saw this address:
>>
>>          The Poor Man's Advance Design Tech Tip Page
>>             http://www.home.earthlink.net/~conntest47/
>>
>Let me second your request.
>I'm hoping someone(s) who have actually performed this swap will reply
either here or off list. Sure seems like an ideal solution to the problem.
>

Wehn you look at this setup in the late model truck, it looks too good to be
true.  Hope not.
>
>
>"Nothin lasts forever except old Fords and a natural stone" - Willie Nelson
>
>
>http://home.utm.net/bfischer          e-mail - bfischer@utm.net
>
robert.fischer@cdc.com
>
rfischer@worldnet.att.net
>oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
>

oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959

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