Just curious Jeff, but what kind of gas mileage can you get out of a setup like
this?
My modified 86 Corvette has the 350 tuned port with 700R4 and 2.73 gears; it
gets about
27.5 mpg with the cruise set on 70mph on level terrain (it gets about 4mpg when
racing).
Normal city/highway driving yields 20-24mpg average depending on how much I
keep my
foot out of it. Of course the vette also weighs about 3400lbs...alot lighter
than the
TF trucks. Given other things equal, a rule of thumb I heard years ago was
that every
300lbs over baseline costs you 1mpg.
Mark Noakes
58/56 Chevy Suburban, 2wd, V8, 3-speed + OD
58 GMC NAPCO 1/2 ton wideside/fleetside pickup, 6 cyl, 4-speed, orig power
steering
59 GMC Suburban parts truck
66 Corvair Monza, my first car from July 1976, 240Kmiles total on it, restored
86 Chevy Silverado with only 221Kmiles on it
86 Corvette Indy, SCCA Solo2 BSP #32
Knoxville, TN
"Jeff Engel" wrote:
>
> Carl:
>
> Let me throw my hat in the ring. This is going to be a long one so just
> bear with me I 'm trying to help, really! I did a lot of research as well
> before I did anything to my 56 TF.
>
> My first decision was: did I want to weld in a front clip from a donor or
> weld in an MII crossmember? I chose the MII route because I don't have the
> skills to do too much fabricating. Not that all front clips require a lot
> of fabbing, but I just didn't want to worry about it. The MII seemed
> easier. The trade off was initial cost.
>
> The next choice was: which manufacturer did I want to use? I knew I wanted
> to go with someone that has been around a while. For me, that narrowed it
> down to Heidt's, TCI, or Fatman. I didn't like the way the Fatman
> crossmember attaches to the frame. Looked like it would let the frame rails
> twist. The TCI and Heidt's crossmembers looked very much the same.
> Although, TCI's setup was cheaper than Heidt's. I ended up going with
> Heidt's. Why? Well, I ended up winning a couple of auctions on ebay for
> some Heidt's tubular upper a-arms and Heidt's 2" dropped spindles. Since I
> wanted to use all components from the same manufacturer I ended up going
> Heidt's. Instead of buying the complete front end package, I started
> piecing it together over a period of 2 or 3 months. I got the big brakes
> from here, power steering rack from there, and a lot of stuff from Yogi's
> (They had free shipping on Heidt's stuff at one time). After I had
> everything, I had the big brakes, power steering, tubular a-arms, all name
> brand stuff for less than the cost of buying the complete package all at
> once from TCI or Heidt's and it was all new stuff as well.
>
> You have to use the big brakes (11" Granada rotors with GM calipers is what
> I used) on the TF trucks. The 9" rotors just aren't going to cut it. Also,
> make sure you use the steering rack extenders so you don't have to use
> extended tie rods. This is for Heidt's, I don't know about the others.
> Heidt's says that using longer tie rods than stock will introduce bumpsteer.
> Another thing, if you are using a GM power steering pump with the Ford rack,
> get the spring kit from RB's. It matches the fluid pressure of the pump to
> the rack. I can say this, my 56 drives very smooth and handles well with
> this front end setup. I have been driving it for about 3 months now and
> have about 300 miles on it. About half of that at highway speeds of 60 to
> 70 mph. Overall, I am very happy I went this route. The truck drives very
> "untruck" like.
>
> OK that settles the front end. If you have any questions let me know.
>
> Out back I used a Ford 9" rear end from a Lincoln Versailles. This gave me
> disc brakes in the rear as well as the front. I flipped the stock leaf
> springs and C notched the frame. The only mod to the rear end was to move
> the leaf perches out a little. The Lincoln rear end is 58 inches wide I
> think. This is a little too narrow for the TF truck. It sits low enough
> that the calipers hit the bed. I am working on making this work and it only
> hits if I really nail something. Although, I would advise a wider rear end.
> A wider rear end fixes this and the fact that your wheel selection will be
> more varied. I used Chevy Rally wheels that were custom made. 16x8 with
> 2-1/4" backspacing in the rear and 16x7 with 3" backspacing up front. If I
> had used a wider rear end, my wheel selection would have bee better and the
> backspacing would not have been an issue. Wheels of Steel in Vasalia, CA
> made my wheels for about $360. In my opinion, this setup rides a little
> stiff for me and the caliper issue is not acceptable. I would like a wider
> rearend and maybe the coil overs & 4-link setup from Heidt's or TCI. My
> current setup is not as smooth a ride as the front end.
>
> I know you didn't inquire about this but I thought I would add some
> additional information on my drivetrain and my choices there. I had a 1985
> IROC Camaro that was totaled. So, I took the Tuned Port Injected 305 and
> 700R4 tranny out of it and put it in my 56 TF. Computer and all. This
> gives me good mileage and performance. I also used the steering column and
> the front calipers. The overdrive tranny coupled with my 2.73 gears really
> helps on the highway. Low RPM, high gas mileage. I had 3.70 gears but they
> started to howl. So, I swapped the center section with another center
> section that I had from a different project (67 Mustang GT fastback). It
> drives much smoother with the 2.73's but not as snappy as the 3.70's.
> Another trade off to think about.
>
> I have some pictures of the front end, engine and truck on Shutterfly.com if
> you want to take a look.
>
> www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b332b02e6500
> www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b332b0366518
> www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b332b033e42d
>
>
> I hope this gives you some of the info you needed and if not hopefully you
> weren't bored to tears!
>
> Thanks!
> Jeff Engel
> 1956 TF
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-oletrucks@autox.team.net
> [mailto:owner-oletrucks@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Carl & Becky Ham
> Sent: Thursday, January 02, 2003 2:36 PM
> To: oletrucks@autox.team.net
> Subject: [oletrucks] Any more advice on IFS or Rear End swaps for TF
> trucks out there?
>
>
> About a month ago I posted a message asking for advice or past good/bad
> experiences with independant front suspension swaps and newer rear end swaps
> for a TF (55-59) Chevy truck. For the record, my truck is a fair weather
> driver (summertime) and I don't plan on trying to win awards or drag race
> the truck. It has a 283 V8 and 4 speed auto with original front and rear
> suspensions. I simply want to finish upgrading the drive train to
> newer/better riding and handling and more reliable components
>
> I only received one reply for the IFS and 2 for the rear end swaps. For the
> IFS, Heidts or Total Cost Involved (TCI) mustang II's with tubular upper and
> lower arms were suggested and I've found the TCI unit is about $800 cheaper
> than Heidts. I would appreciate any further comments or advice as I will be
> buying an IFS in the March timeframe.
>
> For the rear end, it has been suggested I either use an S10 or Ford 9 inch.
> I'm told the S10 may be a direct swap (width-wise), and the Ford 9 inch
> would require some custom work. Any suggestions from other list members?
> Appreciate any and all comments. Thanks,
>
> Carl Ham
> '56 Chevy TF Stepside
> Pontiac, IL
>
>
>
>
>
> _________________________________________________________________
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> oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
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