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Diplomat front end swap

From: Jamie
Email: JRICHARDS1@neb.rr.com
Remote Name: 65.28.172.162
Date: August 03, 2002
Time: 15:41:49

Comments

OK...just an update on the highly debated front end changeover in my 59 Belvedere. The front suspension is now in! The project wasnt quite as easy as I thought it might be, but it's in there and looks great! I ended up having to remove and replace about 18" of the frame rails right where the upper A-frames originally mounted. They were simply the wrong width. The rear mount for the Dippy crossmember would have hit the factory frame right on the inside edge. So I removed them and replaced with 2x4" rectangular tubing (1/8" wall), and then everything mounted up just fine. The forward most crossmember also had to be removed for clearance for the torsion bars. This crossmember also locates the radiatior support, but I built a basic jig to hold the frame rails apart with a pad to relocate another crossmember I'm making out of 1-3/4" tubing. This will have a mount for the rad support. Next to go was the trans crossmember, and a new one will be built to support the 904 I'm using with the '85 318. Now I've got all the same adjustability, power disc brakes, wheel studs, gas shocks and a sway bar......just in case anybody was curious!

 

Last changed: March 03, 2024