A completely restored and detailed '57 Chevy front end is a work of art. You must be a car person to understand that statement completely. We are going to demonstrate how you can become the Picasso of front-end pulchritude! |
In the process of restoring this chassis we'll switch from the original front drum brakes to Master Power front disc units. With a potent small-block for forward motorvation, this '57 will need serious stopping power. |
The original drum brakes were disassembled down to the backing plate. We're keeping all the original parts in a box, as this stuff is getting hard to find after 40 years. Who knows, the next shoebox might be a total resto project. |
There is a large bolt at the top of the backing plate that usually needs some serious attention to remove. A torque wrench with a mega handle will usually do the job, coupled with some VHT rust penetrant. |
The spindle/ball-joint pressure-fit connection is broken with a pickle fork and a large hammer. Leave the connecting nuts on the ball joints by a couple of threads until you split the pieces apart. A couple of sharp whacks will normally separate the joint. Unlike later GM models, the bottom connection is under the lower control arm. |
The lower control arm is supported safely on a floor jack, and the spindle is removed. With the shock in place, lower the control arm and take the pressure off the coil spring. The shock will prevent the spring from flying out. Stand safely out of the way to be sure. A wild, flying spring can do serious damage to your bod. |
With pressure released from the spring, the upper control arm can be removed. Disconnect the upper shock mount and remove the two nuts securing the arm. Put your original parts in a safe place for reuse. |
The original ball joints are attached with rivets, which can be removed with an air chisel, at home or at the machine shop when you have the new bushings installed. The new PST replacements will bolt into the existing holes. |
Here's the PST '55-'57 Chevy front end rebuild kit. Everything you need is here but the car--that's up to you to supply! We cleaned each metal item with POR Marine Clean and treated each piece to a coat of Eastwood Spray Gray paint. This looks like freshly cast metal and is great for detailing. A coat of clear enamel on plated parts will preserve their finish for a long time. |
The new ball joints simply bolt into place. For correct installation, the new bushings should be pressed into the control arms. The cross shaft in the lower part (on the right) secures the control arm to the framerail. |
We had all the attaching hardware cad-plated prior to the assembly. This adds a little color to the otherwise black undercarriage. It's great for shows and is relatively inexpensive. The rubber bullet snubber is part of the kit and provides a cushion under the upper control arm. |
The cross shaft is installed into the bushings when they are pressed into the upper control arm. Two bolts pass through the mounting plate, and then through the cross shaft, securing it safely to the chassis framerail. Locknuts and washers finish the installation. |
At the outside of both upper control arm bushings, we installed a large metal washer and a bolt that screws into the cross shaft. This bolt is tightened until the washer compresses the rubber in the bushing to about 1/4-inch wide. |
The lower control arm is secured to the frame with four bolts, lock washers, and nuts. Notice, the upper bolts are slightly shorter than the lower bolts. They must be installed correctly or the arm will not fit properly. |
The Eaton Detroit coil spring has been compressed with a spring compressor for safety, and to facilitate the installation. We fit the spring in place and used the floor jack to lift the lower arm for spindle installation. Always use a spring compressor for this installation. |
With the spring installed, the Master Power 2-inch dropped spindle can be installed on the ball joints. Start at the bottom joint and install the new castellated nut from the PST kit. |
After the top control-arm ball joint is pushed through the spindle, carefully tighten the nuts. Tighten both the top and bottom nuts securely. The spring compressor may be removed from inside the coil spring and dropped out the hole in the bottom of the lower arm. |
You must align the groove in the nut with the hole in the ball-joint shaft to install the new cotter key supplied with the PST kit. Remember: Always use a new cotter key with these special nuts. |
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These KYB Gas-A-Just gas shocks were supplied by PST and can be ordered with the front-end rebuild kit. After the spring compressor is removed and the spindle installed, the new shocks can be bolted into place. It takes a few minutes for installation. |
Once you have both sets of control arms and springs installed, you can start to install the other steering pieces. The idler arm is attached to the passenger side of the frame with two bolts that pass through the framerail and through the arm. Lock washers and nuts secure them. Notice the angle of installation. |
The centerlink is installed on the idler arm and secured with a castellated nut and cotter key. It will help to have a friend handy to support the other end of this heavy bar while installing it. |
This is also a pressure joint so the nut is tightened securely. The Eastwood Spray Gray paint makes the parts look like they were cast yesterday. |
The adjustable end links are now attached to the centerlink and to the spindle steering knuckle on each side. When dismantling the original suspension pieces, leave the original connecting links intact and match the new pieces to the original for length. This will give you a ballpark alignment when the installation is completed. |
The Mullins steering box is now installed to the framerail using the Mullins mounting bracket. Again, the new steering box was painted with Spray Gray. The shaft from the steering box passes through a Mullins-manufactured mounting collar and is bolted to the frame with two bolts. |
The Pitman arm slides on the bottom of the steering-box shaft and is pressure-fitted on splines with a large nut. A ball on the other end then slides into a tubular pocket in the centerlink and is secured there. This controls the left/right steering of the vehicle. Simple but effective. |
Here's the completed assembly. Notice the arms on the spindle for attaching the Master Power disc brakes, but that's a story for later. The frame and parts look great and are ready for show. Now, all we need is the rest of the car! RC |
The otherwise dull mid-50s were the halcyon days for Detroit's finned monsters, which we all love to hate. Since the days when these chrome behemoths rolled off the assembly lines and into the annals of American automotive history, enough time has passed for many of them to become legend. One of the favorites of these classics is the venerable '57 Chevy. It has been portrayed in all facets of everyday life, in every color of the spectrum--rolled, spindled, and mutilated by the best customizers in the world.
Over four decades later, anyone with the slightest trace of 30-weight in their bloodstream gets goose bumps at the sight of a bitchin' '57 cruisin' the burger stand. It's the crown jewel of Motor City, and in high demand by nostalgia and custom auto buffs.
As with most things 40 years old, a normal '57 survivor needs to be painstakingly rejuvenated-or, in plain words, rebuilt from wheel bearing to headliner. This is the launch of such a classic in Rod & Custom-one that will continue to appear until a breath taking, contemporary, carving-knife-finned shoebox is back on the road. We're starting with a lightweight boxed '55 frame--the same skeleton was used under the '55-'57 cars--and are doing a complete rebuild and detailing. Although the stock chassis offered a comfortable ride and handled pretty well for the mid-'50s, today it feels antiquated, so we felt an upgrade was needed. We want this chassis to ride, handle, and stop as well as any brand-new car, and we'll show you how we accomplished the task.
The '55 frame and related parts have been thoroughly sandblasted and will now be completely disassembled for painting and the installation of the new front-end from Performance Suspension Technology (PST), which also supplied the KYB Gas-A-Just shocks. The metal prep and paint is from POR 15, and the new front coil springs are from Eaton Detroit Spring. The coil springs have received a 2-inch drop, which, when combined with 2-inch dropped spindles from Master Power Brakes will lower the nose of the classic 4 inches from stock. In our next build-up article, we'll show you how to convert to front disc brakes using the complete kit from Master Power Brakes, which includes these way-cool dropped spindles.
Before we started our rebuild, the upper and lower control arms had the PST bushings pressed into place and the ball joints were bolted in position. Unless you have the correct tools, it's easier to have a machine shop remove the old and press in the new parts. After the items are in place you may paint the control arms. We masked off our new bushings, and so on, for a cleaner, fresh metal-detailed look. If you paint the arms prior to getting the bushings removed and replaced, the paint finish will be destroyed in the process. Mask and paint afterward, and apply a coat of clear enamel to preserve the like-new appearance of the unpainted parts. Prior to applying the first coat of primer to the frame, we used the POR 15 Marine Clean metal prep to remove any surface oils or other contaminants on the metal. After primer, the correct semi-gloss black paint from POR 15 was applied, with a spray gun and compressor, on all parts of the frame.
To add the custom touch to the otherwise stock, black frame, we had all the attaching hardware cad-plated for contrast, and painted the spindles and coil springs Eastwood Spray Gray. The gray was also used on the idler arm, centerlink, and end links. Custom contrast is a good thing.
The assembly is considerably easier on a bare frame than in a complete car--and the process is easier to understand without all the sheetmetal in the way. Hand tools will do the job, but a few special items are necessary. A floor jack, jack stands, a pickle fork, and a coil spring compressor have to be rented or borrowed if you don't already have them. Air tools make the job quicker, but are not necessary. It's important to remember that, once the front-end assembly is completed, it must be professionally aligned. This will not only save your life, but add many miles to those new tires.