As the prices of Tri-Five Chevys have continued to climb, we're seeing more and more people turning to the more affordable (and just as cool, in our opinion) '49-54 Chevys. Several manufactures have taken notice of these up-and-coming projects and started supplying more parts to help improve the factory's design. One area that needs attention in just about any car manufactured more than 50 years ago is the suspension.
Walton Fabrication is now offering a kit to replace the stock parallel leaf springs with a four-link system that can be easily installed by someone who knows how to use a tape measure and has a little welding skill. Two of the main brackets mount using existing holes, and then the rear crossmember is set using a measurement from there so the guesswork has been eliminated.
We happened to catch the Walton crew as they were getting ready to install one on a '49 Chevy when we were out visiting some shops one day. They had already removed the old spring brackets and installed the new brackets on the rearend. The rest of the install went pretty quickly after that.
The Walton Fabrication kit...
The Walton Fabrication kit comes with all the parts you'll need to remove your Chevy's parallel leaf springs and install coilovers and a four-link.
Todd started by drilling out...
Todd started by drilling out the rivets to remove the stock front and rear spring hangers. The new four-link front bracket could then be bolted on using four of the holes left by the stock rivets, in addition to two more that were drilled using the bracket as a jig. The inside middle bolt installation is a little tricky, but Walton has cut an access hole to make it a little easier.
These two tabs on the side...
These two tabs on the side of the bracket will rest against the inside of the framerail, and Todd recommends giving them a quick hit with the welder to secure them.
Once he had room for the bracket,...
Once he had room for the bracket, Todd measured back (dimensions are in the instructions) from the front bracket so he could locate the coilover crossmember.
He then clamped the crossmember...
He then clamped the crossmember in place so he could use it as a guide to drill four holes on each side. He used the supplied hardware to secure it once the holes were drilled.
Before the rear coilover crossmember...
Before the rear coilover crossmember could be installed, the floorpan needed a little modification to make room.
The rearend (the brackets...
The rearend (the brackets had already been welded on) was slid in place with a jack and the four-links were installed. A track bar runs from the driver-side front lower bracket to the passenger-side rear lower bracket. These pivot brackets were used instead of the normal Nylok nuts on these two lower links.