Chassis Engineering IFS Kit On A 1949 Chevy- Gaining Independence

As I've mentioned before, the idea behind the build of my Project '49 Chevy is to use bolt-in components as much as possible, which made selecting Chassis Engineering's independent front suspension a no-brainer. It's not that I can't or don't want to weld-I've fabricated plenty of chassis in the past-but I know many readers don't weld, and it allows many more would-be hands-on builders to get involved by showcasing bolt-in upgrades. Plus, there's the view held by some that Chevrolet's inverted top-hat section chassis should be allowed to flex a little, and this is possible by bolting rather than welding parts to it.

While it's entirely possible to complete this suspension swap with the front sheetmetal in place, though the inner fender panels need trimming to clear the upper A-arms and suspension towers, we opted to remove it for photographic purposes. It also allowed us to access the entire front section of the frame to give it the first coat of paint it's had in more than a few years. Removing the front sheetmetal, suspension, and steering took about as long as installing the new frontend, which was a snap once we'd established its precise location and drilled a few holes.

These brackets on the outer...        read full caption These brackets on the outer chassis 'rails had to come off once the stock suspension and crossmember were removed. We found the easiest way was to use a Rotabroach to drill around the large spot welds, and then grind off the remaining weld once the bracket fell away.	Here's the Rotabroach kit,...        read full caption Here's the Rotabroach kit, or sheetmetal hole saws, depending on the manufacturer's name. These are invaluable and produce perfectly round holes in sheetmetal, unlike large drill bits. Not that that's needed here.	The Chassis Engineering crossmember...        read full caption The Chassis Engineering crossmember and upper spring mounts are supplied in gray primer. Before offering them up, we rattle-canned the surfaces we wouldn't be able to get to afterward in semigloss black. We also cleaned up the chassis 'rails and did the same to them.
That curved section in the...        read full caption That curved section in the lower left corner helps with the alignment of the new crossmember, as do a few of the mounting holes, which align with existing holes from the stock components. Or at least they should; ours were about 3/16-inch off. A call to Chassis Engineering confirmed what we suspected. Not all chassis are exactly the same. We got it as close as we could, took plenty of measurements side to side, front to back, and diagonally, and drilled new 3/8-inch holes where required, followed by opening up the misaligned holes.	You can see how the upper...        read full caption You can see how the upper spring mounts and the lower crossmember sandwich the chassis 'rails. We tightened all the vertical bolts before drilling and installing the horizontal ones. This way, all the holes will align.	... drilling and installing...        read full caption ... drilling and installing the horizontal ones. This way, all the holes will align.
With the crossmember and upper...        read full caption With the crossmember and upper spring mounts installed, we scuffed 'em all with a red Scotch-Brite pad and sprayed 'em semigloss black before calling it a day and letting the paint dry overnight. The next morning, the fun part of the installation began, namely unwrapping and fitting all those new parts. The lower arms went on first, and the long bolts were supplied with the kit.	Though they're not included...        read full caption Though they're not included in the kit price, these setup rods are worth their weight in gold. Temporarily replacing the springs and shocks, they allow you to set up your suspension at ride height.	The setup rods held the lower...        read full caption The setup rods held the lower arm in position (and yes, our lower shock bolt is too long, but we'll replace it later) while the upper arm was loosely bolted in place.
The upper arms are supplied...        read full caption The upper arms are supplied with OEM-style T-bolts that locate in slots. Though they'll need adjusting come alignment time, they were snugged up for now.	The suspension will come apart...        read full caption The suspension will come apart later for paint and detailing, but even so, the rubber boots were installed before the spindle went onto the upper and lower ball joints, followed by castle nuts and cotter pins. We left the latter off, as this is all coming apart again, but don't forget 'em at final-assembly time.	With both sides of the suspension...        read full caption With both sides of the suspension mounted, the Unisteer steering rack (supplied in the Chassis Engineering kit) was bolted up, and it became apparent we needed to swap the direction of the bolts through the chassis 'rail immediately above the gaiter to prevent wear.
We weren't going to get very...        read full caption We weren't going to get very far without brakes and calipers. Chassis Engineering supplied a very comprehensive kit that included braided hoses, wheel bearings and seals, and the necessary hardware. The caliper mounts were attached first. Make sure you get 'em the right way around.	The new bearings were liberally...        read full caption The new bearings were liberally coated with disc-brake bearing grease before the inners were installed in the hub, followed by the seal, gently tapped into place using a rubber mallet. The hub/rotor was then slid onto the spindle and secured with the outer bearing, washer, cover, and cotter pin.	... the inners were installed...        read full caption ... the inners were installed in the hub, followed by the seal, gently tapped into place using a rubber mallet. The hub/rotor was then slid onto the spindle and secured with the outer bearing, washer, cover, and cotter pin.
With the pads installed, the...        read full caption With the pads installed, the calipers were bolted in place, and we were ready to connect the flexi-hoses.	After two days, she was ready...        read full caption After two days, she was ready to roll-but not steer, as we have yet to install a column; I'm still undecided on column or floor shift.	The Chassis Engineering crossmember...        read full caption The Chassis Engineering crossmember comes with small-block Chevy engine mounts welded in place (it can be ordered without, but since I'm planning on installing the ubiquitous SBC, why not take advantage of this fact?), requiring these block mounts and rubbers. Here are the mounts bolted to an old block we used to determine the trans-mount location. Gotta keep a project moving forward, even if all the parts aren't to hand immediately.