55.2-59 Dynacorn International body replacement panels

[vics stuff]

Anybody install the Dynacorn International outside rear lower cab corner panels on their 55-59 build . Would like to know fitment of these pieces before I order a pair.
Vic

[vics stuff]

What has most of you used and have good results.
Vic

[56 3100]

dynacorn and goodmark same quality IMO.just had a bunch of sheetmatal work done to cab mix of both brands

[dsraven]

I have used dynacorn and other brands. usually a little tweaking required. my dynacorn bbw panel is a little different from side to side in the window opening size. I may have to get the glass ground to make it fit properly. my cab corners were from goodmark I think. they were also a little different side to side for fitment. all things being equal though, that could simply be the truck body was not made symmetrically. it wasn't like building a space shuttle back then, trucks were work horses, doors were to keep "most" of the weather out, gaps and wind whistles were expected. they weren't luxury.
I guess order up what you can afford and hope for the best. some fitment will likely be involved but if you can weld the panel in then I guess fitment won't be that hard if you end up needing to pie cut or cut a slit to make the panel work. I advise to take pics and dimensions before cutting the old stuff out, clean both sides of the metal to bare steel to avoid drawing in contaminants from the back side as you weld. tack the new panel in and test fit the door closing etc. when it's good then start the rest of the tacking procedure and always leave time for the welds to cool off before going on. planish as you go to eliminate as much shrinkage as possible in the heat affected zone. it's good to have a couple of things going on when you weld panels in, that second job going on in the back ground will suck up some time and that will allow the welds to cool off. taking your time welding will save you time in finishing later.

[vics stuff]

My 55 Cab is in remarkably good shape except the lower cab corners and those have very minor rust , but once the paint has been removed then that is when the true tale comes out. Plan on removing the cab and blasting the entire assembly. My cab is a small back window and I have a 55 GMC big window with mint SS trim that has a excellent back half of the cab . I plan on converting my cab to a big window custom cab and thought while at it I would address the cab corners.
Vic

[dsraven]

There is nothing wrong with a small window cab either. There is bracing behind the bbq that will need to be swapped as well. Do you plan an entire rear panel or just the window area? Why not just use the entire bbq cab, it it in rough shape?

[vics stuff]

dsraven , I like the looks of the big back window. Plans are to use most of the rear cab of the 55 GMC and all the trim. The reason I am not using the 55 GMC is that it looked like someone used a piece of equipment to move the truck around and almost every body panel has been damaged , except the back of the cab and the stainless body trim . These trucks reside in Nevada and both have minimal rust.
Will see when I get to the point of starting this truck. As a side note , there are some good pieces on this 55 GMC that I would sell once I am done with the conversion.
Vic

[dsraven]

Since you have a couple of these trucks I'm sure you are aware but, in case this is your first go around, I suggest to look for rust in these areas.
Water and debris come in the cowl vent grille in front of the windshield. Normally it would run across the cowl and down the sides of the cowls ahead of the door hinges. At the bottom of this "inner cowl" on each side is a small drain hole with a sort of sheet metal flap half covering the drain for some reason. Maybe to keep mud from closing it off. Anyway, long story short, the drain plugs and water builds up inside the coals until it runs out of the foot vents out onto the cab floor. This tends to rot the floor, hinge pillars, front cab mounts, steps and rocker panels along with the inner cowl covering parts you see when the front fenders are removed.
The eyebrow area above the windshield is also a rust prone area. One of my cans had a full mouse condo between the panels and it actually rusted through on the inside.
Roof drip rails tend to seep and cause the roof panel to rust.
Windshield seals tend to hold water between the rubber and the cab lip so those areas are prone to rust along with the areas in close proximity.
Cab corners tend to rust for the same "plugged or insufficient drain" issues.
Rear cab mounts tend to hold mud and debris between the sandwiched parts and so they tend to be pretty crusty.
The area under the gas tank tends to get stuff stored around it that can hold moisture and cause rust. Kind of a good idea to plan on a relocate anyway. Gas tank in cab seems like a bad idea to me.
The caged nut that is welded that in on the top of the inner cowl to locate the front fender tends to seize and break out or possibly rust away.
The cab floor seam around the area where your feet hand tends to rust. If the cab floor looks like it has a hump in it really check the integrity of the front cab mounts under the floor.
The doors tend to rust away the lower inner area where the hinge bolts on. Also the web of steel in the window channel behind the vent window, also cracks.
Just a few spots. Really check it out after sandblasting. On that topic ensure the sandblaterhas done auto bodies before so you dont end up with a warped mess.

[vics stuff]

dsraven , I have been around these trucks for decades and always have had a soft spot for them. I have 3ea Nevada trucks and one is going to be my project truck , the 55 Chevy. I am one of those guys that do 99% of the work , thank you for the heads up on those prone to rust areas.
Plans are to run a patina body with LS power and tube IFS and 4 link in the rear.
Should be a fun shop truck for my business.
Vic

[dsraven]

sounds like you have good access to parts. nice. do you have the room to disassemble and store the extra body and parts till you get your driver complete or will you be taking apart and selling what you can as you go?
will you drop the truck as well? enough to need a C notch in the rear? just curious because, as you probably already know, the way these front fenders are built with a tapering wheel opening on the rear side and a more rounded curve on the front side, the tires tend to look like they are stuffed too far back if you keep the axle center line in the stock location and drop the body over the tire.
have you looked at front suspension options? it is good to do some home work first so you know how the geometry needs to be before you start that section. heidts has a good write up in their tech tips section at the back of their online catalogue. it gives a good description of how IFS works and what to watch out for. I have installed an aftermarket IFS in a 57. it arrived at the local Canadian supplier and I picked it up. not too many instructions other than cut this, weld that and place here. it didn't look right as I mocked it up and I could get limited info from the manufacturer so I ended up figuring out myself that it was probably for the wrong year of truck. long story short I finessed it to work properly with the correct geometry. I am a licensed mechanic so I dusted off the old brain cells and figured it out. here are some things to think about when the time comes.
-put together a game plan of what you want it to look like before you start. think of rake angle, tire size, wheel offset and ride height especially. brake diameter, wheel bolt pattern, air ride, upgraded shocks, wall thickness of the tubular control arms, quality of ball joints and their sealing boots, whether the control arm pivot holes are simply holes drilled in the cross member or if they are a complete tubular bushing, power steering or manual, bolt on or weld in, complete kit or crossmember only and you add suspension stuff from a different supplier etc etc. ask about a complete set of instructions with a blueprint of the main points as a bonus so you can check dimensions and angles if needed. also a tech help line or some other support mechanism should you need it. front end alignment specs would be good to know as well.
-dissassemble everything off the frame so you have a bare clean frame free of oil, grease mud etc etc. it would be good if you have some help here or make a tool for youe engine lift in order to remove the front clip in a single piece. that way it can be randomly placed back on the frame when you are setting up your IFS cross member, the same for the cab, if you make a tool to lift the cab easily with your engine lift it will make life so much easier later. it is not required to have the doors on the cab, a bare cab is fine and easier to manoever. cross bracing the frame would be a good idea before you cut any cross members away. a side to side brace across the front is good to have since a lot of guys opt to remove the stock cross member under the engine.
-set the frame up on some sturdy blocking in such a way as to leave clearance in the critical areas you will need to remove the suspension etc. personally I modified a set of jack stands to accept some big threaded rod so I could micro adjust the height at all 4 corners. set it at the rake angle you decided on and level it up side to side. I really recommend a digital level for this because the old bubble levels can be off some depending on the quality of the tool and the life it has had and also because the angle that you look at the bubble can change how it looks between the lines on each side of the bubble. in other words, if you ALWAYS look at the bubble level straight on then it's better but if you change the angle that you look at the level then the bubble can look like it is in a different spot between the lines on the glass, if that makes sense. the digital level has an LED screen so it doesn't matter what angle you look at the screen from. also the digital will be accurate to 1/10th of a degree and they usually have a laser built in to one end. a short digital torpedo level can be cheap and also laid on top of a longer level for longer spans, like side to side on the frame rails, so it can be used on short areas like the lower control arm tubing when setting up the front end for ride height. using the same level throughout the build should give better results than using several levels that are not calibrated the same. its a good idea to check any level before you start by laying it on a level surface, like the counter when the wife isn't looking, then flip it end to end across the same spot on the counter and see if it reads the same.
-once the frame is set upon stands etc, you can remove the suspension parts. I recommend to mark your stock axle center lines before you remove parts and also take pics as you go. read the installation paperwork for your brand of IFS before you start so you are clear on how they do their dimension checks (like from what point on the chassis). a lot will determine your front axle centerline from the stock front spring hangers. that would suggest to leave the stock hangers in place until your IFS is bolted or welded in.
then check the frame for square by doing a dimension check from corner to corner. you can be out 1/8" according to the factory manual. it is important to use a measuring tape that doesn't stretch and also have your helper hold it in exactly the same spot on each side. a narrow tape is actually better for this because the end of the tape will have less chance to be placed in a different way, off center on the tape.
next check the frame for a sideways bend by first marking each cross member at it's mid point side to side. then run a string line or laser from the mark on the front cross member to the mark on the rearmost cross member. all the marks between should line up. next put an equal height spacer on top of each frame rail on each corner of the frame. a 2 x 4 block would likely be tall enough to for a string line to clear the bump over the rear axle. then run the string line (works better fo this than the laser) or laser fore to aft to connect the front block to the rear b lockacross the top of each block on each frame rail. use another block of the same thickness to check under the string or laser as you follow along the length of the frame. the string or laser should be just touching the top of the block as you place it randomly along the frame as you go fore to aft. that will check for sag in the frame.
-once you have confirmed the frame is straight and has no sag, and it is set up level side to side and at the rake angle you have chosen then you can start the mock up of the IFS and 4 LInk,
-I am not sure if you have chosen a style of IFS but think about the different styles before you buy. a cross member that incorporates the upper and lower control arm mounts into the cross member as a single part would mean less work for you to set up the assembly and also less chance of getting something off a bit. there are a few angles that need to be correct so the front end can be aligned and function properly. caster, camber, anti dive, kingpin inclination, scrub radius etc. when an alignment is done they do adjustments to 1/10th of a degree. so if you have the chance to off load some of that figuring then why not. some of these cross members actually bolt in so that would mean you don't have to worry about your welding skills or hiring a welder for peace of mind and liability concerns. also, there are a few differences in how the upper control arm pivot shafts are placed and adjusted for camber etc. some have the shafts sitting flat on a horizontal surface and held on using T bolts and a few users complain this style has a tendency to move when a front end heavy truck hits a pot hole or some other heavy hit. other styles will use a vertical surface to mount the shafts to and use shim packs between the shaft and the mount. this seems a little tougher than the other style using T bolts in slots on a horizontal plate to locate the shaft. others will say they have the T bolt style and have not had a problem. it is good to figure out your track width and style of wheels you want to run with the ride height you want to run. if you get an IFS that is too wide or narrow for your wants then it could affect the depth of the wheel dish (offset) you can use and not run into "tire hits fender on turn over bumps". this is where some research into steering geometry will help you get a good riding, stopping and steering truck when done. ask about what wheel diameter and offset the IFS is set up for. straying to far from that will mean your scrub angle will change which can make the unit want to follow every crack in the road and can provide too much or not enough steering feedback. some cross members have a rake angle built into the cross member so that would also be important to know. I recommend to use long lower control arm pivot bolts or some shafting of the same size as the spot to place your level across for the side to side levelling. the bolts or same sized shafts can be placed in the pivot holes so they stick out the front of the cross member far enough that a level can be placed across both shafts for accurate reading of reality. some will pace the level on top of the cross member but that is assuming the top of the cross member and the shaft centerlines are exactly in the same plane. if the shafts are long enough to protrude out far enough accurately your level can also be placed on top of the shaft in a fore to aft perspective to check the rake angle or level of the cross member that way as well. usually the lower control arm needs to be level side to side and fore to aft when the vehicle is at ride height. when assembling the suspension some threaded rod can be used in place of the front shocks in order to keep the suspension pinned at ride height. a set of wheels and tires (of the diameter you expect to use when done) is an asset so you can install them during mock up and eyeball your tire "look" in the fender wheel openings when at ride height. of course you will need to bolt down the cab (use new non squished out mounts under the cab and rad support) and be able to place the front clip on the frame to do this step. for a cab lift I use a set of 2x6's wide enough to span the cab width side to side. these can be attached to your engine lift and placed so you can lift the cab from the door openings and the weight of the cab will easily hang below the lifting point so it doesn't try to flip when you lift it.

ok, sorry, I got carried away there.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=507323

https://www.hotrod.com/articles/inde...nt-suspension/

https://www.motor.com/magazine-summa...20illustration).

check page 91 here
https://www.heidts.com/wp-content/up...on-reduced.pdf

[dsraven]

do you have pics of these old trucks?

[vics stuff]

At this point I can not find any pics of my 3 trucks. As for the space , I have a 8500 square foot shop which I build my vehicles in. I have a chassis fixture that is adjustable to fit any frame chassis set up , which is where I will set up my truck chassis. Just completed a all steel 1932 Ford 3 window coupe with Heights Super Ride II front IFS with a triangulated 4 link in the rear. That is how I would like to set this truck up as well. My plans are to move the front centerline of the suspension 2" forward to change the wheel opening appearance .
dsraven thank you for your tips on this truck. When I am done I will be selling parts or entire vehicles to make way for my next project.
Vic

[dsraven]

Ok, I guess you've been around the block then
8500 square feet? Wow, nice.

[dsraven]

2" ahead of stock is what I set mine up for on 57 with 2" drop spindles on MII IFS with air ride. Looked right to me. 8" road clearance at the front of the rockets, 2 deg rake angle.

[dsraven]

Rockers sorry. Auto correct isn't always correct.

[vics stuff]

Always open for tips. This old dog still can learn something.
Vic

[dsraven]

have you seen this site before? lots of brackets and parts as well as kits for bars etc.

https://welderseries.com/?_vsrefdom=...SAAEgLwJ_D_BwE

[dsraven]

here is another site, in BC, that may interest you. they build frames and other hotrod parts. I have seen their frame for a 55-59 chevy, they are nice and well thought out. all corvette stuff, rebuilt actual GM stuff. laser cut sheet welded to make a frame on site. CAD dollars.

https://www.canadianhotrodsinc.com/frames-chassis/

[vics stuff]

dsraven , Thank you for the web sites on these suppliers. Al lot of cool stuff out there.
Vic