HELP!!! 62 front suspension.

[GR82BME]

I just got back my front cross member and upper a-arms back from the power coater, it was donated from a 79 chevy truck. I thought before I remove the torsion bars and the rest of the front suspension I would measure it, and it appears to be 1/4 to 3/8" gap for each side. Is this the way it is suppose to be? do you have to use any spacers to fill in the gap? Any pictures or advice would be greatly appreciated. I live in Broken Arrow Oklahoma if any one is thursty for a beer and want's to see what I have going on.
Thanks Derek

[protrash64]

I havent done this conversion, and I'm not familiar with doing it on a '62. I know some people have really had to wrestle the frame rails around to get that thing in. Others it sits in perfectly. I would check your frame for square and make some marks/measurements before disassembly.

I dont see why a spacer would make any difference once the whole assembly is bolted in and tightened up. Maybe just a little more effort for drilling.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Captainfab]

I've not done the crossmember swap on a '60-'62 either, but it seems like some guys have had to pull the frame over to bolt up to the crossmember. This was because the frame had sprung in when the old crossmember was removed.

[tonythezeek]

hmmm i dont know. I have a 62 and did the crossmember swap about a year ago with a crossmember from ether a 75 or a 79 (cant remember which one.. looked at sooo many parts and have had sooo many beers since then). I really dont remember if there was a huge gap but i did notice that there was a little bit of space between the frame rails and crossmember. I didnt think too much of it at the time...but now i'm wondering...

...<sigh> maybe i should save up and buy a Porterbuilt?

[GR82BME]

So when tightening the bolts, you just pulled the frame out to the cross member? Well I have everytning disconnedted from the engine and tranny, so I will be pulling that tonight, along with the front suspension, so I guess I will see what is going on then. Thanks for the help guys

[joe231]

so your frame is narrower than your cross member?
I think after you tighten it is should be fine, the is only 3/16th's on each side.....I have heard of people having the opposite problem...the frame was wider than the cross member and they had to compress the frame to get it in the member....

[1Bad62Pro/Street]

GR82BME,

Do you have a picture of your front end, and tell me all what you have done so far. Let me see a front view of the setup, and that crossmember.
I have a Mustang II IFS Clip on my 62.

Thanks,
Big "B"
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=321173

Chevy Truck Trailing Arms & Crossmember Kit, 1960-1972
Replacement Trailing Arms & Crossmember
For Lowered Trucks Only
For Coil Spring Rear Suspension Only
Bolt-In Installation
Works With One Or Two Piece Driveshafts
http://www.ecklerstrucks.com/product...4&dept_id=1828

1962 Stuff
http://www.chevychevy.com/pages/62_Chevy.htm

[GR82BME]

I have some with the motor in, and hopfully after tonight I will have some with the motor out. I will try and post some pic's then. Its been awhile since i posted pics, so I will have to remember how to do that.

[1Bad62Pro/Street]

Originally Posted by GR82BME

I have some with the motor in, and hopfully after tonight I will have some with the motor out. I will try and post some pic's then. Its been awhile since i posted pics, so I will have to remember how to do that.

Sounds good Bud!

[GR82BME]

I havent loaded pictures in a while so I hope this works

[GR82BME]

Well since that seemed to work I thought I would load up a few more

[GR82BME]

Oh, ignore the date, I'm stupid when it comes to electronics

[1Bad62Pro/Street]

I am looking on my Blackberry. So is that a front clip of a later model chevy? Or am I seeing wrong. Everythings minimized on my screen.

[markeb01]

Following is a link to details of the install on my 1960. After recently replacing the power steering box I'm convinced the donor front end came out of a 1975 rather than a 78. I did the swap 10 years ago so I don't remember the frame having a gap either way. Seems mine was tight and I needed a cheap cable puller to pull it into position. Good luck.

http://sixty7ss.proboards.com/index....lay&thread=633

[1Bad62Pro/Street]

markeb01,

Cool front end swap! Nice Thread post on the swap! I wished I had more pics of my IFS swap, but wasn't thinking at the time.

[Captainfab]

Originally Posted by GR82BME

Well since that seemed to work I thought I would load up a few more

Well all I am seeing here is your original suspension installed. Do you have any pics of the new suspension crossmember installed and the gap in question?

[Captainfab]

Nice writeup on the swap. Thanks for sharing that.

Originally Posted by markeb01

Following is a link to details of the install on my 1960. After recently replacing the power steering box I'm convinced the donor front end came out of a 1975 rather than a 78. I did the swap 10 years ago so I don't remember the frame having a gap either way. Seems mine was tight and I needed a cheap cable puller to pull it into position. Good luck.

http://sixty7ss.proboards.com/index....lay&thread=633

[GR82BME]

I haven’t installed the new suspension yet, I was just doing so measuring and saw that there was a difference in the dimensions

[Oklahoma]

can anyone tell me where to locate the shock's after the new cross member has been installed? some pics would be great. Thanks

[joe231]

Originally Posted by Oklahoma

can anyone tell me where to locate the shock's after the new cross member has been installed? some pics would be great. Thanks

what year?

I know the 63-66 shocks mount to the frame like the 67-up trucks, are the 60-62 shock mounts different?

[Oklahoma]

yea, its a 62, I changed out the cross member for a newer style and I can tell where the shock mount on the frame will be in the way of upper a-arm, or at least it seems it will

[joe231]

sorry, my knowledge and experience with the '60-'2 frames is very limited....some one on here will know though....
And, from a fellow Okie....be sure to check out the Oklahoma section, there is a link to it in my sig

[Revin68]

Torsion bar frames are indeed narrower. They also use a different front bumper because of this. I will be doing this same swap on my 60 and plan on using plate as spacers, equal amounts on both sides to fill as much of gap as possible. I'm in Midtown and would love a beer =) PM me and we'll figure it out.

Thanks,
Robert

[Oklahoma]

Hey thanks for the info, after I put the cross member up on the rails the difference wasnt that much, about a 1/8" on either side, so I just pulled it together. One thing I did notice is that 8 holes will have to be redrilled.