4 link Kit for 55-59 Chevy Truck

[56ChevyPu]

I have a '56 Chevy Truck SWB SS, and I lowered the rear by removing some leafs from the springs, the axle roll is really bad and would like to change everything over to a 4 link. I don’t want to spend a 1K bucks doing it. Can anyone recommend a pre fab’ed 4 link, that’s made as a drop in for this year truck. It’s original frame and springs, the axle is a 12 bolt GM works on existing leaf mounts. I might bag it later that’s why I don’t want stiffer springs and want the smooth ride. I have access to a welder and cutting tools so if it requires work, I’m all in I have more time than money. Thanks RRG.

[Rude Dude]

Heidts has one

http://www.heidts.com/part/55-59-che...4-link-rb-110/

[56ChevyPu]

will check out thanks Rude Dude

[tinydb84]

For a premade kit 1k isn't going to get you a ton. You can look at AVS or AZperformance for a universal kit for MUCH cheaper. I got mine through custom connection for a good price and great quality.

[56ChevyPu]

Thanks David i chk them out

[ChuckDriver]

You can put on together yourself with parts from here:

http://www.welderseries.com/blog/onl...pension-parts/

[56ChevyPu]

Thanks jj for the link

RG

[tmoble]

welder series, a good way to see how much this stuff really costs.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Just chiming in from the side lines:

Does anyone have a link to a site that has an explanation of four link rear suspension and why I should want this?

On my build thread I related my ifs is going in (hopefully very soon) and I'm planning on just flipping the rearend on top of the leaf springs. But if I SHOULD consider a better, more sophisticated rear suspension I'm all ears.

[yossarian19]

4 links use coil springs or, better yet, coil overs. These will handle more like a car and offer more / easier adjustment than leaf springs though at the cost of some stability. Enter the rear sway bar, you've got a much faster / smoother handling truck that doesn't like to carry freight as well.
A 4 link also resists axle wrap, where under acceleration the pinion will want to rise and twist the springs up. A traction bar (a single link) can be added to a leaf suspension to limit axle wrap, too - but you get none of the other benefits of a coil spring rear.
Leaves are still used in many trucks / SUVs for a reason. They are also missing form a lot of SUVs, again, for a reason.

[1-ton of fun]

i like the no limit 4-link, i'm suing a modded version of it. i didn't use their panhard or coil-over mounts, i did something i like better. although my bilstein coil-overs were expensive, so i'm sure i have over $1k in the rear suspension

[56ChevyPu]

Well kind of to answer Dan's question of why i'm looking into a 4 link vs. my current setup which are original leaf springs. But the problem lies in the poor man’s way I lowered it, by removing every other leaf which added up to about 3. Well to repeat what Yossarian19 mentioned, I have really bad axle wrap now. I have to really be careful with my lead foot, although the truck rides really smooth with some air shocks if I really lay on the pedal hard from takeoff, I’m sure I will break a yoke. I’m not concerned about hauling stuff because that old truck has been retired from any heavy hauling for about 20 years. Most I load in the bead now is a cooler, spare and a couple of bags depending how far the show is.

I’m really thinking of a triangulated 4 link just to give me the flexibility of dropping it lower in the future if I decide too. Triangulated 4 link avoids the use of the pan hard bar but installing a sway bar is still a good idea if you drive fast or on the hwy a lot like I do. They sale mono leaf springs but from other forums I read that most of them suck and they pull them right out, and I just don’t like the look of traction bars.

So depends on what engine you will install and your driving habits and how low you pan on going. If you never put your foot in it, IMO the setup I have right now is perfect with air shocks. I will try to upload some pictures tonight, the truck no longer looks like the aviator or the link pics, in 2011 I dropped it about 4” in the back and 3 in the front, it’s flat back for now but it is still unfortunately work in progress.

I have gotten some good ideas of what I plan on doing from all the reply’s, appreciate it fellas.

[1-ton of fun]

I don't know why you would want to avoid using a panhard bar. I'd always take one over a triangulated 4-link, there's too much bind in one. I don't know why they are so prevalent

[reaper71]

This my 4 link it is a welder series Me and Dad (oldman3) have used 4 of these so far they are easy to set up and fairly cost effective the only thing i would do diff. Would maybe change up the configuration of upper bars. Run them wide on the axle to a cross bar on the frame this will give you more room for exhaust.

Mark...

[Toby Hines]

Can a diagonal link be used for street driving with a 4 link?

[yossarian19]

Depends what you mean by diagonal link.
If you mean a triangulated 4 link, yes - sure. The only reason I'm aware of that they aren't used more commonly is it's harder to get the geometry right and harder to package the thing on a chassis and on the axle. In the 4x4 crowd the dual-triangulated 4 link is King - it needs no panhard bar and can flex quite a lot if set up correctly.
For street rods, the suspension travel is usually pretty small and a parallel 4 link + pan hard bar works just smashingly, and is easier to design + package + sell + install. For suspension articulation, not so much - but then, not many people on this board are in it for the rock crawling.

[1-ton of fun]

yeah, mine's a city mouse...probably won't leave the pavement.

first you need to lay out what you want the vehicle to be capable of, then design from there.

major articulation is king off road.

on the pavement, goals are more like predictability of vehicle handling as you approach the limit. elimination of binding is a big one as triangulated 4-links have major issues here when not using pliable rubber bushings, or spherical bearings/hiems. the upper links basically have to get longer or have to travel on a different axis than what is perpendicular to the link (if that makes any sense)

the smartest thing, i think, is to build in adjustability, so you can tune the suspension once the truck is all together, if you are switching to a link style suspension. if not, then a panhard, and long "traction" bars can also go a long way for handling, and controling the axle movements. that is how my other hot rod truck is set up.

[oldman3]

Originally Posted by Toby Hines

Can a diagonal link be used for street driving with a 4 link?

I think this is what you are asking about. I know some kits come this way. My only concern is the size of the diagonal bar, most seem to small to me and would allow to much side to side movement....Jim

[Toby Hines]

Yeah thats my setup. Paralell 4 link with a diagonal link like drag cars use. Ive heard pros and cons but mostly cons on using them for street use. I do want to hit the twisties on occasion and maybe a little road course stuff to. The rest of my suspension should be ok.

[_Ogre]

Originally Posted by 56ChevyPu

the axle roll is really bad and would like to change everything over to a 4 link.

if axle wrap is your only concern and the truck runs fine you add a torque bar, ladder bar or traction bars to keep axle wrap in check
truk is lowered by flipping the axle on stock springs minus the overload springs (3 short leaves on the bottom)
when i got on the throttle the drive shaft would rub on the rear factory cross member
i added a torque bar and solved the axle wrap, my trans am rearend had the boss cast into it for this purpose
traction bars would accomplish the same thing


torque bar


traction bars




you can use a ladder bar but need to allow for difference of pivot points between the springs and ladder bars
use a shackle up front to allow for the pivot of the springs and ladder bar being at different points
this is similar to how i hooked up my torque arm with a shackle

[Highsider]

Man, this is a great group!

I had NO intention of learning anything tonight.

[56ChevyPu]

Sorry guys I have limited access and man busy busy busy, but really like all the responses and the photos.

Ogre, I have thought about the torque bar, actually in my mind I have probably built the rear suspensions a 10 times, 10 different ways. Thanks for the photos, is the photo of torque bar by Jay Kopycinski an off the shelf part that fits a 1956 Chevy SB truck?

Ok well my reason for going triangulated 4 link was thinking ahead if I was going to add bags placing the bags on the inside bars, not using a pan hard bar because that is just redundancy when using the triangulated, but that surly doesn’t’ mean I’m saying it’s better than a parallel 4 link with pan hard to answer 1-ton of Fun.

You all have me thinking of what actually to do about my rear-end, I do want to have the option to bag and lower later if I’m going to spend any money on it. And the last thing I want to do is, to change the setup again later. As reaper 71 mentioned that he would change things to get his exhaust room to run to the back…….I haven’t even thought about that…..and I like my exhaust to run to the back because on long runs it helps keep the noise and rumble down. So I might have to start thinking parallel 4 link with hard bar because my exhaust is already done.

For sure I will have to do one of these in the short term;
STOP putting my foot into so much
Or find the best, inexpensive way to stop the axle roll/spring wrap knowing it will be changed later.

Thanks again for the ideas and keep them coming, I have not bought anything yet and the longer I wait the more I have to spend so I guess the slow progress is working in my favor this time.

RG

[56ChevyPu]

[56ChevyPu]

ok, I have better pictures but man trying to learn how to add them on here and then post, well get the hand of it I think.

[IMG][/IMG]

[56ChevyPu]

This was when the truck was first finish in Flat black in 2011


This was the truck when my kids were 6 and 4, they are now 24 and 22, I have had the truck for 20 years in June of this year, my brother had it for 4 years before he was killed in an auto accident in 1992
[IMG][/IMG]