I'm wanting a truck and a hot rod so why not a hot rod truck? I found this 54 that has a 318/727/8 3/4 upgrade. I dig it but it needs to be lower to be cool. I can flip the rear spring perches to get a 3"-4" drop in the rear. What's my best plan of attack for the front? I can always do a Volare or Crown Vic sub frame swap but can I lower it. keep stock parts, and not mess up the steering? I'll post this in SR section too. Might be a better place for it but I thought I'd ask here too.

Move the front axle on top of the springs

You will need to clip the front of the truck. I had a 54 dodge truck years ago and I tried doing a flip on the front axle and it did not work Puts the axle to close to the frame, steering gear/column problems, etc. Being low on funds I pulled a couple leafs out of the front and it rode horrible. Looked better though. A Volare front clip works well, the guy i sold it to put a Volare front clip on the truck I had and it worked well.

Man, I wish those Volare clips would just go away! I put one under my 54 Dodge pickup years ago when they were the thing to do. It is not a simple, nor easy thing to do, and it puts the motor 6" into an already short cab. It also makes for horribly steering column geometry. The ride is soft & cushy, but feels very mushy if you corner even fairly hard. Also be sure you get the ride height where you want it before you weld everything up, the upward adjustment available with the bent torsion bars is minimum and only lasts a short time before your adjusting again, running out of adjustment after about the third time.

I drove my truck over 40,000 miles after the Volare clip, but a Dakota swap provides a better option and is much easier (I've done a couple of these as well). Gene

the crown vic will be too wide---the volare is alot of work to do right----however the front clip to a jaguar xj6 can be perfect---it takes 4 bolts (+ motor mount bolts) to drop it and it can lay beneath the dodge frame----on my 50 hudson it was narrow enough to allow wheel spacers to change the 4.75 pattern to the stock 4.5 pattern and still fit police wheels under the hudson---worse case scenario you can also use the jag rear----those rears are popular because they use a dana 44 center section and are stronger than a corvette rear.....

The Jag might work but you'll end up with the wrong wheel bolt pattern as mentioned. The hub is also huge so many 5 on 4.75 bolt pattern wheels won't fit. You could use wheel adapters.

The AMC Pacer IFS is another option and will fit a frame up to 34 inches outside to outside, has rack n' pinion steering and has the 5 on 4.5 inch bolt pattern.

Start looking for a clapped out Dakota. MUCH easier to find than a Pacer in any condition! Why don't you guys suggest a Corvair IFS? People used to use them back in the day.

NO, the Dak frame swap/stub swap is proving to be efficient and get good suspension. Why go anywhere else?

R.

Member on her used the Valerie dippy style front. Its its own contains setup. just make mounts and bolt on and work the steering aspect. He has a Video doing a Lovely Burnout. It a red and black truck

I guess I'm thinking old school here. Dropped axle, flipped spring eyes, that kind of thing. I just think it would be cool that way. (Probably going to cost more to do it this way though.) I'm mostly chasing rabbits and thinking things through before I commit to something. I don't want to be knee deep into this and be

SPEEDWAY