Help a Rookie, please?!

OK, so I finally got "MY"(read my daughters) project truck. A complete '53 gmc 5 window pickup.First attempt at this, and of course, on a budget. The biggest problem I'm facing right now is lack of info/available parts for the 3/4 ton suspension. I need to discs up front. Any ideas?  

have fun buddy it is very hard to find 3/4 ton parts you best bet for front suspension is to get a clip of from a camero or something to that extent. i am parting out my 50 chevy 3/4 ton if you need any other stock parts let me now i am in michigan.  

Thanx for the reply so quick..I have a camaro clip, but in researching, it seems its going to cost about the same to rebuild everything as it would to buy a new prefab MII IFS setup. Any thoughts?  

the best place i think for a MII is with fatman i have tried cpp and so on but the best and most choises for it i have found to be fatman right now. just simply go to www.fatman.com i belive. have fun  

thanx, littlewitte...you pretty much confirm my suspicions. Now, to get the wife to buy off on it. Hmmm....  

most any gm front end will work...camaro probably being the best as far as frame rail alignment goes. i have a '76 nova front subframe under my '49 gmc. as far as the parts involved ...everything is available at the local patrs store,...ball joints, tie rod ends,pitman arm, idler arm,anti-sway bar bushings...etc. as well as all your brake component needs too. good luck,49gmc.  

My knowledge says that the Camaro etc clips are two wide for the narroe wheelbase of the 47-55 1st series.  Check with these folks:

http://www.martzchassis.net

Gary builds the VERY best suspensions  he is a race car chassis engineer!

My2-cents worth!

55-59 Nut Job  

Well good luck on what you find i have a 53 3/4 chevy i am leaving the stock suspension for then looks.But i am mounting a rack and pion for power steering.Ther is a place in Kansas city called Jim Carter classic truck parts he has lots of parts to help.  

Hey Jimmy,
I am building a 53 also but mine is a half ton. I am at the same point maybe a little further. I have done a lot of internet surfing and talked with a lot of guys. I was at a show this weekend and saw two trucks that graphed a G body clip (monte,regal,cutlass) and it looked really nice. They had a nice stance and good width to match the orignal frame rails. My advice is to ask a lot of questions and do your home work before making a decision. If you read my last post you will find a lot of guys talking about bump steer with the mustang II. Also there is a diffence between Pinto and Cougar kits for the Mustang set up. These trucks are easy and fun to build. Good luck with the wife LOL!
Take care
Jim  

Hmm, convincing the wife. The hardest part of any job...lol  

Pintos don't belong under trucks. Seems obvious when stated that simply.
I'd almost sooner switch the truck to a 1/2 ton stock suspention, reverse eye the springs, add power steering, and plenta disk brake conversions for that.  

My wife is the very same reason my truck is still sitting there it just needs a bolt kit to attach the front fenders and the starter rebuilt to be drivable, but yet it just sits there.  Oh well! hey maybe we should start a forum for classic truckers wives to preocupy them while we go get the parts.  

LoL! You guys are funny!! I am thinking of that country song where the guy had to decide between his wife and fishing and "i'am gonna miss her"  

lol.  

Hey guys. I have a 36 Fooord. Sorry. It's mostly stock. NO A/C. So I bought my Honey a 51 1/2 ton with a 350/350. Just put A/C in it. She is now as happy as a cub coon in a cornfeild. She works & I'm retired so I have to keep my HONEY HAPPY. Don't want UPS to go broke.

Will be asking lots of questions because Chevys are new to me.

Joe