Frame / Springs: Heidts cross-member kit?

[dokelle]

Anyone installed a Hedits crossmember stup in a 53 Starlight?

[DEEPNHOCK]

If you mean a Heidt's out of Palatine, Il...
I can tell you it is a classy kit.
Steve Doerschlag has a Heidt's front end under his 1937J5 street rod...
Jeff

http://www.heidts.com/

[Mike Van Veghten]

Again, most of these "kits" are much the same, very generic.
If you want the car to handle well, make it worth the swap, worth the time and money, you need to pony up more bucks and let them know your desires.
In general, they make nice stuff, but so do many others these days.

Beside the recipient cars dimensions, they'll need to understand that you want the car to handle better thAn the stock car did, and not just be a pretty bunch of new front end parts.
Rather than parallel control arms, they will end up at angles, looking from both the front AND the side. To do this correctly, they need a LOT of dimensions.
Otherwise, you'll get the generic stuff that can be had by the cheapest manufacturer making these parts, which will serve you only very slightly better than the OEM suspension. And actually, the Stude way of connecting the spindle to the control arms is much stronger than the "ball joint" method..!

If you do this, talk to a few manufacturers. Tell them you want the car to actually handle better than the car does in its original form. And that you understand that there is changes that they can make to the control arm mount locations to keep the outside front tire tread flat on the ground during hard turns and not roll under like a stock front end.

Take the time to actually learn about what you are spending a lot of money on. Learn about what the different suspension geometry does as it goes thru it's gyrations as you go down the road and into various turns. There's a few good books on the subject. Don't into this blind, or with just a little knowledge.

Otherwise, you may be better off powercoating and freshing up the stock parts. You'll be money ahead.

Just my nickles worth.

Mike

Heidts
Kugel
Alston
Art Morrison
And many, many others

[Captain Billy]

Check out http://www.industrialchassisinc.com/

[Xcalibur]

Puhn, F., 1981, How to make your car handle, HPBooks, Tucson, AZ. Still one of the best, imho. Possibly updated since my ol' ratty, well-used edition.

[kamzack]

My opinion,
I've used Fatman Fabrication on 4 street rods and a Heitds on a 66 Nove project in the past. Would put them at the top of my list. Good tech support as well.
Kim

[PackardV8]

As important as the manufacturer is the installation.

1. Never install your own as a first-timer. It's more difficult and more things to consider all at once than it might seem at first. I've seen some OJT where the result was dangerous, some undriveable, some weird stances, even one where the tires hit the fenders as soon as the steering wheel was turned.
2. Find a pro who's done a few, who has the tools; wire welder, grinders, lazer levels, angle levels, chassis plate.

3. Have a plan for the whole suspension system and all the parts in hand. This includes the wheels with mounted tires the car will be running, steering gear, rear axle and springs, new bushings, new shocks, anti-roll bars.

4. Set the stance first. There's one and only one chance to get the exact look and combine it with optimum handling.

jack vines

[rodnutrandy]

I had a 33 willys coupe I put Mustang II (actually Pinto ) suspension under , On it I had to narrow the cross member and rack 6 inches. Also had a 36 Ford sedan with Mustang II under it. Both drove great, neither had power steering, but wasn't needed. The Willys was taken to the national's South the week after I got it together. I do agree fatmans or Heidt's can build what you want and make it as nice as you can afford.

[Pancho]

Hey Jerold, How serious are you about putting in a front end in your 53? The reason I am asking is I am going to put in a front end as well in my 53 hardtop. I have been looking into my options and trying to educate myself by talking with folks with experience in suspensions. Let me share with you what I have concluded so far. If you just want to have a car which drives down the road easily and handles well then just rebuild the stock front end and do the Turner brake kit. If you want to bump it up a notch or two then lets talk. I am just getting in contact with Art Morrison's shop to ask them to build me something better than the off the shelf systems. I want to be able to drive my car with confidence on the twisty bits of road. I have always had old cars and love to drive them and I don't mean to the local car show and back. Having driven open wheeled race cars I know what a well set up car can do. I'd really like to have a bit of that feel and have confidence in the car.
If you're game and want to hear what AM has to say, hold off on your purchase for a short time. Follow along and lets see where this road takes us. If they are going to build two of the same thing we might be able mutually benefit from it by getting the price down. Maybe not but it's worth a try!

[dokelle]

Most of the stuff Art builds is more to the competition side and full frame setups. I want the disc brake setup and rack and pinon but was hoping to find something that did not require a frame clip. I have not gotten too deep into it yet as the car will be here this weekend. If I was to do a clip the Industrial Chassis setup looks good. I plan on a trailblazer rearend with disc and was hoping for someway to put power brakes on it without the firewall deal, but that looks limited. But as far as being interested in the AM consider me in and we wll see where it goes...

Jerold

[ralt12]

Art Morrison '53 chassis

[Pancho]

I'm hoping to only do a cross member with AM. I'm thinking about a hydro boost braking system. I'll probably loose a little modulation in the pedal but should be a good option.
That chassis looks like it will do the trick. Is that a full frame made by AM or front and rear clips? I'd like to know more about this one. I heard he made one for his wife's car but the chassis never went into production due to the lack of interest ($$$) in it.

[ralt12]