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I read through the whole thread and caught that you said your tire size was 255 60R16 and included a pic of the rear fender just after it went on... but also I remember you said the front tires were smaller but I can't find what their size was? I like the stance on your truck and I 'm trying to pick tire/wheel/wheel back spacing/rear axle flange to axle flange measurement now on my 51 and I am wondering if you would be so kind as to list what your tire/wheel/wheel b.s. is and any rear end width data you may have?
After doing some searches it seems there are always several members dealing with this very conundrum at the same time and after seeing how nice your truck came out it probably help more than a few of us from ordering wrong tire/wheel combos/rear end combos. Thanks for your time.
As you said the rears are 255 60R16, fronts 215 65R16. Front flange to flange distance is 59.5" and wheels are 7" wide with a 4" backspace so are 0 offset so track is also 59.5". Fronts in a medium turn into a driveway that has a bump will just rub the inside of the fenders in the front where the upper and lower fender join. I am going to increase the caster which should cure this. Rear has a flange to flange distance of 61.5" with a 8' rim and 4.25" backspace so have a -6mm offset. This increases the track .25 inches per side so rear track is 62" with good clearance inside and out.
Front flange width 59.5" and track 59.5"
Rear flange width 61.5" and track 62"
Hey, Rick, just out of curiosity, why did you d3cide to go with a ‘53-‘56 crossmember instead of a ‘48-‘52 unit? I saw it mentioned a few times through the build, but never saw where you mentioned why.
I called TCI to order a Mustang 2 front suspension for a 1952 F-1. With the upgrades I was doing they suggested I do their custom IFS as it had better geometry and was a one piece cross-member with both upper and lower control arm mounts built in, for a couple hundred more than I was spending. I thought it a good idea but they no longer made a custom IFS for 48-52 trucks only 53 and later. They told me track was the same and the only mod was for the width of the frame. I'm glad I went with the custom IFS though it was a little more involved with installation due to the frame mods and I don't really use all it's capability, have to admit though it corners better than a 66 year old truck has a right to.
This is why the first thing I did after buying the 51 was join an appropriate forum
This forum was an immense help to me when I was building Belle. Even with all the help there are always things you come across where the answer is illusive.
Because I used a front suspension from a 53-56 F100 when I made a slight turn into a driveway and hit a bump the front tires would just touch the inside of the fenders. I change the front wheel backspace from 3.75" to 4" and they don't rub now. Someones going to get a nice pair of wheels.
I think the only thing I would do different is to go with manual brakes. The power is OK but not necessary. Because Belle has the stock pedals you can't rest your heel on the floor when braking. The harder you are on the brake the more your weight transfers to the brake pedal starting a cycle that continues until your eyes pop out.
Rimrock, I like to hearken back to your thread as it is still one of my favorites. I bought the same booster and master setup as you but I am running discs front and rear. I remembered you saying you didn't love your setup. Well I am having a hard time with mine, my first prop valve was bad so I got a new one that seems to be working but I can't get a hard pedal to save my life. I've bled the heck out of the lines but still can't get it to stop well and pedal is going almost all the way down to floor. Are you liking yours any better? I also wish i would have gone manual at this point.
One time I mounted the rotors with the bleed screw on the bottom instead of on the top.
haha, I've checked that in the 10 times i've bled them. I have an explorer rear end and the calipers have bleeder that are near the top but pointing inwards toward the differential. I even unbolted the caliper and held it so the bleeder was pointing toward the sky to try bleeding it that way.
I bought Belle sight unseen a couple years ago for my wife. We have enjoyed driving her as is while we accumulated the parts needed to make Belle a classic truck with modern running gear.
Fortunately my wife's plans and mine were the same so conflict (I would loose) has been minimized. We bought the best truck we could afford. This has already saved us countless hours repairing damage and rust.
Plans for Belle:
Modern engine, we chose a Ford coyote as the cost was close to what we would pay for a good 302 with fuel injection.
5 speed transmission, Tremec
New front suspension, we went with a TCI custom IFS for 53-56 trucks (required modification).
New rear suspension, TCI 4-link.
Ac, Vintage air
Put the interior and exterior back to a close to original as is practical with our other goals. This includes upholstery, wheels and correct colors.
We will not be painting Belle other than correcting some of the colors and painting the fenders.
We have been working on her for a couple months now so I figured it was a good time to state a build thread. I will put photos in the next post. I have documented as much as possible, If there is something you would like to know more about I am happy to share.
why did you go with the front suspension kit for the 53 to 56, isnt it wider?
Last edited by JUSTBROKEIN; 02-22-2021 at 11:52 AM.
Reason: found answer already in thread
05-13-2018, 10:46 AM
