• How to Install 1953-'56 Ford Pickup & '55-'59 Chevy Pickup Rear 4-Link


      Upgrade your rear leaf spring suspension to a fully adjustable 4-link suspension with our kit. With a 4-link suspension ride height is adjustable, and the chassis can be fine tuned. A 4-link suspension also rides much smoother compared to a leaf spring suspension and eliminates wheel hop, which leads to loss of traction. Kit includes coil over shocks, crossmember, frame and axle brackets, panhard bar, parallel 4-links and all mounting hardware. * Will only work with 3” axle tubes.
      PLEASE READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS THOROUGHLY BEFORE BEGINNING INSTALLATION

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      Parts List
      1 4-Link Frame Bracket (L&R)
      2 4-Links
      3 Axle Brackets
      4 Coil-Over Crossmember
      5 Coil-Over Mounting Bolts
      6 Coil-Over Shocks
      7 Panhard Bar Mounting Bolt
      8 Panhard Bar Axle Bracket
      9 Panhard Bar
      10 Panhard Bar Frame Bracket

      Installation Notes:
      1. Before removing the stock rearend and springs, mark the frame and take measurement as to where the axle centerline should be so that the tires will be centered in the wheel wells.

      2. Remove front spring mounts by grinding off rivet heads and punch rivet body through the frame. Drill out rivet holes to 7/16".

      3. Install the 4-link frame brackets (part No. 1) to the frame where the original front spring perch used to be. To determine left and right side bracket, the lower 4-link holes on the frame brackets have to be further forward than the upper holes.

      4. After tightening all of the 7/16" bolts on the frame bracket, drill out the frame, through the upper holes of the frame brackets to 5/8".

      5. Weld on the axle brackets (part No. 3) on the axles (36" apart), making sure that they are centered on the housing and that the rear side of the brackets (where the three holes for the coilover shocks are located) are parallel with the mounting surface for the 3rd member.

      6. Adjust the 4-links (part No. 2) so that they have 1/2" of the threads showing on the adjuster and install them on the rearend and frame. Install the lock nut for the front, upper 4-link mounting bolt on the inside of the frame rail.

      7. Raise the rearend to the ride height. Check your wheelbase and axle location.

      8. Install coilover shocks (part No. 6) to the rearend (with the threaded adjuster on the bottom), making sure that there is a spacer between the lower coilover mount and axle bracket.

      9. Remove the stock shock absorber crossmember and install the new coilover crossmember (part No. 4) on to the frame with the tube extension on the lower side of the crossmember and pointing forward. Line up the coilover upper mount to the end of the tube extension so that the coilover shock in not leaning forward or backward. Mount the coilover crossmember to the frame by drilling some 5/8" holes if there aren't any existing holes available.

      10. Install panhard bar axle bracket (part No. 8) to the rearend (on the top, passenger side) and install the panhard bar (part No. 9), with the adjuster on the frame side, on the axle mount.

      11. Install panhard bar frame bracket (part No. 10) on the driver side, inside rail by drilling two, 7/16" holes. Make sure that the panhard bar is perpendicular to the side of the frame as viewed from top. On certain Chevy trucks, you can use the existing three holes that are used to mount the axle rubber snubber.

      Article courtesy of Classic Performance Products Inc.