55.2-59 subframe question

[coody]

ok! I bought a 56 step side shortbase with a 85 la saber? frontend half-a$%
welded on but not motor.also the wheels were not centered in the fender.so I will cut it out and install a 72 fire bird front clip.how would one go about measuring to have this centered in the wheel well? any suggestions ?tks!!!

[mr48chev]

Lux Blue did this thread on Swapping the Camaro/ Trans Am subframe to a TF a few years ago and it was pretty much the go to definitive thread on it for quite a while.

You have to suffer though Photobucket branding his photos now but they still show what you need to know. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...ne-day.148978/

One thing I figured out when doing the two subframe swaps I have done on my own rigs is set the crossmember up on a block with the center of the crossmember the stock ride height for the donor, About 6-1/2 inches from the floor. Even if you have to remove the rear wheels set the truck at the ride height you want to end up with with it on blocks and slde the subframe up to it so you can figure out what height the subframe is going to mount up to the frame at.

This one my buddy did for a customer who wanted the truck super low. Far too low for most guys as the frame rail for the truck is going to be the same height as the bottom of the rail of the subframe putting it at about six inches off the ground at most.

https://photobucket.com/u/mr48chev/a...2-85910f302fb5

It might give you a few ideas.

Scroll down the page to the short stepside side shot and it gives measurements on the truck https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/doc...olet-Truck.pdf 114 inch wheelbase is what it calls for but Jim usually moved the wheels on the subframe an inch forward of that to better center them in the wheel well. He is in a nursing home now so I can't get an exact measurement anymore.

I think I would set the fenders on the cowl, stick a wheel and tire of choice in the wheel opening and move it around and stand back and move again until it looked just right and do some measuring from some solid reference points and go from there. It has to be what looks perfect to you and not necessarily what specs say.