Trick Truck Suspension

Installing a Jaguar IFS in a ’55 Chevy Pickup

Awhile back, a friend called Don Shirer, the owner of Dream Cars, and asked him if he knew anyone who might want an old Jaguar. The car was free all you had to do was get the thing out of the owner’s yard. Shirer really didn’t want the Jaguar, but he knew that the front and rear suspension would be good street rod parts to have on hand. He brought the car home, stripped out the good parts and then delivered the shell to the local auto-wrecking yard.

The car was an XJ6 with the popular independent rear suspension and an A-frame-style coil-spring front suspension. Similar to many of the early Jaguars, the rear suspension cage could be easily removed from the chassis. The front suspension is also a bolt-in arrangement, so Shirer removed the entire suspension as a unit. The parts were put into a storage area and then Shirer started thinking about an old ’55 Chevy pickup he owned. He wondered if that Jag could be adapted to the truck. He made a few frame measurements and then measured the Jag unit. The Jag crossmember assembly would fit the framerails perfectly and the tread width would also be fine. Since Jaguars offer a very comfortable ride in the touring sedan, this seemed as if it would be a great swap for the truck.

The front suspension was complete with disc brakes, springs, shocks and steering, so this would be a perfect upgrade. There are no kits available to install this suspension, so Shirer had to find a way to do it on his own. We were there and watched as he installed this nice suspension system. The installation required a good assortment of hand tools, a plasma cutter, a MIG welder and a 5-inch angle sander. Here’s how it went.