2795 S.E. 23rd ¤ Lincoln City, OR 97367 ¤ Order (800) 824-1752 ¤ Tech (541) 994-7717 ¤ Fax (541) 994-2397

A GASSER INSTALLATION STORY USING INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS

All parts available separately

Now you can turn any Rust Runner into a gasser with a universal subframe from Jim Meyer Racing.

      Imagine, you're at the light lookin' like Stone, Woods and Cook with your gasser standing tall just ready to slam it to the wood and blow off the Benz and the Chevelle next to you. It's one of the greatest looks we ever had as car guys and gear heads… a Straight Axle Gasser that looks like it's flying when it's standing still. Find your cardboard creeper and get back under the car and tear the front end out of your ride and graft-in a new Jim Meyer universal gasser subframe tailored to fit the width of your frame rails. Universal is stretching the term a little, because Jim Meyer Racing Products in Lincoln City, OR, really tailors each sub to fit your ride's core support location, matches the width of your rails and welds the engine crossmember, with mounts, in the proper location as well, plus helpful grafting instructions.

     As you look through the photos, there are two ways to do this install. We offer a complete sub with all brackets welded in their correct locations for your chassis or start with a pair of subframe rails as shown in the story on this '39 Olds Coupe. All components are available separately so you can pick-and-choose, if you're a real builder, and want do it your way, like Jim did. The complete subframe kit includes front-and-rear leaf spring mounts on the rails for the 2500 lb. rated (for the pair) springs, tubular engine crossmember with any mounts, shock mount brackets welded to the sub and a jig-built tube axle (any width). The axle features new early Ford spindles with bolt-on Super Bell 2-inch dropped steering arms, new cross-steer Vega steering box with 2-inch dropped Pitman arm and cross-steer drag link and tie-rod. It features Wilwood 4-piston calipers with 11-inch rotors with a 5-on-4-3/4 or 5-on-4 1/2 wheel bolt-pattern to fit inside nostalgic 15-inch wheels.

     Depending on the year of your vehicle, you may need to modify the bottom of your column to accept the splined Vega steering gear, or modify your single chamber master cylinder brake system to the disc/drum system. They offer steering column hook-up kits, new ididit steering columns, and disc-drum master cylinder/proportioning valve brake kits that plumb into your existing brake system. If you don't have a dual chamber master cylinder and are still on a drum/drum stock brake system, no problem. Jim Meyer offers dual chamber M/C kits for firewall or under floor mounting that will bolt in place of the stock M/C (in most cases) and connect into your existing brake line system. It is complete with proportioning valve, plug for the stock front-to-rear "T", and a union to connect to the original rear brake line. Any of their parts are available separately. Ask about their tubbed rear Gasser Swivel Ladder-Bar subframe without all the Sixties ladder-bar binding problems. Either the front-or-rear Gasser subframes are intended for cars with a full length chassis, not factory front-or-rear subs. To graft the subframe to the stock chassis, it's a lot easier with the "front clip" (sheet metal back to the firewall) and the engine-and-trans removed. Jim recommends leveling the chassis where you are going to cut. Make some drawings with dimensions showing the locations of the front wheel centerline, core support holes, engine mount locations, height from the floor to the top of the rails in several places and measuring in an X-fashion to show the location and check-for-square between the front end of the rails and the first bolt in front of the firewall. With these points established the stock rails can be cut away.

     Tools you should have to complete the graft include a Saws-All, tig or mig welder, some "drop" metal to mold the graft into the new subframe (the stock chassis is usually larger then the new 2X4-inch box tube sub), grinder or body sander, level, square, large C-clamps, a hack saw and your basic shop tools. It will be very helpful if you have an air motor with cut-off wheel; since you'll need to pie-cut the corners of the old chassis where they will need to be pulled into-and-welded to the new box tube subframe (see the photos). Length of time depends on your experience level, tools, size of your work area and how much help you have. The graft could be done in a week end, but I wouldn't plan on driving it to work Monday morning. Plumbing the brakes and connecting the steering may take some extra time.

     After the graft is completed, the new component installation is pretty easy and will go together pretty fast. The spindles come fully loaded with bearings packed, rotors and hubs mounted with 4-piston calipers loaded with pads and safety wired. All you have to do is install the king pins through the spindles. One of the last things to do during assembly is to position the axle-cradles above-or-below the axle for the ride height you like best, set the caster and short-weld the cradle to the axle. This keeps it from rotating (under braking and steering) and establishes the caster.

     Your options include larger Baer or Wilwood brakes, steering column hook-up kits, master cylinder/booster/proportioning valve brake hook-up kits, new ididit or Flaming River tilt-or-non-tilt steering columns and the best option is to bring your ride over to Jim Meyer's shop. They will install the new subframe, connect the brakes and steering for you. Just drive in-and-drive out. They will install any of the products they make on your ride, even a new Gasser Chassis.

	(1) The look and the stance are everything and so are the 12-spoke ET-wheels (15X4 ˝) with a 5-lug pattern. Unlike the old hub-mounted 12-spoke, the new ones have a bolt pattern and are compatible with the front (disc) brakes in this kit. The 2-inch diameter x .250 (1/4") -inch wall axle is standard in track-widths of 56, 58 and 60-inches (any width available), while the pair of 27-inch long springs (eye-to-eye) are rated at 2500 lbs. and can go over or under the axle for the stance you like. Jim Meyer's '39 Olds is running a BB Chevy.
	(2) Complete subframes are available, like the tri-five Chevy sub shown here (left) or you can buy just the rails (right) and build it your way, like Jim did. The Straight Axle Gasser jig-built subframes are tailored to fit your chassis width and are complete with disc brakes, Vega box, Early Ford spindles, 2-inch dropped steering arms and Pitman arm, tie-rods, tubular engine-mount crossmember, axle, shocks and springs and core support for your application.
	(3) Any of the Jim Meyer Gasser components are available separately, like the engine crossmember and the new Vega steering box and mounting plate. Lower steering column modification kits and master cylinder hook-up kits specifically for this conversion are available from Jim Meyer to complete job.

	(4) Before you cut the rails, it's a good idea to make a drawing and take some dimensions of just where you should be when you install the new Gasser subframe. Measuring in an X-fashion, to locate the front of the rails from the firewall, is one of Jim Meyer's recommendations.
	(5) To find the core support location, measuring from the top of the firewall to the core support hole and measuring the height from the floor are the other critical dimensions.

	(6) Measure the length of the rails from the firewall and include the axle center line on your drawing. This is very important. If they don't have your chassis dimensions when you order, the Tech Department will fax or E-mail a spec sheet you can return with all you chassis info. So do some measuring before hand and get prepared. Know where the core support, axle center line and the engine mount holes should be.
	(7) To install the subframe, every chassis will be cut in a different location and usually just in front of the firewall. For the '39 Olds, Jim Meyer recommends measuring 13 ľ-inches from the first bolt in front of the firewall to make the cut line. Pick an existing firewall mount bolt (through the frame) just in front of the firewall to start all you dimensions.
	(8) The flat bar across the top of the rails can also be used to level the situation too. Here, it is used to get both cut lines correct.
	(9) Borrow or rent a Saw-All if you can. This makes the cleanest cut in a matter of seconds. Notice the line next to his cut. The extra material in front of the cut line can be used to mold it into the new subframe.
	(10) Take a dimension for your drawing, from the top of the rails to the floor incase something moves or you need a reference point. A level works great here. The extra material in front of the cut line ensures that the rails have plenty of material to wrap around the new rails.
	(11) It's time for a test fitting. Notice the existing line behind the cut. It's better to have too much material then not enough. Call this a safety factor. The instructions recommend about 2-inchs of insertion into the old rails
	(12) All your previous dimensions will help you get the rails straight and level now. Keep both rails level and check them separately for level too. Jim recommends keeping the new rails to the top outside corners (inside) of the old rails.

	(13) Once the rails are square and level, it's a good idea to tac-weld the rails at the top to hold them in the correct locations while grafting and pulling the remaining side of the old rails into the new rails. This is accomplished by making a pie-cut at the top remaining (inside) corner and then use a clamp to pull it in and tac-weld. Notice as he draws the pie-cut lines, he takes some material away from the top of the rail and goes back far enough on the side to mold it by pulling it in toward the new metal.

	(14) With the clamp removed, you can see the tac-weld on the inside and the finish weld at the top edge. This is why it's a good idea to leave a little extra metal beyond your original cut-line to make a smooth transition. The steering bracket can be checked for position at this point, but not welded permanently, yet.
	(15) To make a smooth transition, this is what you can do to close the gap at the bottom of the rails. Jim pie-cut a piece of 2x4 box tubing and welded it to the bottom of the rails. This idea makes more of a gradual transition between the two sizes.
	(16) Looking at the outside of the left rail, you can see the rear hanger (for the 27-inch long spring) has also been installed just behind the graft. The complete subframe is easier to install, instead of measuring and installing each piece separately as Jim did. Also in this view, the C-clamp around the rails is positioning the Vega steering bracket so it aligns with the end of the column.
	(17) After the graft is welded, the front-and-rear spring hanger brackets can be positioned based on the axle center-line in your drawing's dimensions. If you order the complete subframe, you won't be doing any of this. All the welding and positioning is done in the subframe jig, so all you have to do is the actual grafting/welding of the old rails to the new rails, then assemble.

	(18) When everything is installed separately as shown in this installation, the steering mounting bracket ended up going over the graft area. No problem, this way just makes the graft stronger with the 3/8-inch steering mounting plate. Bolt the Vega box to the mounting plate and clamp it on when it aligns with the column.
	(19) The Jim Meyer lower column hook-up kits will get your splined Vega worm gear steering shaft connected to a non-splined column shaft. This is accomplished by measuring and removing the steering shaft from the column and cutting the shaft to length and then grinding two flat sides on the bottom of the shaft to mate with the new Double-D U-joint at the bottom of the column. The kit includes a bushing a safety lock-ring. You can send your steering shaft to Jim and they will mill it for you.
	(20) This is what your finished job should look like. You can order your new rails with lightening holes in the sides as Jim did. Jim still has to fit the BB Chevy for position and weld-in the engine mount crossmember.
	(21) Looking in from the front of the BB Chevy engine, you can see all the components have plenty of working room. Notice the axle bump-stops Jim added on the inside edge of the rails. Also notice, the 2-inch dropped Pitman steering-arm gives a nice angle over to the (two holes) in the right spindle's steering arm.
	(22) Super Bell Early Ford spindles with 2-inch removable dropped steering arms and the Wilwood 4-piston calipers with 11-inch diameter rotors come completely assembled with bearing greased and safety wired with the Gasser kit, so all you have to do is install the king pin through the spindles. Axles are available any width.
	(23) The close-up of this axle cradle shows you that it can go on top or below the axle (as shown here). Caster alignment instruction with the kit will tell you how much to rotate the axle (about 7-degrees) to get the correct amount of caster and then short-weld the cradle to the axle last to prevent rotation.
	(24) Almost finished here except for the new ididit column yet to be installed and connected to the splined Vega box. Notice the smooth transition from the old rail to the new box-tube subframe. This is how you want your graft to look when finished.