1955 Chevy Road Test - Page 2

1955 Chevrolet 210 Sedan Performance and Specifications

The 1955 Chevrolet feels as good as it looks. Lower to the ground, with a vastly improved suspension, the car stays snug to the road at all speeds up to 70 mph. Over that figure, there is a little sidesway and the passenger car type of springing shows up when the car hits bumps at high speed. The new ball-joint front suspension holds the wheels tight into curves and bends, regardless of heel-over in the body. Drivers who navigate curves by the seat of their pants will find that less caution will have to be used when diving into corners and negotiating tricky mountain roads. The test car had power steering as standard equipment and the reduced amount of wheel travel gave test drivers the impression that they were handling a car which had been especially set up for the Mexican Road Race.

In the rear, Chevrolet engineers have added to the stability of the passenger cars by adding nine inches to the length of rear springs, giving them a total length of 58 inches. By repositioning those springs further outboard of the chassis, the engineers have indicated that the Chevrolet Corvette made a good test study car, for it is a move directly from that model.

One of the most unusual aspects of the new suspension system is Chevrolet's anti-dive factor. A control arm geometry cancels out most of the objectionable nose-spin aspects of braking. The 1955 Chevrolet rolls to a flat, level stop—in controlled braking procedures. Comparison photograph shows the difference between the "tails up" attitude of the '54 and the level '55 when quickly braked at the same speed.

1955 models have ball-joing front suspension with "anti-dive" features. Note how the '55 stays level, '54 "dives" braking.

Frame for the Chevrolet V-8 uses a new design, stiffer side members and a better placement of engine mounts. Side members of the strengthened frame have been located over a foot further apart at the narrowest point and have been brought four inches closer together in the rear.

In an interview with a frame engineer, the MOTOR Life test staff learned that the new frame had been built with engine vibration and a resistance to frame twist in mind. To reduce engine vibration, the new engine is now mounted on four, instead of last year's three, mounts. The front mounts are the strut-type and are attached to brackets on each side of the cylinder block at the lower corners. Rear mounts are located between the lower rear edges of the clutch housing and short brackets cantilevered from the frame side members. Rubber insulation is used heavily—and is effective. When idling, the Chevrolet engine is noiseless and vibrationless and at 65 mph, the only vibration to enter the passenger compartment stems directly from road conditions.

Glass area in the four door sedans totals a surprising 24.5 square feet—a lot of visibility for any car. Partial addition to this is the new wrap-around windshield which, in itself, increases windshield area 19 percent alone. Visibility across the flat hood is excellent, although the upward-sloped hood could Have been designed in reverse to allow more "close" visibility to the car.

1955 Chevy Road Test continued on Page 3