I am new here, I have searched the forum and found some good info on this site. I have some questions that I cannot find definitive answers to so I will pose them here. I want to know how to get the front of a 40 ford down to a respectable height. I have read that the 23" mark to the inside of the front fender is where I want to be. (lower is ok with me but lets go there first) So if I buy a 4" dropped axle, because dropping mine would deform it at the rate I am going, I would want the axle to be shorter over all than the stock one to give me some room for the wheels to turn, right? How much shorter is good? Next I'm looking at the springs, if I go with the Posie single how much will that drop the fron end? I would like to go to tube shocks and a panhard bar. I am in hopes to keep the factory sway bar and get "bent" steering arms. What else do I need?
I'm going to ask you a question about your car,,does it still the original engine and transmission and do you plan on changing it? HRP
100% original right now, I want to make it a driver, that will be lowered in the front and out back, I want to upgrade the brakes F100 style, out in a upgraded master cylinder. Dump some $ in the flatty and keep the drive train best I can. go with 15" wheels/tires some where around 195 in front 235 or better out back.
I have read that the 23" mark to the inside of the front fender is where I want to be. Hm, I've never heard that one before. Now you have me curious, I'll have to measure mine when I get home! I have a Superbell 4 inch drop axle with a stock spring with a couple of leafs removes and the spring eyes are reversed. It's pretty low and the tires do rub the fenders when I turn.
If you've got the $, I'd say call Pete&Jake's, they'll give you all the info and send you all the parts, nice guys that have done it all.Not that the guys here dont help,but I've found if you talk and buy at once to get it over with you dont spend alot of time scratchin youre head "planning'.Just do it,and move on.But lets see some photos of this thing!
I'm going in a different direction,since you are not planing any major drive train modifications I would suggest Chassis Engineering components,,they have a 4" narrow dropped FORGED axle for the 35-40 Fords. The mono spring if it is a reverse eye type will usually give you a extra inch,,the mono springs come with spacers that can be used above or below the spring to tune your ride height. You will probably need the new dropped spindles although you can heat and bend the originals steering arms. When I did this on my 40 sedan and my 39 Convertible I opted for the new 4' Dropped steering arms. HRP
If you are not going to split the wishbone, I'd go with a dropped original axle and a reversed eye main leaf in the original spring. Then drop the stock arms on the spindles. If you are going to split the wishbone, you will probably be dollars ahead to get a kit from Chassis Engineering that includes a new forged axle, new spring, and the wishbone splitting kit. They can also sell you the shock kit and separate dropped steering arms. Since you aren't changing the engine/trans, I see no reason to split the wishbone. I think a panhard bar is not needed on this car when you use a sway bar, either original or a new one from CE.
Here's my old 1940 coupe with 4" dropped axle and stock spring. 15" wheels with 205/75/15 tires If you want to go lower a reversed eye lower leaf will give you an extra 1" or so....
Weael, Thank SO much that is where I want to go. What did you do out back? Is that stock height? 205s on all 4 corners? that is a tire height of about 27" so your front looks like about 23" Nice ride!!!
I don't have the coupe anymore - just a 1940 Sedan Delivery now, but as I recall the rear was a Chassis Engineering kit with 2" lowering blocks and a 2007 Mustang 8.8". Front tires are 27.1" diameter and rear tires are 225/75/15 about 28.5" diameter. The coupe rode very nicely. My Sedan delivery rear end is the same combo but with Gabriel hijacker air shox instead of KYBs as I tend to load the Delivery more and it's a really tight fit with the 59" wide rear end. I can measure the fender height on the sedan delivery if that helps....
X2. I called and told them what SuperBell axle I already had, engine, trans and tire and wheel specs and they got me the right spring from Posies so it would sit how I want..
Mr. Weasel, I just saw your beautiful car on fordbarn and would like to know two things. 1. What brand disc brake set up did you use? 2. Where did you buy it? 3. Did the track width of your tires and wheels change after you installed it? I would like to install disc brakes on my axle but i don't want the wheels to be moved outward and closer to the fender as a result. Your car is a beauty. I tried to PM you but your box is full. Thanks, jim
Thank you for your kind words 19Fordy. The coupe or the Delivery? The coupe brakes were on the car when I got it but you might want to check with Speedway and ECI as both of them offer kits for early Ford spindle. I think ECI offers a kit that does not move the wheels from the stock position. The Sedan delivery has a Mustang II and I think i used an ECI kit on that but would have to double check. Let me know which car you are talking about....
I am not sure that I can ad to anything that has been mentioned but I have a question where do I find the book with the 23" dimension. Not trying to be an ass here I just have a question about the dimension and where I can find out that kind of information.
Prknbeaner The 23 " is a SWAG as to where I want to be after reading a ton of posts, and I want a 4" offset front to rear. It's not in no book it is just the look. Olscrounger, did you reverse the eyes? OL55, that is a "woodie"
tan 40 coupe has same setup. Woodie is a little higher in front and has 1 " blocks in rear. Black sedan has a reversed eye spring
The fender measurement is a lot of crap. The thing you should watch is is the clearance at the chin. For curbs, drives etc. 8" is a safe height. I got that with a Posies reversed eye spring and 195x65x15 front tires on 6" rims. If you ever priced a 39 grill you will see why I recommend 8" Good Luck
My 39 does not have a replaceable chin you have to repair or replace the grill. Thus the 8" recommendation. You can get the 8" with only a spring replacement, no need for a new axle or split bones, money I can spend on other things.
I agree. If you're leaving it all stock, get a stock axle dropped, swap it into your stock wishbone reverse the stock spring or buy a posies or CE spring for a stock width front end. Its a relatively painless bolt in deal. Oh and you'll have to bend or buy dropped steering arms. I believe that if you go w/ the CE axle, the perch bolt width is narrower, so you have to split the bones. call up Sid.... look him up at http://www.droppedaxles.com
I had just never heard it that way and figured that there was a new book out. Here are some pics of a perfect '50s built (completed in '54 as I have been told by the builder) '40 Ford. His approach as he told me when I was a young man was always ground clearance and that was before the time of the speed bump. Not to say that the 23" to fender lip approach is wrong I just wanted to post th pics.
Here are some pictures of my 40 sedan. It is all Chassis Engineering components front and rear. Dropped axle with split bones and reversed eye spring up front, parallel leaves in the rear. Drives great, rides decent like you would expect for buggy spring. But sits right in my mind... and its all about the look!
Chin pan is 4 in. from the ground. Fender lip is 23 1/4 in. Speed bumps and parking lots are not my friends. Click on pic. to enlarge.
I have always worried about the chin on my coupe and my pickup. I have decided to mount sensors in the front to warn me when I am getting too close.
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