Hello everyone! Hoping I can pick up a few nuggets of wisdom here. I have a 31 model a. Trying to soften up the front end. Rides super rough and tosses me around everywhere when I hit a nice bump or train tracks. Pretty sure the front end setup came from Butch's Rod Shop. These are the shocks I'm running, they were put on this car about 12 years ago, think its time for new ones? Still has decent resistance. http://www.butchscoolstuff.com/b-o-w-o-front-shock-kit-for-dropped-or-stock-axle-11312-139/ I dropped the 4 link last night and got all of them them set to equal length, they were a short on one side binding, .25 inch or so. Was thinking about adding an 1 in spacer above the front leaf spring and taking one leaf out? Any suggestions would be much appreciated!
Welcome to the HAMB. I think pictures of your setup would help a lot in getting answers and opinions. I'm not sure why you think you'd need a 1" spacer just for removing a single leaf spring. This is a 4 bar front end setup you're talking about here?
Thanks! So glad I found this forum!! Ok take a look below. I'm a backyard mechanic so by all means please tell me if you see anything or have any suggestions to help out. Yes. 4 Bar setup. Not sure what is going to help me here. A spacer, shocks, taking out a leaf, all of the above?
Update. Got the 4 link all even lengths and ready. Dropped the leaf spring last night, going to try and take a leaf out and maybe add a .5" spacer and give it a try. Also anyone know of any good shocks to run? Been looking but haven't pulled the trigger yet.
I think your spring maybe to stiff because it is not sliding and flexing as it should. It looks to me like you should dis***emble it clean it up between the leaves and grease it. Attached are 2 pictures of my roadster ch***is, I put Teflon ****ons in the front spring. I also added some premade Teflon strips in the rear spring and my car rides real good. Gary
Roadster, tell me more about these Teflon ****ons. Do they slip between the springs? Slide over the ends? Or do you drill a small hole in the spring to retain them?
Is there room for the spring to lengthen ? What angel are your shackles at. If your spring is too long it will bottom out.
Thanks Gary! Appreciate the tip. I'll start there. Got a link to where you got your ****ons and strips at?
It's hard to see for sure, but it looks like you may have a 10 leaf pack in there. If so, it'll be pretty stiff. My roadster had that. I could jack the frame up and set it down and it would only settle the springs about 1/4". I got down to 6 leaves,cleaned/ lube springs, replace shocks as suggested and it'll amaze you how well it rides.
I too would like to know how many leaves. Most stock A's had 10 leaves, but I believe aftermarket leaves are generally thicker than real Ford ones. Next, I'd worry about rust and crud between leaves. Shackle angles and room for spring movement look OK, but I would have a look at what actually happens in that neighborhood while someone big tries to bounce the car. And, try it with shocks disconnected...if shocks are way too stiff on jounce that can brutalize the ride.
7 leafs. Got the spring out tonight but as i lifted the frame off the spring it came up quite a bit. Could it be compressing all the way and making it to rigid? Also I noticed the brackets that hold the spring were facing up and my buddies t bucket they are facing down pic below. What's the best position? Spring is 30" from eye to eye.
In your 1st pic with weight on the spring the shackles look correct.Remove the weight and they point up,like ******s.
No signs of bottoming out or anything. Got the spring apart today and let me tell you then shackles were very stiff. Had to press them out then clean the bushings out with a 1/2" drill bit running backwards. Pretty free now. Going to take one leaf out and put it all back together. I think part of my problem is also some play in the steering. Vega steering box but pretty sure it's in my linkage. Before After No play in this ball joint or the other one but I feel like the movement of both ball joints on this bar is causing play in the steering, am I just crazy? Vega steering box, any thoughts?
Definitely a major part of what was causing the issue. Thanks for the tip. Got them working like ******s now and can for sure tell a difference. Best way of doing that and adjusting? I'd say we've solved the rigid front by a good cleaning of the leafs and freeing up the shackles. Rode much better today. Still tosses me to the side on big bumps but I'm still running the old shocks, think new ones will help with that? I also may put the leaf back in now that I'm getting the movement in the spring I never had before, time will tell.
I don't think that front rubber will be doing you any favours either. Too fat and slabby. Not good for ride or steering. If you re***emble the front suspension without the shocks, you should be able to bounce the front end of the car up and down quite easily. If you can't, it's too stiff. Once you get the gentle bounce OK, then add shocks. The front end ones from P&J are usually pretty spot on for ride/damping.
Update. So after a good cleaning of the leafs and shackles, talking one leaf out, then finding it to "bouncy" and putting it back in, adjusting the 4 link and steering tie rod. New shorty shocks from Pete&Jakes and a stabilizer from so-cal "I know I know" the ride is much much better. Also planning on some new rubber in the near future which should also help! Appreciate everyone's input, you guys rock.
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