Looking for some help from the Roadster owners out there. My 36 has a lot of body flex. Bad enough that the doors edges rub at the top when going over driveways. I boxed the stock frame and that helped a little but I still have what I consider a lot of flex. I guess my question is. Is that normal for roadsters? Or is there something else I can do to make the frame or body more rigid? Any ideas?
Both roadsters,the 29 steel and the 32 gl*** flexed some,not a lot but I did a lot of shimming. Check out Westcott's tutorial about shimming the body for better alignment,good info for gl*** or steel body's. Look at page 3. HRP
It is normal for roadsters and touring cars to have a lot of flex, squeaks and rattles. It doesn't matter, you can't hear them for the wind noise. When they started making closed cars this was a big problem, the closed bodies shook to pieces because they were not flexible. By the late twenties with stiffer frames and all steel bodies this was pretty well solved. I'm a bit surprised you have a problem with your 36. I thought they had worked all that out by then. But I do know convertible bodies were always a problem especially with "cowl shake".
My 35 Chevy phaeton has a boxed 34 ch***is under it, to compensate for torsional ch***is twist over a ladder frame I added a beefed up the centre X-member area similar to OEM 35 Chevies. I added a scalloped 1/8" plate to the top of the frame around the transmission. There is not a lot of twist now and the body is tight with no cowl shake whatsoever. I added steel braces to tighten up the cowl and redid the wooden structure rather than steel it out. The torsional twist has all but been eliminated as a result of ch***is stiffening in the x-member area. The 'B' pillar areas are tied together with the seat frame. The suspension does what it is supposed to do and absorb the undulations in the road with minimal body movement. There are some chips and scratches from slight body movement from over 10yrs driving, inevitable I suppose as Ozzie roads are not the best.
It's not the noise that bothers me. It's the door edge paint chipping that I'd like to stop from happening.
immediately behind the seat, below the catwalk area, so it ties the body sides together. I put them in deuce roadsters and have noticed many others do similar. Takes a lot of twist and flex out.
What are you using for body to frame welting? I have a Wescotts, Deuce roadster body on a TCI ch***is. I used the stock welting along with aluminum shim's. Make sure all the body bolts are tight and the body shimmed correctly. How are the door gaps, perhaps they are too close at the top? I have 50K on the odometer and haven't had a problem such as yours.
Is your center X member hacked up to allow a later transmission? I've seen mods in that area that looked fine and held the transmission...but took a lot of the metal out that limited torsional twist. That center area is/was m***ively constructed for a reason!
I'm using 1/4" rubber. Have thought that might be to thick. I believe the stock welting is thinner. When I first Cross member isn't cut up.
If the body is flexing the frame is flexing, Period!! I have a 28 model A Roadster on a 32 Ford frame. Boxed with an X member in the frame. You can lift the whole car by the front frame horn. There is NO flex. You need to strengthen the frame!!!
are you missing the rubber bumpers in the door jamb. there should be rubber wedges[?] that get squeezed when the door is shut? this allows the flex but keeps the door from hitting the rear panel. if you don't have them, or ford didn't put them on, find some to put in.
When I built my '39 ford convertible I was told that they did not use the rubber pads between the body and frame as they do on closed cars. I bought a piece of T6 aluminum 2" wide and sawed pieces the same size as the rubber mounts. I glued thin rubber to both sides and used these between the frame and body. Really stiffened things up. Also boxed the frame which is a must in my opinion for an open car.
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