Building a four-link rear suspension for my 'A' pick-up and came up with this. I cut a couple of leaf springs and want to bolt them to the bottom of the frame, maybe use U-bolts or a tapped plate welded to bottom of frame. Make brackets to mount the 'eye' end to the axle and use triangulated adjustable upper links. The lower springs would act as springs and locating links. My question is.....Does anyone see a problem with this type of setup? Will the springs put to much stress on the U-bolts since they will be working against them as the suspension cycles? I've seen a few 'similar' setups in mags but nothing up close. I'm trying to built a good riding and cheap setup. Thanks guys, Josh
I have seen similar 1/4 ellliptic set ups work. You might want to think about moving the springs inside the frame rail, on a bracket. You could hide the u-bolts and clamp the springs in place from the top... Just thinking out loud...
Yeah I've thought of that as well. Have any pics? What about stress on the brackets? Maybe a crossmember? I can't seem to locate the magazine I saw one setup that way in. Josh .
Maybe search for pics of Lakesmod's car. I think he has a very similar set up, if I remember correctly. I think Brewsir may have also built something like that on the modified he sold off. The kit that Posies makes has brackets that go on the sides of the rail, too. I think. Maybe look at it. As for stress on the brackets, most suicide mounts would have as much or more. Just build for the stress and penetrate on the welds. Using 1/4" plate, with some gussets would do it. Maybe put a bit of the same plate on top of the spring to sandwich it all together, too. Having u-bolts around the frame rail would be to much for me to bare looking at. My pic folder is a but out of hand, but I will see if I can find something for us to look at... Or, just do a search for "quarter elliptic" like I just did. You will find pics of everything I was mentioning in 4-5 posts. Just out of curiosity, why the double Z in the frame? Were you thinking of a cross spring, before? It seems like there is a lot going on back there. I am just wondering if I am missing something.
I saw a car at Autorama set up similarly. Quarter eliptic rear springs, but they used a yoke on top to create sort of a triangulated 4 link effect. You ever seen those top yokes they use when they bag cars? Imagine a V or U shaped tubular piece similar to a tubular control arm. It's attached to the pumpkin at the point of the V and to two points on the frame at the ide side of the v. Then they flipped the old 40 ford rear end spring perches and used them for shock mounts. There must have been a pivot at the point where the spring meets the axle to prevent binding... It was only about a hlf inch off the ground so I couldn't see underneath maybe roadstar knows? he saw it.
I have several questions. If I could see a rough scetch in MS paint it would be nice. Something I am thinking about are the angles o the upper control arms and about limiting lateral movement.
I would put them inside of square tubing with a bolt thru the ends to hold them in place and weld them on inside of frame to hide it=I think it would swing up in an arc so a upper trailing arm would help stabilize it and keep it in place
This will work just make sure you use a centering bolt through the spring and drill a hole in the frame or bracket you are mounting it to so it will not slip then you can u bolt it or make a cool looking sandwitch plate and bolt it together. make sure to think of things like instant center anti squat and pinion angle with the lower spring swinging through its arc it will want to move the rear end back if its not flat at ride height, so if your upper is not in the right place your pinion will point down bigtime. theres a lot more to it than that but that should get you started. Just my .02
It's a TCI frame. They have a small kickup at the back. I needed more so I z'd it another 4". You won't really see it all once I get my bed on it. Thanks for all the input guys. I may tack something up and check it all over before commiting to using this setup. Josh
Used a setup like that on a short wheelbase jeep once. Granted the jeep isn't trad, but getting back to it, the older guys than me called it a leaf link. Some of the older dragsters used a similar setup, and it was an older dragracer that clued me to it. Worked like a champ. Look at the setup on that highzoot traditional A pickup (highzoot and trad now there's an oxy*****) that was built by a fellow HAMBer (I think). That's basically what you're talkin' about.
That wishbone link off the top of the banjo is very close to what I'm using on my modified. I won't be welding anything to the banjo however. It's what you'll find under a '58 Pontiac Bonneville also. You can see the centerlines of my "wishbone" on the plan view of my project.
Sticky, Are you talking about this beast? BTW: By geometry the rearend would squat really bad under power.
1/4 elliptics have been around for decades. I believe Harry Miller used 'em under his racecars for a while back in the '20's. Just make sure the shocks are up to the challenge. ANd any brackets need to be gussetted and triangulated for strength. Cool stuff and looks real clean.
actually, my last 29 had a set of quarter ellipticals and hairpin/ladderbars. cant really decide what the previous owner was thinking. hooked good, bootomed out to beat hell, and rode like ****. but the guy who origonally buit the thing didnt know what the hell he was doing. and to be honest, i wouldnt either in designing one from scratch. thats why ims still a FNG. Michael
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