Technical Lowering '40 Rear?

Has anyone ever replaced the rear crossmember in a '40 with a flat crossmember to drop the rear end and use the Banjo rear and spring? I have a nice frame with a Columbia that I'd like to use. What are your feelings on this?

 

Just fill the trunk with Moonshine!

 

If you flatten the cross-member, the frame will need to be "C"d for axle clearance.
Depending on body style, reversing the main leaf & removing some top leaves so as to leave 6 of the long leaves will lower the car sufficiently without the axle hitting the frame.
Works for me.

 

There's been plenty of those crossmembers cut and rearranged to lower the rear end.
Dead falt maybe too low, depends on your needs and how you want it to look.

If it were me, I'd remove that really nice one and put it on the shelf. get another to cut up.

 

I have a good friend with a 40 coupe and did what 40merc said. It will look good and work it's easy and the cheapest way, get a reverse eye spring and take out leaf 3,5,7 and see what it looks like. You will need to put a spacer under the spring if you wand to use the same u bolts.

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You can jig the cross member and cut out the middle section and reverse it ! Send email and I'll send pics


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Reverse eye spring, remove a few leaf, and that's a bad ass rear end you got there.


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I have my Dad's old 50's hot rod 39 Ford Coupe. it has a Columbia w 4.44 gears - open drive line to a Muncie 4 speed and 327. Never had the correct Columbia controls for vacuum shifting. Back in the day - he took off the "can" on the axel and screwed in a long bolt and crawled under and shift "by hand". Do you have all the in car plumbing? I want to perhaps do a cable activated shift vs "crawl under".

 

You could go with a Vern Tardel 1" lowing shackle and remove a leaf or two to get you lower or a Posie super slide 2" lower spring

 

I have a full set of 1 1/8" longer shackles. I cut them out on the plasma table at work. Just need a little clean up. Those and a reverse eye spring, and remove a couple leaves, that's 3"-4" easy.

 

Long shackles and you'll need a pan hard bar for sure!
Plus they change the springs preload tension.

 

I build this support then i lowering my 1941. It works wery well and i made them 4" high. It also lowered the car 4". Much better than mess with the shackle.


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Before and after. I use a 4" drop axle and reversed spring in front and the 4" support in the rear. I made them myself and have never see anybody else use that metod. Maybe im the first? Wery simple and easy to make.


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Thanks to all for your input. It's been very helpful. I've decided to remove the rear crossmember and take 2" out of the drop. I'll use the original spring with a few leafs out and adjust til I'm happy. The front I'm going with a 4" X 47" dropped Axel from Weedetr., remove some leafs and adjust. I like my cars close to scaping. So, I hope this will work.


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Hej Peter! Det var en smart lösning du har gjort där. Har du några mer kort på hur du har gjort?

 

I used a mono leaf and 48 shackles

 

My rear crossmember the first time around. I took it out, cut it up and used a jig to get it back together square, but I have heard of people vee cutting it the car, dropping the car to the ride height they want, and welding it back together.....

 

I like the Swede's idea best.