You can always mix it up a bit! This is my Father in Laws '30. Only a week or two from being on the road. You can get your front axle dropped by Sid's droppedaxles.com . That the plan for this one eventually. Incidentally, if you're ever interested in selling your headlight bar, please let me know. I need to lighten the look up front from the thick stamped bar the 29-30's used.
I like Old Chevys inline 6 powered, but I like every thing inline 6 powered. My 261 BlueFlame 6 Captains Bars above the start on a 261
Thanks Katuna, I've talked with Sid, super cool dude! I looked at it further and realized possibly a flip of the axle?? as well as a 6" dropped axle may do me right on ride height. I'd also like to add shocks to it as well as spindles that will accept a disc brake setup...wait, is that against the rules?? As far as my light bar, I suppose I'll have to get another setup as I'm using no fenders.So if that happens I'll message you!
ok...what am I looking at here? Are those parallel leafs there? Is the axle flipped? Do you have any more photos?
Thanks on the bar. If you notice, ours has disc brakes. Don’t know who’s kit is on there but I can probably find out. They were on there when he bought the car. I think he’s going to see the PO tonight at their club meeting. Don’t know about your 31 but there was no room to flip ours. We de-arched the spring a little but had to put them back. Down side of the parallels. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Went back and looked at your pics. Looks like you have a little more daylight above the spring but not much. Here's a little clearer pic of ours w/o fenders. No room at the inn.
More pictures. A little explanation here . Chevy chassis with pinched rails, that's why you see a little more spring pad in the picture. Yes they are parallel . Axle is not flipped. Only one leaf for setup, will add 3 more for final support. Need more pics let me know. Ron
Thank you .... can you please explain the "pinched Rails" ? Like the front of the rails have been brought in and front tube crossmember welded in? Why is that done? So with a 6" dropped Sid Axle looks like a perfect ride height....also am I not seeing the front spring shackles?
Eddie.... Since this car is a non fendered car and I am using a 33 Chevy grille I wanted the rails running next to the shell. Thank you for the likes on the front spring eyes. Much appreciated . A shot underneath. Not a good picture.
You sir. Have just solved my issue. GREAT idea! And the rear shackles?(of the front leafs) Also. One would assume the 33 Grille is narrower? Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Yes sir .. Even with the stock shell there is a space from the shell to the frame rails, plus the 33 shell narrows toward the bottom. On the front I used a larger tube , then inside welded a 1/2" thick round plate that was treaded for a bolt. I am not using shackles but rather a drag race type slider. A 5/8" stainless steel pin rides in a Delrin slot. Also doubles as my front engine mount. This messes up the caster a little bit as the rear of the spring is higher than the front, but an alignment wedge takes care of that.
Ok so. After much googling to decipher a drag race type slider I’ve realized that you would have to slide the leaf into that at one direction, then rotate to locate itself to the right spot. Kind of like a key type situation. Where upon removal the front of the leaf would have to come down then the entire thing rotated to slip the end of the leaf spring out ? Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
OK, most of the guys won't like this here, and it's a bit too rat roddish for my tastes too, but I think you might like it. This car was at a rod run I was at over the weekend. You might get some ideas from it. Good luck.
Sorry I may have misled you on the "drag race slider". Actually spring is installed straight up into the bracket. A picture to make things clearer. You 'll notice the spring eye in the bracket and the empty space in the frame. There is a block of Delrin with a long 5/8' slot milled into it, one on each side. Spring placed in the bracket and spring eye with a poly bushing aligned to the opening. Pin, which is 1" wider than the leaf, is then is inserted leaving 1/2" either side to ride in the slot. A plug is placed to close the opening. Then the front of the spring is mounted in the frame horns.
goooootchaaa..! Very slick how its mounted inside the rail in the rear, and hidden in the front. I wasn't understanding as I was looking at the picture upside down ! ha! One would assume you could even simplify that a little (with less fab skills then you have obviously) and use a standard style shackle setup in the rear if it could be located inside the rail as it will still be partially hidden. Although with out "pinching" my front rails that geometry probably won't add up...thanks again for all the help...amazing work!
Thank you very much. Your are exactly right on the shackles. Like your car and best of luck on the build. I don't always have the right answer, but will be glad to help with anything I can. Ron
Well I like the car.... cool to see something different... Man If I may have your attention to give you some history of front suspensions. You may like the look for traverse springs.... But Why do you think all the big competition cars of the teens and 20s had parallel leafs? They handled better than a traverse, did just about everything better. Ford used the traverse mount due to making things simpler and also helped give some articulation on crappy roads and off camber situations. So before you get on just ripping a pretty fine suspension out, think a bit about keeping it... The car is rare anyways, but chevrolet of that time was a pretty dang good driving car, had alot of the same manners on the road that the big cars like packards and buick, etc had at a fraction of the cost. If you want it to handle like a pig just for looks then go sell that car and buy a model a and save yourself a ton of headache.
Ya know...Thanks for that! As in the past few days learning from all these fine folks my mind has been changed! I'm sticking with what Chevy did with the leafs and running it. Keeping this thing true to what it is is important to me, and I'm not sure as to what I was thinking prior, bu then again, that's why I'm here, to learn (and hopefully be able to help!) So with what you've said, and all the other input I've received I plan on modifying the leaf setup a bit to accommodate the drop I'm looking for but keeping true to the bowtie...Thank You!
Glad to hear it man.... look forward to seeing the changes for sure... Its a killer lil coupe and I think you will really enjoy the hell out of the front end when you get it dialed in.
Hey. I've got a few early Chevy's. Do your research and try to get most of the plan together first. Stock suspension is cool but just about everything in this hobby when it comes to modifications has a pro or con. 8" is a ton of channel. Settle in on an era, location, or style of car. Then go from there. Otherwise you will be winging it and....well ???? R** R** Looks like a good car! Sent from my SM-G950U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Well. Yeah. I hear you. That’s the process I’ve been going thru these past few weeks. Where I want the car to be. I’m definitely not going with a rat rod. Lol why does everyone keep saying that! I do want it low with as an aggressive a stance as I can get away with. Thanks for the tips. Do you have any photos of your Chevys ? Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
WOOD ! IMO, do yourself a favor, forget the wood and build an steel inner skeleton, especially if you plan on channeling ! Takes a little more time, but well worth the effort. I used a Ford styled transverse/hairpin from suspension for a cleaner look. I would be glad to share any build information you may want or need, just PM. ‘32 Chevy
Yes! Absolutely framing it in metal. Although the wood is In great shape so I may keep it in some places and stiffen with 1by square tubing. Killer build man. Right along the same lines of my build plan. Although I have decided to keep with the Chevy front springs Would love to see some more finished pics! Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
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