Technical Spring hitting dropped axle 2 weeks with no progress help

If it was ever assembled, he would know how to put it back together.

 

I hope his welding skills, are better than his trouble shooting skills; and his spelling.

I tracked down the pics mentioned above, on FB.
They are more terrifying than the ones posted here.
But the tunnel ram, and electric fan are nice.

 

It doesn't make a damned bit of difference if it was built in 1957 or if it was built last winter as a rat rod. and it doesn't matter how much it was driven crude and suspect work is crude and suspect work that as others said may fail and cause an accident and kill someone. You need to loose the attitude and decide to repair it correctly rather than bitch and whine because several experienced rodders pointed out that it is not done right.

I've see some very suspect cars built over he years and usually by guys who saw a few cars in rod magazines and went out in the back 40 and dug that old body and frame out of the weeds and drug it up to the machine shed and cut away everything that didn't look like a hot rod and got the old Lincoln welder out and welded up what they saw as a hot rod chassis then went out and and pulled the V8 out uncle Billy's old hardtop that he rolled on the way back from the dance hall one Saturday night that got drug out in the row of old farm equipment and trucks out back and stuck it in the chassis. Somehow they got it running good enough to run around the back roads until they figured out how to get tags for it with an old title that was in the drawer from another old hulk that had died and had been drug out back. Still just because it was built back when and survived doesn't make it right or safe on today's roads.

 

That right there is 'Darwin's Theory of Natural Selection' at it's best.
Trouble is, you might take out others with you.

 

Out of curiosity, what are you replacing, and what are you going to do to correct all the mistakes shown in the photos of that front suspension/steering? There's nothing in either of the two you posted that show anything salvageable. A new axle, perches and used crossmember aren't $15K either...

 

A used A axle is $50, new forged (not cast) perches are probably $125, and a good used A crossmember is $100. Might be able to reuse the hairpins if you can find a pair of batwings that fit them.

 

I can't help but notice a little sarcastic hostility in your responses. You came here for help, and you did receive said help. The best course of action is to do what was suggested to have a functional and reliable front suspension.

I personally cannot give your setup any sort of validation because it was built using bad practices, and survivorship bias because it's been assembled like this for a long time is not a replacement for sound engineering from the early Ford Motor Co.

This is not an attack, this is me sharing 21 years of experience of doing this in my garage for myself and others. I learned how to do this by asking questions like you have done and applied that knowledge to my first ground up build back in 2003. I attached a picture of my own vehicle to show what I and others are talking about, nothing is welded to the axle forging, it is all bolted together as intended and all of the dimensions for the perches are where they need to be as a result. I have driven this thing all over the place and it drives as well as any 93 year old car can. You can do what you want but it really is not recommended to continue on the same path. Best of luck getting it sorted out.

 

Papa always told me, don't fix what ain't broke

That being said, either shorten your shackles
Lengthen your perches
Dig out the ole angle grinder and "clearance" the axle itself
One other option is to do it right and remove/replace the previous butchery that you are now choosing to work around

 

Ok, now slam a 2200lb car at 45MPH into a chuck hole or speed bump. Is that inch lbs? That would be 400/inch. It's like torque. 500 lbft doesn't twist a car in glorious fashion off the line. Drop 500lbs on a 1 foot rod and tell me of it raises a car's front corner off the ground. It doesn't, but the 4000lbft where the rubber meets the surface will thanks to multiplication through the gears. Same shit happens in suspension. The leverages designed into the system are meant to control the forces of motion and impact. Crash and safety data can be very helpful in designing or even modifying such things. Good luck...

 

Got a little bit of positive scrub built in there!

 

More like a whole bunch ...

 

I always understood a "positive scrub" is a sponge bath given by a beautiful young nurse ...

 

How’s that car turn/ect? Just curious.

I mean does it feel normal?

 

Turns pretty well even with the wheels pushed out a bit as others have pointed out. Those tires have been on there since 2007, so looks likes its doing alright even being a little less than ideal.

 

You're going to get the best help and advice on the internet right here on this forum. Don't let thin skin hurt your feelings. Even the toughest rooster in the barnyard has to pick his corn out of the shit the same way as the little peeps. Everybody on here had to pass some kind of smell test. Respect isn't automatically given. Surely you understand by now that your front setup is a train wreck and you are being judged guilty by association to some degree. Maybe that's not fair or maybe it is.
But I assure you that the guys who are giving you the most flack also love to see another mess saved and another owner with an attitude to build it right. That's how heroes are made around here.
My point is...... your help is here. Just hang in there until the dust settles.

 

And the 45-fin drums look much better than the 90's!

 

Yes they do, thanks for letting them go to me. Now if I could just get the right part number for the wheel studs I can eliminate the wheel spacer thats causing my scrub issue. The part number I procured right here on the HAMB allowed too much of the shoulder to poke through the hub which let the lug nuts bottom out on said shoulder and the wheel was just wobbling around.

 

Have you checked the ARP site for studs ?

 

Just cut them back on the lathe.

 

My thought exactly.

 

http://www.billavista.com/tech/PDF_...Tires/Dorman Wheel Studs and Nuts Catalog.pdf

Chock full of dimensions and pictures to help locate what you need.

 

@Henslee where are you located?

Parts might not be as far away.

 

I didn't see this before. Congratulations, you're not the 1st to drop in and find out that a lot of the talk here isn't what society demands of the corporate and school ranks these days. We don't give a fuck about that. We call each other names, criticized builds for all the years I've been here, bust each other's balls, and in the end are also the 1st to jump in and say "....whatcha need?" with sincere and real input. Sadly tho, we have no participation trophies or hugs. "Fuck off" is a greeting seasoned in friendship and respect. There's hot rodding veterans here that would rather remove that as a greeting as well. A door you don't wanna open. But hey, do you bruh. If that means "Eat shit I don't need you..." well then happy trails. I don't want you or a friend physically hurt due to this car. Your feelings? Never mind, I won't go there. You did enough on that score. Good luck still applies tho.

 

Thanks

 

Well played sir! Well played indeed.

 

contact Posies they can supply you with all the correct parts that you can install and have a safe ride. I would also talk to them about radius rods to replace what you currently have, 1937-1940 ford radius rods are strong and with the correct axle can be used instead of the Hair pins.
Pete and Jakes is also a top choice for the right components alchemy made that suggestion in post #29
Did you post where you are located yet? there maybe someone near you that can guide you or suggest a shop that can help you out !
Do it right the HAMB will help you solve your mess