I recently removed and replaced the old solid front axle setup for a Heidts "Super Ride” kit with rack & piñon on my ’33 Ford Tudor Sedan. Hoping for some feedback on what seems like a buggy kit. Now that it’s installed, I’m not having much luck with how the manual steering feels. Initially when I turned the wheel to left or right, the wheel would stay there and I could make a turn hands free. Obviously would not self-center and seems to steer harder than normal. The caster angle is set to 2 degrees (which Heidts recommends). Had the shop that installed it have a look. They found the upper drivers side ball joint was pressed into a hole that was not perfectly round but a little oval which obviously pinched its ability to rotate. They cleaned it up back to round and pressed new upper and lower ball joints making it a little better but still not right. Still turns a bit hard and does not easily return to a self-center. I guess long story short, does anyone have a successful experience with these kits? Also had a new steering column installed but all joints seem to rotate freely. Any help or tips would be greatly appreciated.
Shot yourself in the foot with that “upgrade”, didn’t ya? This website is for hot rods, not aftermarket IFS cars. If youda left the straight axle, we could have helped you get a perfect ride and steering out of it.
More likely will be moved to off-topic Even that IFS was being used 50s early 60s. With the weight off the car how easy can you turn left or right by grabbing the wheel. Not steering wheel. What brand of steering column. Was crossmember welded in relationship to ride height and rake. Offset of Wheels? Angles of upper & lower on ground
Talk to Heidts and the guy that aliened it. A couple of degrees more castor or camber might not hurt. That weld on the crossmember to frame doesn't have any penetration.
Moved to the off topic forum. modern independent front suspension is strictly off topic on the main board and especially does not belong in the traditional hot rod section
I'm currently dealing with an MII that's a little stiff. the first drive was really bad with zero return. The ball joints, tie rod ends, and the rack were really tight, even when lubed. More driving and the ball joints and rack have started to loosen up and the wheel is coming back now. Only about 40 miles on it and it's getting better each trip. Maybe you could do the suggested checks and then just drive it more
perhaps then you have never seen the rules for posting on this site. In a nutshell we focus on 65 and older cars built in the styles popular in 1965 and before. You can see the rules here: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/the-h-a-m-b-rules-guidelines.44274/
I built my 32 3 window with the Heidts superide IFS and finished it in 2016.When i first set up the alignment i used Heidts recommended 2 degrees of positive caster and within a 1/4 mile knew that wasn't going to work.I dialed in around 5 to 6 degrees of positive caster and now handles like a sports car around curves and goes straight with one hand barely on the steering wheel. It comes back to center around curves and the rack and pinion steering is light.It's a lot of fun to drive and you can dial in your coil overs for a nice ride.
It's a nice front end, there's nothing wrong with the design or geometry. Hard to say if quality has slipped or if any piece is faulty/damaged & maybe it does want more caster. I'll go against the old guard and say IFS is an upgrade in so many ways. If it wasn't, modern cars would have straight axles. I've had both. I'm sure it can be fixed.
I have independant front and rear suspension in my Model A PU. It took some time to get the caster just right . I needed more than suggested . Im at the edge and its OK and hope dropping the rear will give a bit more caster with out readjusting the rest . Getting the control arm angles right at ride height is important . Mine is a modifed Kugle componets set up with multi adjustable coil overs. It drives like a modern car. Only gripe is the rack and pinions steer ratio is a bit slow . I have not explored options yet. At a 51% front and 49% rear weight ratio it will out handel many modern cars . Certainly out handles my 57 Vette even with mods. Narrow front tires are a limiting factor . It will out handel my lowered and adjustable shock 96 mustang on 18" wheels ( solid axle rear) Hope to put some low profile sticky rubber on my 28 A om and auto cross it for fun at some point . I doubt anything with buggy springs and a straight axle will out handel it in the same type vehicle And yes im aware of some very fast and famous traditional race cars. But a tradational model A is not going to out handel it and I have had several and building another tradational A PU with traditional stuff. And it will drive fine to
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