I’d like to see some pictures of peoples 36 ford front suspension setups. What width front axle are you running? id like to do a 4” drop axle and keep the spring and brake setup I have. Any advise would be appreciated
Any dropped 32-36 axel should work they all have the same dimensions. I would recommend an aftermarket forged 47" axel. Pete and Jakes sell a 46" forged one if you want to really **** the tire in, but it will require a narrower spring
Prob just drop your existing axle and go from there…. Or measure what you have and match your perch to perch dimension, see what the aftermarket offers…thinking a Super Bell 1103A might work for you (Verify This) Who knows what could have been changed on your 36 over the years
Here is the setup on my 35 3-Window. Superbell 4” dropped axle, split original bones, original spring with eyes reversed and a couple leaves removed. Ride’s excellent and handles well too.
Good to see that 36 surface on the HAMB in Alberta. Not going to lie the for sale add was saved in my favourites. Mine is a 40 (wider wishbone) I have stock axle drop 2” over stock. I then had to heat and bend the original ford arms to clear. The 36 axle has a narrow wishbone so you will not have to do as extreme bends for steering arms. Mine has the drop axle and a posi reverse eye drop spring in the car. Original front brakes would work but I swapped mine up to the Roadster supply disks that fit the original wheels
I used a 47" CE axle (Pete & Jakes make a similar forged 47" axle now-a-days), split '40 bones to give more turning room as compared to '35-'36 bones, a matching width Posies spring, CE sway bar, Pete & Jakes shock mounts and shackles, CE adjustable shocks, F-1 brakes, and a 525 steering box on a Pete & Jakes mount.
Get your factory axel stretch dropped if you want to run a similar size wheel. Regular no stretch drop if you want to run wider wheels. With both setups you can send in your spindles and have them dropped to fit. If you stay with the stock perch to perch width you can use the stock spring, if you split the wishbone you’ll have to heat up and bend the spring mounts to fit. It looks like you’re running F1 or F100 brakes now and those are perfect.
Easiest way is to have the stock axle dropped. It will require heating and bending the spindle arms too, but that’s not a big deal. Then you won’t ever have bolt on arms that come loose. I’d recommend letting the axle dropper narrow up the axle as it drops. Some guys say to have it stretched out to stock width, but I don’t. You will need extra tire clearance when those fenders are down lower over the rubber.
The brakes are Boling Brothers Lincoln style. I think I’m going to put the Speedway disc kit on it though. You can’t see the brakes or any of the suspension as low as it sits. I don’t know the axle part number. But it’s the one that matched the original axles perch bolt hole width so I could use the original spring. I would consider having your original axle dropped as others have suggested. It’s the best option honestly.
The hardest part of the ‘35+ front suspension is splitting the bones. As part of that you have to heat and bend the front spring mount. It’s not hard really, just tricky to get the spring mount holes aligned properly during the process.
Man, my 425 Nailhead and TKO transmission make the car!! I have Flathead cars, this one cruises effortlessly at 80+. It is way more fun.
you have a stock 35 36 wishbone your stock axle to the king pins is 50.5 inchrs yopur perch distance is 36.5 inches you have fitted model 78 37-40 spindles the axle the spindles comes from is 48.5 inches to the king pins you have fitted the stock 35 36 drag link now, 36 spindles move the steering arms inboard 1'' difficult to understand BUT clearly visible in your photographs as the tie rods are only threaded in three threads, most dnagerous. you need an aftermarket axle that has the 2'' perch boss with 36.5 inch perch distanmce and a 48 inch king pin distance they are made by so-cal and are called a heavy 32 droipped axle take note, you need to drop the steering arms on your spindles exactly two inches 50mm, you can get away with 37 mm yout wheel come in 1 1/4 inch each side the drop of the 48 inch axle is LESS than the socal 47.25'' axle with teh perch of 34'' that you cannot use in a 35-40 frame. its why the axle exists. get another pair of spindles - -drop them 47mm and straight down buy a 48 inch wide axle from so cal with the 2'' boss find another 36 wishbone buy new flat head perch pins - -its important to get the version with the floating washers, --------------------------------- after all that note, the 36 and 40 share the same 112'' wheel base you are basically reverting your incorrect front end back to correct by way of whilst using the 40 spindle going with a 40 king p[in distance - -your geometry will revert to stock - -- your scrub will be messed up bonus is now you can just BUY a 40 tie rod and wind your tie rods in an extra 1./4'' each side andit will look stock. not it all adds up to TOO MUCH lowering you have a whole 2'' of axle plus 2'' at the spring - -all told as your spring is reversed eyed =1'' has a less parabolic arc = 2 totalk 5'' drop before you do anything work out how you will drop the back because CASTOR you only start with 4 degrees for every 1.4 inches of drop over 112 inches you will remove 1 degree of castor you will end up with 1 degree of castor if you leave the rear stock it will be undriveable. View attachment 6782460
THIS is a so-cal 48 inch wide axle with a 2 inch perch boss, it is 48 inches to the king pins, it is the one to have IF YOU ARE NOT SPLITTING THE BONE!!!! -= =i am not as i am using a mt75 manual gearbox that is real small henyguays - -this axle has 1./2 inch LESS drop than their 47.25 axle with 34 perch and 2 1/4 boss - -the axle pictured fits the stock unsplit wishbone and is DESIOGNED to run the 40 spindle on a 36 bone in a 40 frame - if you like IF you took a STOCK OEM FORD heavy 32 axle, it would have a 36.5'' perch distance, have a 2'' boss and be 50.5 inches wide, when you droipped it 2'' you would need to come in 1 . 1/4 inch each side - -they 'so-cal' narrowed it another 1/4'' each side to make it bettrererererererer!!! only £550.00 pounds from mr southend!! that is an unsplit 36 wishbone - -not the SHAPE as because it is DIFFERENT from a 37 38 39 40 bone - - it means you do not have to drop the steering arms as much these are dropped exactly 2 inches, do not do any less as it is the drag link that will get you as the steering box is fixed and it is that that gets closer than the tie rods...... you just come stright down with the steering arms as the 40 spindle is in the stock location as if it were on a 48.5 inch wide 40 axle!!!! steering geometry is stock BUT you get a 2'' drop!!
look at your image of a 40 wheel on a 40 hub with a 40 tyre and a 40 spindle with a 40 king-pin, - now project the king pin centre down through the wheel to the ground - - - you have stock ford scrub now imaging the king pin at the top there, that circle comes inboard 1 1/4 inches or even 31.8mm , when this happens your 35-40 ford jumps back to oem factory ackermann as the 40 steering arm wants to sit on an axzle of 48.5'' wide so thats nice, AND also your tie rods end there will get wound in the same amout, in effect going in a further 1. 1/4 inch to make it have EVEN more thread purchase - -which is nice. so the king pin comes over 1 1/4 inch and the axle gets dropped a whole 2 inches the 47 inch wide axle they sell is for model a and 32's with a 29.25'' over hung spring as they ahave 34'' perch distances, 47.25 widths - -you do not want thenm on a 35-40 frame as the axles are just that bit too narrow!! - -when you roll the tyre around the king pin to hiot the stops with a 195 75 16 tyre you will be 5mm away from the rail on a factory spindle stop with washer - -I>E- its all factory again but dropped note - -dive and castor and all that - -you can drop the central ball mount to gain castor. you will add it if you lower the front and keep the rear stockish again, what i would do is find a mint 36 bone, buy a 32 heavy from roadseter supplky and the pictrured pins BECAUSE they need the extra 1/4 inch of upside down cake as the boss is only 2'' not 2 1/4 so if you didnt remove the spring, whip the whole lot oput and compress the spring on a bench and steady the ball of the bone on a stool.