check out this spring mount for my model a suicide front end. if the welds break the front end will still be held in place.its made out of 1x2 with two 7/8 holes for the radius rods and one hole that acts as the upper shackel mount.
It seems like that design might put a lot of bending forces on those 7/8" rods since the axle is so far forward from the spring. Round rods are strong for pushing or pulling, but not very strong as a beam like that. It might be okay with a really lightweight engine, but might bend the rods if the front end weighs too much. Maybe you could do some reinforcement of the rods like weld some long vertical gussets to the insides of them. Like maybe long skinny triangles cut out of 1/4" plate, leading forward and backward from the point where all the stress is on the rods. You could drill some lightening holes in the gussets to make them look better. If you chopped off your frame horns and moved the front axle rearward so that it was closer to where the spring is, that would help out too. With the axle way forward like that, it puts a lot of leverage on the bars where the spring attaches. I'm sure you'll get a lot of other opinions on this setup, but that's what my first impression of it is if it helps any. That type of fabrication that doesn't put as much demand on the welds is a good idea. I just think those round rods aren't going to resist bending on their own. Sometimes on something like that, people will make a web that competely fills the gap between the two bars and then put big lightening holes in the web. Then, instead of acting like two flimsy separate round bars, it behaves more a single tall and strong I-beam. Another thing you might want to think about is some kind of panhard bar. You'll get a lot of side to side slop at the shackles, and with that front axle so far forward, that slop will be multiplied.
thanks for the advice,it always good to hear constuctive feedback insted of''your going to kill yourself''.ive got the speed way panhard rod for the front and ill add an X to the front of the radious rods.thanks again. Dan
I woulda moved the crossmember, gotten rid of the first 2 feet of frame horn? Or something. Regardless of what you do to gusset the hairpins, it ain't a great idea to mount the spring that far back.
With that set up, it's likely that you'll have so much shimmy, shake, flex, and vibration, you won't be able to keep the car on a straight line. I honestly can't tell from your weenie-sized photos, but I fail to see how the front end won't drop if you lose a shackle.
with the spring that far back you will also have problems with the bars bowing out even with gussets in them.
Bolt the motor and trans in there, get two of your fat friends to jump on the frame rails, and let us know how much the hairpins flex.
There IS still truth in sarcasm. Take all of the feedback you can when embarking on a new idea and then , run with it. looks interesting. g'luck. swaZZie
ok guys, im not going to kill myself, but i might just kill some of you! just kidding. i moved the front crossmember forward.nothing is welded, i should add, so that is proof in itself that the fr4ont end wont drop.but i moved the front crossmember forward, now its 8 inches from the front of the frame rails.there is only about 10 inces of radius rod in front of the shackle hanger and im going to triagulate that.thank you all who left positive comments,and to those who didnt ''may the 5/8 bolts on your speedway motors cookie cutter shackel hangers leave you stranded one day''
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