I have a Model A roadster that I want to drop the front axle on. It's stock bodied with a mild banger motor, only I am running 35 Ford 16" wires on it. I want to get rid of that space between the fender and the tire. Does anyone know if I can run a 4" dropped axle with a reversed eye spring and still use the stock wishbone? Also it still has the original mechanical brakes, which work fine on a stock Model A. Will dropped steering arms work with the wishbone and the mechanical brake rods? I want to be able to just drop the front end out and put the stock on back later on down the road. Thanks DROPPED AXLE ON A mODEL a
No, You cannot use mechanical brakes on a dropped axle. The spring perch to backing plate geometry is all wrong. You can however put a 32-34 axle under which will give one - two inches over stock and then reversed eyes and loose a few leaves and you should be able to pull at least four inches out of the front. I am not sure if you can use a un-split bone with the setup I described. Easiest thing to do is replace the front spring with reversed eyes and remove leaves until happy with heaight and ride. Repeat te same for the rear.
http://www.adayattheranch.com/index2.htm i couldent figure out how to copy and paste the pic. click on the link then goto the 3 rd pick. its a model A pick up 4 in droped axel running mech brakes .doug seems to think it can be done you might be able to find his number on the web site he a crasy old guy thats been doing this **** for years. he miight beable to help you
good advice jrblack but do you need to also use the 32 34 wishbone (slightly wider perch bolt spacing)
I guess that I should change my statement. It cannot be done without modifying the spring perch. Note that for mechanical brakes to work there needs to be some degree of allignment of the backing plate and the mount on the end of the spring perch. Drop the four over stock and use stock perches wil not work. Is the wishbone wider from perch center ot center? I know that the spring bosses in the axle are diffrent.
i believe the wishbone is wider on the 32 .the perch bolts are also different higher to suit 12inch brakes instead of 11 inch standard model a .will check tomorrow .still a good traditional idea jr
Dropped beam, mechanical brakes, A wishbone and perches - only thing is he said it handled worse afterwards...
I've seen pics of a front end where they extended the perch mount for the brake pivot upward. I think they bolted a piece of flat stock to the perch. Probably the exact amount of the axle drop. Lowering the spring shouldn't have any effect on the brakes, should it? Or does a case of "bump brakes" develop when the rods now run uphill?
Use of mechanicals just requires a riser for the mount to maintain stock relationships...but of course might lead to problems with clearance for the rods. Dropped axle alone should not cause any change in wishbone, as center of axle stays right at home. Dropped spring moves everything up towards frame. '32 and A axle thickness at perch differs, I think A is 2 1/4, B is 2"...distance between perches side to side is same or within a tiny fraction. "32 wishbone is MUCH longer than A, requires entirely new arrangements.
Risers for brake stuff have been done as flat fabrications attached to stock perch and as elaborate welded structures ground to look much like part of the forging. I know some have been shown in Secrets magazine.
I used a 32 axle on the front of my RPU and because i have been told that it will drop as much as 2" I measured before and after and it dropped MINE 1 3/4". I used a pair of 32 spring perches to correct the brake alignment. I also made spacers to compensate for axle thickness at perch bosses so I could use the "A" wishbone. I have seen the spacer bars on speedsters but didn't want to go that route as I think you have to change the steering linkage too. I have a dropped axle but will use hydraulics if I install it.
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