IFS front end on a 32 Model A?

what to add, what to add...hmmmm...Oh Yeah, IFS is ugly!
also, make sure your spring is actually able to function as a spring! A lot of cars I see, in the low, low set, have front end design that all but kills any suspension action...too stiff a spring, no travel/bottoming out, no shocks, wrong shocks, bad steering/radius rod/wishbone geometry, alignment problems, two AND four wheel...A LOT of things can make or break the ride and handling of this setup...they are, by nature, a little flexy...and the cars running them tend to be featherweight...all of this presents its own set of characteristics...It took some finessing, but my car actually rides fairly well, and tracks very straight, now...and, again: IFS is ugly. good luck...

 

If you want IFS and disk brakes for comfort and a great ride, maybe you would be better off with a later model, fat fendered car (30s cars are pretty small inside). Then you can hide all the late-model guts and still have a nice looking car, that drives like a new stocker. They call them "Street Rods", though. They can be done tastefully if you avoid the big-diameter wheels and heavy billet accessories.

 

This is just my opinion,and I have been doing this for over 40 years. I have never owned a hot rod with an independant front end and I probably won't unless it came with one. I definatly won't put one under a skinny fendered Ford. I think if you set up an independant to set as low as an axle you have a limited amount of travel and that is where the ride comes in, it won't ride much different than an axle. As for handling has the manufacturer of an independant completely thought out the steering geometry? Roll center? anti-dive? turning radius? bump steer? Lot to think about there. I'll admit a poorly set up axle can handle pretty bad, but with new parts and set up right I can't imagine an independant being any better. Besides they just don't look as good as an axle.

 

Guys, thanks for the advice. I was thinking abotu this last night, and after talking to a couple buddies, we decided that the best way is the I-beam setup that came on there. (maybe not this particular year, but a smilar style). I will run the i-beam front axle with a transverse mounted spring. Mount it up a bit higher, but still keep the same geometry.

Now I have heard bot positive and negative things about the stock radius arm setup. What are some other options for the front? I understand running a true 4 link will be tough because of the space limitations. So do I run a 2 link with a panhard bar?

Thanks
Dima

 

Check out post #30 on down.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=103232

Then scour the Tech Archive.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=8
You can learn how to build your whole car from the info there.

 

DA BOMB!!!!! That is what I was looking for. Thanks. This is goign to get me going in the right direction.

Dima

 

you could run a coil over with a tube axle...and hide them pretty easy ...nothing too hard ....and you could lay that thing in the weeds....there have been a few hot rods built similiar to this.....would have to think of the guys names that had them ....but bob lowe comes to mind....seems like greenling (sp) did one as well...hell might be the same car...keep them behind the grille shell and nobody is none the wise....pinch the rails to the width of the grill....nice clean package ....my suggestion is like the picture shown ....but without the spring.... brandon

 

It seems I am just a few miles from you. I built my frame from scratch, transverse spring up front and coil overs in back. If you want to get a closer look PM me.
Rick

 

"If a traditional car isn't your style you may have better luck on another site. But I think you'll find building a more traditional hot rod will challenge you quite a bit from an engineering perspective, its great fun hunting for old parts, and in the end your car will never go out of style."
My first rod, twenty years ago, was a fenderless A with a Pinto IFS up front. Lotta fun. This one I'm into now will be a full fendered A with a dropped A axle up front, 39 - 48 juice brakes, etc. Mike is right about hunting for parts. Fun, but not as easy as 20 yrs ago!

 

what was the split i beam axle they used on the earlier trucks. just a thought but your getting ifs and ibeam looks. alittle less clean but you get both

 

I recognize Flatty's username from another bulletin board, www.pirate4x4.com

I used to be into rockcrawling also and don't know Flatty but we've both been on Pirate for a long time. I have seen some of the things he has built and he is definitely serious.

I used to be into rockcrawling also and just bought a '49 Chevy truck. Also making the transition.

 

Thanks for the props. I t has been a while since I have really built something I REALLY wanted. Hopefully this get's me out of my funk. Now it is just a matter of changing gears from lifted to lowered. Should be similar in a sense.

dIma

 

Flatty, just remember with 20's and 30's cars, simpler is better...

 

This post from the first line is disturbing...... where is the person with the bang head on wall guy

 

Hey Flatty,

Don't worry about all the negitive BS out there. We all have questions about what has been "done".

First - Do what YOU want.

Second - There were alot of old school guys doing IFS front ends. There is a post of the Pebble beach Concors on here that has pics of Paul Fitzgeralds roadster, it has uprights from a Willys Jeep and hand made A arms. It is a very cool set up and personally one of my favoite cars.

The thing is - you don't see alot of that stuff because it was cheaper to go with a strait axel (dig it up in a bone yard).

But guys were changing their race cars to IFS in the late 50's cause it had better traction.

 

Pompadour, Try that again... this time in ENGLISH!!! I got the first sentence you made, but the 2nd lost me.

73. Thanks for the advice. I kinda wanted to do something different. If we all went by the same "car" built 5 years ago, and no one ever tried anything new, we would all be stuck with a mirror image of each other. The great thing about many minds is that if you put one car in front of all of them, they would all give yuo something different. I like the look of the i-beam, and the IFS MAY not be the way to go. However, I will try to think of something else that would make my car stand out from teh others.

I will let you guys know how it goes.

DIma

 

Thats cause this aint the site for **** like that.

In this case variety is ghey.

Now as punishment take thine head and bash it into the nearest brick wall and repeat after me...IFS on 32's is ghey

 

Standing out is not alway a good thing.


Paint it pink, that will make it stand out. Come to think of it, putting a pinto front end in a Model A will also make it stand out.

Build the car with a nice, clean design. Keep the same era through out the build. Use a few tasteful accessories. It will be something that you will be proud to drive. What else matters?

Neal

 

Dude that is so "ghey" like whey ghey ! lolololol

 

If you want to be real different, just build an actual Mustang II...

And

Thanks, but... P***...

 

doootie pants