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Model T suspension...

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by tjm73, Oct 17, 2007.

  1. tjm73
    Joined: Feb 17, 2006
    Posts: 3,676

    tjm73
    Member

    .....geometry question....

    Why do model T wheels lean out at the top When looking at the front of some cars? It's like the spindles are out of whack.
     
  2. 4 port Riley
    Joined: Mar 16, 2006
    Posts: 38

    4 port Riley
    Member

    The high amount of positive camber in Model T's and other early cars helped compensate for the "crowned " early road, which were really only horse drawn wagon tracks. The car with high positive camber would tend to steer straight and not want to wander. Nowdays people take good roads,and good cars for granted.
     
  3. Would it be better to try to lessen the degree of + camber, and is it possible?
     
  4. swade41
    Joined: Apr 6, 2004
    Posts: 14,509

    swade41
    Member
    from Buffalo,NY

    I was told it compensates for flex in the axel, say if you go through a dip in the road the axle will flex or if your axle was designed to carry a big load but you're using it in a light car it will tip the tires out.
     
  5. pasadenahotrod
    Joined: Feb 13, 2007
    Posts: 11,772

    pasadenahotrod
    Member
    from Texas

    It would be best never to use a T axle and suspension under anything but a restored T or a T speedster. Never under anything with serios weight and horsepower like most smallblocks and all bigblocks.
     
  6. Unkl Ian
    Joined: Mar 29, 2001
    Posts: 13,509

    Unkl Ian


    Positive camber was common on many old cars for this reason.

    Axles can be bent to adjust camber.
     
  7. timothale
    Joined: Feb 3, 2007
    Posts: 234

    timothale
    Member

    horse drawn wooden spoke wagon wheels were dished and the wheeles cambered so that loading the wheel would try to flatten it out and put compression in the wheel spokes .. If they were flat and a rock or rut twisted the wheel the spokes would loosen and the wheel could fall apart. . part of the early car desigh followed carriage design.
     
  8. Hackerbilt
    Joined: Aug 13, 2001
    Posts: 6,250

    Hackerbilt
    Member

    Model T's didn't have tierod ends.
    They used clevis ends that required the spindles to turn on vertical kingpins to prevent binding and excessive wear. To keep scrub radius to a minimum and thus steering wheel kickback under control it was still necessary to have a line drawn thru the kingpin center to hit the ground at the center of the tire contact patch. (disregarding caster of course.)
    They did this by angling the bottom of the tire/wheel towards the centerline of the kingpin...just the opposite of how its done now.
    With the tall skinnies it worked fine...just looked funky to OUR modern eyes.
     
  9. The37Kid
    Joined: Apr 30, 2004
    Posts: 32,527

    The37Kid
    ALLIANCE MEMBER


    DITTO! Look at the front end of a Bugatti GP car and this same look is very noticable.
     

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