Hello all, I have a good new-guy type question. (to me anyway) I am in the process of working on this frame...and I'm trying to change the rear-end around a little bit. The question is, how does one go about having an "elliptical" leaf spring? I saw in this month's issue of RebelRodz, Ian Roussel is working on some old rat truck, and the rear springs look like they attach directly to the rear axle, and the other end attaches to the frame. So the leaf isnt attached to the frame at both ends like a typical leaf setup. I'm 99.9995% sure you cant cut and weld on a leaf spring. (any 0.0005%'ers out there ??) And I cant see in the pictures exactly how the non-eye end of his spring attaches to the frame. Basically... I want to "bob" the rear a little..and wont have the extra frame stickin' out to attach the leaf to, behind the rear axle. I thought about converting it to a traditional transverse leaf setup...but was talked out of it for stability reasons. Anyone have some advice or info? Were there any cars that came like this...that I can research and see pictures of? Set this whipper-snapper straight!! -Scott (p.s. I can post a pic or two if necessary)
# 2 - 1” x 21” radius rods with brackets - for triangulated application # 2 - quarter eliptic springs with mounting hardware and # 2 - axle mounting brackets with shock mounts from http://www.chuppshotrods.com/html/pricing.html for $249 seems too good to p*** up. Springs may be light for heavier cars as they are for 3/4 scale '32 roadster.
Wow... absolutely awesome result Phil. Thanks a lot for the lightning fast response. That pic was all I needed to set me straight. My worries were that the one I saw was too "rat" and would be unsafe or squirrely as hell on the highway. But after seeing it like this, with a good clear picture helps a ton. Now I gotta go get some more square tube and figure out how to work my setup like that. (the thin tubing in the picture worries me a little) Thanks again! scott
Sorry..I should have expanded my thought on that. I meant -less stable- (read:squishy) than a link setup, or even the original full-leaf suspension this truck came with. I'm ---sure--- the transverse is plenty safe, and stable. (hey, thats why I have the FNG ***le, and you dont)
You cannot cut the springs with heat,if you have a cold saw you can but you cant weld it .CRacks ,cracks and more unsafe cracks
How much power are you trying to put to the ground? honestly I would prefer a transverse setup when space is an issue, they're plenty strong, stable and adjustable stiffness by adding or removing leafs
Made mine from trailer springs,cost was $8.00 each. I cut them past the hole with a "chop saw" and drilled another hole. Fred
Good deal. I think I am going to try cutting (cold) my springs at the halfway point...where they are already tied together. (keeping the retainer in place) And fabricate a spring mounting bracket to weld onto my axle tubes. Then I'll have to get some radius rods to center everything. Should be good to go. If not, or it just dont feel right...I'll get the kit that Phil posted, and use the parts I need from it. Good info..thanks for all the replies so far guys! -scott
I definitely like the was a transverse looks, especially on the rear axle. Hmmmmmm.... Would I need to get one of those specific crossmembers and spring for that setup... or is it 'cool' for me to use one of my existing leafs and just mount it side-to-side? I measured, and the leaf width will fit inside the groove of my center cross-member.. but that crossmember is only about 5" deep, and not hump-shaped like the kind of crossmembers I typically see on a transv. setup. As far as power... Nothing crazy (real or imagined) Im probably going to drop in a little flatty ford or something else thats "period". I toyed with the idea of tossin' in a big block, etc, etc, etc... but I want to be able to actually drive the damn thing without it costing me $200 a week in gas...plus I want it to look "right" (to me)
the way it's done on rock crawlers is they basically make a pad on the frame that the leaf spring sits in (like the pad on the axle that it would normally rest in, only it's on the frame) and then use 2 u-bolts on each spring just like if it were on the axle...for the axle end, they use a small shackle so that there is no binding as the suspension moves...of course all of this has to be located with some sort of link setup i hope that made sense
Here is a scratch built setup out of a reversed eye model A spring up front, and with a Posie 2 1/2" rear spring cut in half.
The Jalopy Journal
