Searched.. found limited stuff...(1 or two old threads missing pics) Maybe I am using the wrong terminology?.... If so please correct me and I will go back to searching, if not please read on... I bought a old 1937 front axle setup and the split wishbone arms are unusually short (cut at one time, why I don't know). Is there a safe way to lengthen them? DOM Tubing? Some type of tubing with high chrome content? I will assume that I will have to insert some type of interal strengthening support material. I was a millwright / welder by trade, I trust my welding skills with my life and that is not my concern here.... I don't know enough about wishbone material / structure / and forces applied to them while driving to make the call.... Should I forget this and find something that will work?
The bones on my car are actually 2 pair with a 3rd used for the other ball. I spliced them together and installed bar stock inside them. First welding the bar stock to on end of the bone, then slide the other end up and weld. I also drilled the bones and roseted the bar stock. The ends are not tie rods or hyme joints but the actual balls welded to the ends of the bones. They have been together for 3 years now. I copied the way it was done on the car originally except they just but welded them. I also have in the past welded the seam on the bones and welded the rust pits up to have a set chromed. They are easy to work with.
Back in the day, the Harley chopper guys use to splice Ford bones on to their springers to extend them.
I sold a friend in La a set of too short front dogleg 47-48 bones. He xtended them a good bit using a piece of tubing which he split, pie cut and welded into position the welded the seam to keep the original style taper. Also included a slug of bar in the joint welded inside and plug welded to both sides. Worked well and looked well.
Those wishbones are not made of any exotic alloy. You can extend them with mild steel. Are they long enough so that the cross section has made the the transition to round? I lengthened a pair by making a pair of tapered extensions with a reduced diameter at the joint end. The smaller diameter fit tightly into the cut off end of the wishbone; the larger diameter matched the wishbone and tapered back about 10" to where I drilled and tapped for 11/16" tie rod ends. A good quality weld along with a couple rossete weld should make it worry free. I bought a old 1937 front axle setup and the split wishbone arms are unusually short (cut at one time, why I don't know). Is there a safe way to lengthen them? DOM Tubing? Some type of tubing with high chrome content? I will assume that I will have to insert some type of interal strengthening support material. I was a millwright / welder by trade, I trust my welding skills with my life and that is not my concern here.... I don't know enough about wishbone material / structure / and forces applied to them while driving to make the call.... Should I forget this and find something that will work?[/quote]
The strain on the front wishbones is when you STOP....the axle and wishbones wants to "turn up" when stopping.......Gary
I do understand what they are for.... I guess I am just a bit unsure of the ammount of force applied to the when braking. I have read some posts in reguards to chassis and suspension components and the stresses that they endure at any given time... some people would be supprised. From what I can gather so far... I could extend them with a appropriate piece of pipe along with some added internal support and some rosette welds. There was one previous post that someone recommended I don't mess with them... can you give me a reason why? Not trying to be a pain.... just want some facts.
I got some later-model wishbones for about $100, they are like 4' long! Unless you split and pie-cut the extension like pasadena explained, they may not look real nice. extending them near the axle like Don Moyer said may be the solution, but I'd just get some better ones, they aren't hard to find, nor vey expensive.
Good points... I guess I look at it from the standpoint that I have more time than money. I am going to take the route of lengthening them on my own. I will take the time to shape and fit the extensions and plugs so they will end up looking right. I will be home in a couple days... I will update this thread with some pictures so everyone can see where these bones are hacked. Still, if someone knows some reason why I shouldn't attempt this please let me know (with some type of facts why, not just a "don't do it" statement)
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