I have been seeing this style but wondering just how strong and safe is this? You guys that are welding these to the split wishbone , do you weld close to the boss area or is it in the area that is thin? Are you using the adjustable perch or is it stationary? I am getting ready for my 1931 Model A truck build but have been wondering about doing this. I am wanting to build it HighBoy style on a pair of 32 rails. I think I seen this on a car that Clark is doing. Just some idea of what is actually going on with this as well as some feedback from some of those who have this set up on their ride. Thanks guys.
Not a good idea. This needs to be reinforced first. Article here somewhere about making a wrap around mount to weld on.
As far forward as possible would be best, but I've seen them mounted a foot back also. Has anyone seen one fail?
I mounted mine close to the front of the bones. I welded in a chrome moly sleeve to mount the perch in (adjustable) so the spring shackles would not bind. It wouold probably be better if I plated around the opening, but I fugure, the car is light enough that the way I did it it wouldn't be a problem and so far is hasn't been. r
Raven61 is spot on. Close to the axle, and sleeved reduces stress on the area. These cars are light, so something simple like his would be fine. I've seen some pretty hokey pieces made of flat bar in a "T" shape mounted on the bottom of the bones, and even the stock perches cut off the front of the bones then re-welded to the bottom side behind the axle...looks scary. We did some on a friend's car that had 1.5"x3"x3/16" tubing cut at an angle with a hole in it to mount a short spring perch to, much like a motor mount on the side of a frame rail. Shaped to fit the bones, this allowed alot of surface area to weld to for added strength. On mine I had some cut up bones that I traced, then made a 2-piece mount that slides over the bones out of 3/16" plate that I had waterjetted, a sleeve welded between, then capped for strength, looks good and serves its purpose. I wish I had pictures, but I don't. There was a thread on here a while back with some pictures of a similar setup.
I've seen this done several ways. My two favorite are Paul's idea of making a plate which captures both the wishbone and spring perch. Both get fully welded around cir***ference. (tech with pics is in the tech archives) The other way I have seen and would not be afraid of is to drill through the wishbone, align ford style spring perch p***ing completely through wishbone, and weld in place on both sides. Grind flat on the outside. Putting a sleeve into the wishbone seems to make sense but I wonder if it really helps anything. I don't see it as inherently unsafe, but I question the idea of any spring perch rotating within a sleeve carrying a load like that. I see it this way: Common sense reigns supreme - don't put something together that looks like it might break.
I used a thickwall DOM sleeve welded through the forged end/wishbone tube junction. Then a threaded spring perch was run through and the jamnut bolted to the outside. Same as what T bucket hairpin setups are but with a Wishbone in place of the hairpin plate. Been done many times............. Mine looked like ravens
Just a note... if you set your ch***is spring mount at the right angle (would vary depending on location of spring) spring binding will be virtually invisible and it would be overkill to have it mounted so it could pivot. If you keep the travel of the spring tangential to the travel radius of the bones where you have the spring shackles mounted, you should be fine. It will be very close to the caster angle of the axle. Sort of hard to describe. That was probably clear as mud... Angle misalignment would ideally be handled by a pivoting spring perch though. Springs are capable of handling some flex though. Lots of good articles on here related to this very subject.
Please note that I ran the perch all the way through the bones and put a nut and cotter pin on the outside of it. With it running through a sleeve, I didn't have to try and calculate the angle of the front spring when all was finally built. This way it finds the right angle to start with and rests there. there is really no movement of the perch/spring witnin the bones. r r
tangenetalia? I'm sure it's not unheard of but, don't know how common a suicide front end is on a high-boy especially with a '32 frame.
If you're gonna use a perch either bolted or welded into the side of a wishbone, make sure it's an original forged Ford piece. Don't use some cheap cast piece hanging over the edge like that.
It is my understanding that the adjustable spring perches are for initial ***embly, to make up for gross misalignment. These are then tightened down so as to be solid. As posted, there should be no need for a sleeve at all, and with correct ***embly, complete with proper mockup, no need for an adjustable perch, either. Certainly the springs can sustain some flex, that is their function, flexing. Cosmo
Detail pic of Chip Foose's P-32 Roadster. It looks like they cut the end off the stock bones,and then carved up a new end,with provision for the perch. So the adjustable perch goes through solid steel. More pics here: Allshops.org
Complex linkage under the floor.And it actually works. There is a video of the car driving,on Jay Leno's site.
That car is kick *** as far as the tricked out steering. i am very curious to see how that is put together. As for the front spring perches I am sold on the way you guys have been doing them. I will post pics when I get ready to do them. Thanks annd surely any more info is welcomed.
Steering arms run back under the body...each one to a bell crank. The bell cranks are attached with a tie rod. The pitman arm drives a drag link to the rear (the steering box is in front of the bell crank) and connects to the bell crank on the drivers side. LOTS of moving parts..8!!! heim or ball joints...lots of room for slop...I think it would be hard to use the set up on a real driver. Show car would be okay.
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