What's the best cross member and spring combo to use to get the proper ride height? I'd like to keep my trunk floor as flat as possible. I've been told to use a 40 spring but don't know if that's correct and don't know what cross member to use with it. Thanks in advance for your help.
some more detials may help here whats the proper ride height that your shooting for? do you mean the floor boards level to the ground or does truck really mean "trunk" and you dont want to cut it up to make the vehicle lower?
Model A cross member and a Model T spring give a nice ride height in the back of a '32. But it's also gonna depend on what you're running for a front end, dropped axle? Stock Axle? etc...
Do you want to scrounge old Ford parts? Do you want brand new stuff? Watsa the rest of your plans on the rear suspension? I've used Posies #AJ40NH rear sping and tube crossmember on a bunch of frames. Most the time running PJ ladder bars as well.
I'll be using a 4" dropped axle. I won't be channeling the body any. I just want as much usable space in the "trunk" since I drive my cars. I plan on making my own sub rails and floor.
Well you can stop thinking about the Model A / Model T cross member/ spring (if you even started thing about it, ha). I'd go with VapHead's set up of that's the case.
So-Cal's ch***is is probably worth a look. They use a cross spring setup that is pretty compact, and very effective.
We make a rear crossmember that gives a nice ride height and welds in. Very compact and is under the floor. Have been making them for 20 years. See Rick Loves 32 Gold 5 window from Vintage Air to see how it sets. 150.00
You could use a 40 spring and just grind the spring so it fits in a stock 32 crossmember, if to high you can have the eyes reversed on the spring or add/remove a couple leafs for desired height, you could also reverse a stock spring and flatten out a stock crossmember. There are several different combinations possible for this setup.
Use a 32 to 48 rear crossmember. Use a 40 front spring in the back. The 40 spring will fit all the crossmembers with no grinding and are narrow for clearance with the brake drums. The original crossmember allows some twist like Henry designed into it. Use a 28-34 STOCK front spring. They are far better than the re po's. I like the 35-36 rear bones mounted on extended/dropped mounts. This lets them clear the frame and lowers the car. Also reduces the stresses in them.
On my A roadster I used a 40 ford from posie with 3 leaves removed , and a socal crossmember. I could have run a flat floor, but kept the rumbleseat in my roadster for the kids, tank blocks the view but you can see theres plenty of room for trunk.
Mine had a later model rear cross member (35-40ish?) installed (bolted in) using the later model spring and rear. I installed the 4" shackles to get the stance that I wanted. I personally don't like them too low.
Stock 32 rear crossmember if ya have one, with a 40 front spring. It isn't hard to knock about 3" out of a 32 crossmember, just notch, flatten and weld.
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