Model A

I'm new to H.A.M.B. and I'm not sure if I'm posting this right, but I have a stock Model A frame that has original 4 banger in it and I want to slam it on the ground. I don't want to buy a dropped axle for it...too much money. Anybody out there have any ideas. I saw someone mount the spring to the split wish bones. Will that work?? Thanks

 

Have you tried doing a search???

 

To "slam it on the ground" without a dropped axle, you'd need to Z the front of the frame about 36".

 

If you can't afford $200 for an axle, you can't afford to build a car.

Rich

 

There is cheap and then there is cost effective. What you save in money will cost you sweat and ingenuity. This is not supposed to be easy (although for some they certainly make it look that way). Save up and buy the dropped axle or have someone drop your own. If you did not want to do that, you could always look at doing a bleed sweep at the cowl. Pay attention to the stance. It's not always better to be lower then the next guy.

 

There's a fine line between rat rod and hot rod. Stay on the right side.

 

ill second that!nothing good is cheap

 

*** draggers ****! Why not make a decent hot rod out of it with good planning and building. Like they said, if you can't afford the axle and components maybe you should take up bowling.

 

Hot rods that are lower in the back are L A M E!!!!!

Kustoms drag ***, not hot rods.

 

to make your life very easy read the following to steps:

1. use the search function, alot.

2. come back in about a week after you have read the thousand or so posts that will have more information than you can even possibly imagine. Cause if it works (and some that don't work so well) and has been built you can most likely find it on here.

- good luck

ps...change your handle.

 

Items one and two ought to be posted right along with the "Post your intro" line.

It never ceases to amaze me how many of the questions people post can be answered by a google search which brings you right back to the thread on the H.A.M.B. that answers the question just as using the search function would.

RRR If you search through the threads on model A's here on the forum you will find that most of the cars are not built so that they drag the ground. You will find that the majority of the guys here that build Model A's are building scab free cars that sit right, have the timeless look and have great detail.

 

Where's the FNG paddle???

 

I found that basic statement on another forum while researching a problem with my daily. It took about 3 days of reading alot of posts to piece as many aspects together as I could. But when I went to my mechanic (I know, I won't work on my daily: to many wires, plastic bits to break, and I like warranties) I knew more about what caused the problem and how to go about dealing with than he did.

Spending a few extra minutes (or hours) may awnser your question with ever having to type it out.

Or most importantly: GO TO THE TECH ARCHIVE FNG!!!

 

Hey Ratrodrich,

Check out this link:

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=44274

 

I'm sure you'll find every part you need for your rat rod at Speedway.
Good luck.

 

Welcome.
1: change your name, we dont care for rat rods. If you dont like our at***ude.... we dont care.
2: Model A's with 4 bangers are very cool, why on earth would you want to lay frame?
3: If you cant afford a dropped axle, you definitely cant afford the couple of grand it's gonna take to lay frame (and that's doin' it yourself... which requires a lot of expertise.)

Now I'm trying to be helpful here. My advice would be to spend a month or so just reading everything you can about Model A's, about hot rods and how they're built, about the tradition of hot rodding, etc. You can find it all here.

If you dont like the advice we're giving you, you may be better off at www.ruffrodders.com or maybe www.killbillet.com Trouble is, they'll likely tell you much the same thing.

 

contact mel, "dirtyistdevil", he'll steer you in the right direction.

 

I'm curious, which direction is that? What could possibly be a cheaper way to lower a model A than a 200$ axle?

 

Maybe a $199 axle??

I'm with you on the point tho. The only way to do it cheaper is to know how to drop the existing axle via welding and fabrication. Or know how to run it as a suicide front end (and he has to know how to do that as well).

 

i dont wanna give you ****...but.............this is your bio:
<DT cl***=shade>Cars <DD>1932 Ford 3 window, 1939 Ford Tudor sedan, 1933 Ford Tudor sedan,1930 Dodge Rat rod, 1951 Merc Chopped 2 door, 1957 wagon, 1952 Buick Riveria, 1930 Roadster pu, 1931 Model A Fordor town sedan, 1934 Dodge 5 window, 1936 Ford Pu (s-10 frame) 1935 Ford </DD>and you cant afford an axle?????

 

In which case Is it really cheaper? If you've got all the tools and know how It can be done, but time, cost of materials, etc... I dunno...the original question just kinda sounds strange.

 

Its only cheaper if your value on your time is cheap - which my value on my time is not. Its bizarre to me, too.

And, I'm another FNG!

 

What he said!!

 

Methinks there's a porky or two in his intro..... he's got all those cars and does'nt know how to lower a Model A?

 

Ha! Don't contact me man... I got enough work, I'm hiding in the AC right now cause Its a 100 degrees out and the flys are biting here in good ole NJ. **** hot rodding today. I'm sitting in my underwear smoking joints and drinking green tea!

Joe was kind enough to offer my help because he wrote me and was about ready to make the same mistakes that your about too. Joe has a cobbed up, Z'ed frame, and was about to put something not so cool in it as most guys that jump into hot rodding do. Some rat rodder almost destroyed his newly aquired ride...
I got him on the right direction with a simple stepped frame and a hopped up banger and some new gears. Hey, you ask me....thats whay your gonna get in A! Ha. Truth is, build it the way you like...

There are lots of tastes here, plenty to learn from lots of amazing people here, Just start reading man!!!!

If you want your car low.... there are lots of nice ways to do it that will appease many of us and get you a tasteful hot rod. Check things out.... suicide axle set up will get you down low....check out killer work by guys like Dan Collins...his new rod is tasty. Ok, that sounds like I wanna **** it....uhhhh... check out show rods too, Fritz and Moriarity are killing the Roth stuff, Rolling Bones and I think Scary Clark, I mean Larry and the So What bunch... do the spring behind the axle in the bone combo....gets em down low. Thats the budget way of using what you got. ****ing B*** is a genius....really cute too I met him in Texas...he signed my tummy. Just, watch what he does. Bleed the rock starr....no seriously, he really is... pattened Bleed Sweep is ***y. Scratch has a cool line on the front of his frame with the Cherry Pie. Stare at some Weezner stuff if you wanna know whats up... he gets it. Henry Ford's half brother's step kid Bruce Lancaster's "posts" will tell you anything you ever needed to know about Ford and traditonal set ups.... Man, you gots to read Rat Rodder.

Zach Suhr has great taste. Ask one of his identical brothers, they could help you at their Hot rod factory. They are from Pa, the wages are dirt cheap...there lots of em. Need parts, buy them from that guy whom lives in his ba*****t, Riley Automotive... he has a great service... Alex Gambino will tell you what to do if you want **** low, he's the real Mcoy.

Keep attention to your wheel base... thats my advise. Figure out your decade, then search those years for fabrication styles.

There are probable 8 different ways to lower a front end. Just dive in, good luck here! I'm now going to sk8board through my house cause I can....

 

How do you lower a Model A ch***is? Is this guy serious?

 

Many good points so far, but let's not forget everyone has an opinion. RRR, if you're gonna lay that thing (biased opinion here: don't) and keep it stock, with out wanting to spend $$$$.$$ you'll have to refigure how all the parts are going to fall back into place, for starters you'll need to "Z" the rear and the front of the frame, which will relocate your engine and transmission not to mention the driveshaft, which then you'll find yourself cutting out the floor and making a huge tunnel to cover the shaft. When your setting all this up you should already have in mind what wheels you're using and tires you're gonna use (if you're using the stock wire wheels to save money, personally I don't think the out come of the car will look right, the wires are sloppy, not very custom, nor etc etc etc....though you could say you got 20's on your ride next time you're at a DUB venue---ha) if your buying tires you''ll be spending more then a simple $200.00 axle (which can be bought at Speedwaymotors -sparkswillfly) if you're using stock springs to save money remove leaves to bring it done some-not all but a few)
Planning is key, but it takes more then weekend these days to toss something together. Oh and when the engine ends up mounted different due to the Z in the front you'll find yourself wanting to cut the radiator down aswell as the grill. which will cost $$$>$$ pending on where you have that done. As well the geometry of the steering will be different to and will have to either be relocated, cut, angled differently etc. After you drop this thing, are relocating the gas tank from the cowl? Research and study, and plan before you cut, its your car.
I think its safe to say that the majority here feels that if you're using the 4banger which is very cool, you should honor the 4 banger, go period and keep it simple, if this your first car you're doing, its better to do it this way and enjoy it. Dropped axle in the front, $200.00 then I'd go as far as calling Eaton Springs and getting a new rear spring and new front spring made with reversed eyes, to bring it down a little lower. If you wanted the back done a few more inches (and this can be done in a weekend) Z the rear of the frame 4", this way you get it down and do not have to mess with the floor.
Hope this helps-

 

2hep...your signature rules. Ha

Basicially, lowering a Model A as low as you want... is like craming 10 lbs of **** in a 5 lb. bag. Ok...

 

Search for Brianangus and read EVERY thing he has posted.....

Start here

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=150434&highlight=how+to+build+an+frame

 

Buddy, a****st all these posts is some damn good advice.
Go away and think about it a little more before progressing to the real project.

If you would lilke to lower your model A but not into the weeds which could be realistic and you can not afford a dropped axle then you could consider;
1) Use a 1932 thru 1936 original front axle which has slightly more drop than A model.
2) Take a couple of leaves out of the front spring.
3) Consider getting the front spring main leaf eyes reverse rolled.
4) Fabricating a flatter front cross member.
5) Step down a size in wheel/tires.

That will help you get lower and stay kinda stock, otherwise stop now and walk away.

But it is still going to cost money and if your budget is so tight to start with it is time to make some serious decisions.