Ok...I have done a ton of searches, and have a few questions, as I am still in the planning stage. I am building a 28 A Tudor, on a 2x3 tube chassis, z'd in the back, suicide perch in the front. It will have a SBC in it....just the basics. I am looking at the speedway front end kits, and, am thinking about running the 4" drop I-Beam axle with the spring ON TOP. The majority of what I have seen is spring behind, but then there are a lot of folks that state that this is a bad idea because if the perches break, etc. I decided on the I-beam because of flex/twist factor, and because I just like the way it looks compared to the Tube. Also, there is no kit that I see that offers the I-beam with the spring behind. All of the tube kits that I see also state that they are for "lighter cars" and "max vehicle weight of 2500 lbs." etc. I live in the country, and drive a LOT of bad roads, the last thing I want is an axle that is...well, a little weaker, and that is what they make the tubes out to sound like, a little weaker than I-beam with spring on top. What I am wondering is: 1. If I go with the suicide front, spring on top, i-beam axle, and run cross steering with a vega box...would THAT be a little more stout than the spring behind/tube set up? I am going cross steering for the improved bump steer effect, and the suicide for the couple of inch stretch and drop, as well as the "look" I prefer. 2. Also, if I am correct, I can replace one of the shackles on the speedway kit with a dead perch, and eliminate the need of a panhard bar to create side to side motion and keep the axle in line with the frame, correct? I know it's a lot of ground covered in one post, but this will be my first build, and it's all front suspension... here is the axle setup I am considering.... http://www.speedwaymotors.com/p/3342,320_Model-A-to-1934-Ford-Radius-Rod-Axle-Kits.html Here is the adjustable dead perch I am talking about... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=370775&d=1193689440 If I am thinking correctly, and have understood all I have read, this setup should be very driveable, have little to no bumpsteer, require no panhard, give me a little drop without going extreme, and with the correct 7-9 degree angle eliminate bind on the spring... Or am I still lost?
Thank you Brandon, that is exactly what I am talking about! Is that a dead perch on the driver side? I can't make it out...and I do not see a panhard bar... How did she drive?
cast axels are no good get forged. tube and cast axels dont twist so you must use four link or risk breaking stuff, forged stronger and can twist better for your country roads. all i got for ya
no dead perch , no panhard bar...drove good...setup wasn't too technical....built the perch to the ride height i wanted just kept raising the perch till the castor came out where i wanted it...thinking it was in the 7 degree range . been a few years... back in 99
the chassis was copied from a old late 80's specialty cars setup....called and talked to tom medlock about the car he was offering at the time...he pretty much laid it out over the phone...... brandon
Thanks guys, keep the input coming! I need all the help I can get! So, if I went with a forged axle and four bar, that would allow for a little more twist on the bad roads, and HELP prevent breakage...correct? Does anyone know if the speedway i-beams are cast or forged?
My 2 cents, What Brandon has there is bullet proof. My T has the spring in the front crossmember, but otherwise is similar. Henry didn't use a panhard bar or a dead perch. There's another discusion going on now about that. Read what Dick Spadaro has to say about it. He knows his shit. The only difference I have is grease fittings in the shackles. THAT made a big difference in ride quality. It lets the suspension work. I drive fast on shitty roads, too. The only damage Iv'e done is cracked shock mounts. We got killer potholes here. And bad transitions (jumps) going onto and off bridges. I got side steering and no bump steer cause the steering box is mounted close to the radius rod mount, so the bones and the drag link travel in almost the same arc. Forged axle is better than cast. I got cast, so far so good. I had to change the steering arms from fabricated plate to forged because the toe adjustment kept changing. The arms were bending, every day, a little bit. No problems with the forged arms from Speedway.
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