Need help identifying front end

I'm pretty new to this car stuff, have been messing with bikes, but now I am working on a 30 Ford sedan. The car came with a front end but I dont know what year or even what its from. I know the axle is on upside down but through some head scratching and parts swapping I think I got it to where it will work for me. I'm hoping to find what it is because I need tie rod ends that fit in the balls so I can make a drag link for steering. Any help is greately appreciated.

[/IMG]

 

Here is the other side

[/IMG]

 

Looks like stock Model A stuff,..... watch out for those shackle mounts !, they don't look up to the job ! (this isn't the way they were intended to be used)

 

model a...your not gonna keep those brakes are you?

 

I know the brakes gotta go, I'd rather have hydraulic than mechanical. I just have to figure out what to put on there. The shakles were on there when I got the car. Is it the way they are mounted or just not heavy enough to be up to the task? I want to be able to drive it with out it breaking apart the first Michigan pot hole I hit which would probably be before I made it to the end of my street. Any body know where I can get the tie rod ends to fit the steering arm?

 

The tire rod ends for Model As are available from Model A parts house, MAc's, SNyder's, etc.
They are sold in sets of 4 housings with the springs, ball caps, spacers and end plugs. You can also buy a rebuilt kit for a single tie rod end.

 

any model a parts place has those . it would be cheaper to just find another tierod and cut it to length. you can probably find a complete front end for the price of the repro rod ends if you know any one with model a parts stash

 

Hey B.R.S.,

I am really not trying to pick your car apart,... but I think I would try to find some later spindles,.. 1937-41 and 42-48 and mount them in the normal configuration without the suicide steering set up, it's easier to set up your ackerman ,.... with the way your running a stock Model A axle, the tie rod will probably travel below your wishbones and frame with enough jounce and rebound.

As far as the shackle mounts go,... is there a just a nut welded to the wishbone that the mount screws into ? (thats how it looks on the picture) If thats the case, I wouldn't trust it,.... at the bare minimum it should have a threaded sleeve welded all the way through the wishbone in a double sheer configuration,..... even then I would have my doubts,..... IMHO

One more thing,..... I just noticed you said the axle was upside down ? Don't do this ! the reversed king pin inclination will really screw you up ! again IMHO

 

Get at least original type shackle perches with a shank bigger than that! WTH is that... a 5/16 shank with probably cut threads, threads sticking out...AIEEE!
A spindles shoud be fine...you can either reverse arms or reverse spindles. Adaptation to hydraulics is easy. Or keep the existing perches and don't waste any money on brakes, because you're probably gonna be killed by the perches before you need the brakes...

 

Bruce, I like how you actually say what others think,... but are trying to be a little more gentle in delivery

I've shown this picture about 100 times on the HAMB, but this is how we did/do this kind of front end, Model A spring perches through 1940 bones, find the angle so the shackles won't be in a bind, drill all the way through the bones, chamfer the holes and weld the snot out of it,.. on the inside and outside of the bone.





Where in Detroit are you ?