I-Beam front suspension....hows it drive and handle???

im not going to a link go cry over what i said. i asked a question and then someone trys to bash me since i build mini trucks and it wont work over here well thats news to me because you can run the same setup as what you could on a mini truck. the ibeam is alot diff from the ifs. i asked how did they drive or handle then it went off track from there so you can go to what ever the link is and tell me about it because im not going to look at it. but my guess would be the GENERAL name of RAT ROD???? like i said if you dont build hacked up cars/trucks then why cry over the name rat rod???

 

you have to be one dumbass. you only read what you wanted how about you go back and reread everything. i never said hot rods are rat rods. i said people who build trad. rods(rat rods) shouldnt get mad about a name if they dont build hacked up stuff. i spelled something wrong oh no i bet it wont be the last time and i bet you have done the same. and again how can your learn about something if you dont ask questions??? you can read a book all day long and you will still ask questions.
if you talk to me like crap then dont cry when i talk to you like crap.

 

I have a transverse spring ,Vega cross stearing and a panard bar and this set up in my 38 ford sedan works great.

 

If you know some guys who have old cars with beam axles, ask to go for a ride. It's usually a bit more choppy than with independent suspension, but there are so many variables we just can't answer your question.

I've been driving old chevy trucks with parallel i beam front ends for 30+ years, they handle and ride fine for me, but that's what i grew up with so I'm very used to it. Some guys don't like them.

 

thanks for your reply. i just wanted to see what most people thought about them eventho there are different style and setups that people run. i dont no anyone with a ibeam setup because alot of them hot rod them and they like ifs better. im just not sure which way i want to go with the front suspension. i got a 55 chevy rearend i might use but i been thinking about going with a JAG fron and rear suspension(ifs,irs)

 

Lets try to steer this kid in the right direction. There are enough shit rods on the road as it is.

93blazer this place can be tough on new guys, if you are serious about building a traditional Hot Rod the best thing to do here is just read the threads.
Build threads particularly everything you could possibly know about building a quality, well built hot rod can be found here. Use the search function and read read read.
For now your question has really been answered already. If set up correctly they are fine and can ride and handle very well.
Why dont you fill us in on what you are planning to build and go from there.

 

Everyday millions of I beams roll down our roads. They are on almost all large transport trucks. Also other than Ford with its busted set up most four wheel drive trucks and jeeps have a solid front axle. As far as it is concerned it is the same set up.
To eliminate any problems steering rod and radius rods must swing through the same arc (crudley put, be the same length) which btw is no dfferent for IFS. Wide front tires can exagerate some of the things that make them not popular but really the reason people go to independant set ups on a hot rod is because everyone else does.
Real men think for themselves, learn all they can and do it right .
Me I insist on 1/4 eliptics as well.
Don

 

For any given level of roll stiffness in the suspension, a (conventional) beam axle will ride harder than an IFS, because its spring base is necessarily less than its track. The distinction between spring base and track falls away with independent suspension.

Due to packaging constraints, beam-axle cars will tend to have less weight on the front wheels. Depending on where the weight is overall this might be good for handling but it loses the facility you have with IFS of shoving the engine between the front wheels where it acts as a pendulum, increasing polar inertia in pitch, lowering the front springs' resonant frequency, and smoothing out the ride.

Beam axles are tough as nails. That's why they continue to be used on heavy vehicles.

Short of race-type wishbone IFS there isn't likely to be much difference in unsprung mass.

Beam axles maintain the same camber situation over all parallel two-wheel bump situations. Theoretically, IFS gives you the opportunity to gain negative camber in roll to offset positive camber gain due to tyre compression, and some racing suspensions achieve this. Virtually every street IFS you'll find will gain positive camber thoughout any decently small roll angle. With single-wheel bumps it's really six of one and half-dozen of the other between a beam and IFS: you've got asymmetric situations either way. When you're dealing with real-world bumpy roads, there's a lot to be said for a beam axle's ability to maintain adequate camber pretty much all the time, over an IFS's potential of near-perfect camber at one height only: but that means accommodating a lot more travel than you'd have in the typical hot rod.

 

you have to be one dumbass. you only read what you wanted how about you go back and reread everything. i never said hot rods are rat rods. i said people who build trad. rods(rat rods) shouldnt get mad about a name if they dont build hacked up stuff. i spelled something wrong oh no i bet it wont be the last time and i bet you have done the same. and again how can your learn about something if you dont ask questions??? you can read a book all day long and you will still ask questions.
if you talk to me like crap then dont cry when i talk to you like crap.

As to the dumbass part, i don't even need to justify that remark with a reply. Your posts speak volumes all by themselves. They are barely readable let alone understandable, so to go back and try to re read them or make sense of them is too ponderous a chore for even the most patient person.
Now, I did re read the statement above where, again, you call traditional rods, "rat rods", so what is it you're trying to say? Perhaps, because I am a dumbass, I cannot understand your well written drivel. Let me state for your edifacation, Mr. Dumas, a traditional rod is NOT a rat rod.
Now, on to your REAL rodding buddies. Since you do not possess the basic reading skills to "read between the lines", I will try to make this as remedial as possible. Since you have so many REAL rodders as your close friends and they are such builders of repute, they should be able to answer all of your questions regarding suspensions, instant center, moment of inertia, Akerman principle, unsprung weight, spring rates, all the plusses and minuses of beam vs. IFS, etc., etc., etc. My question then becomes, "Why didn't you just go to the well of knowledge that you, obviously, have at your fingertips and avail yourself of the resources that are immediately available?"
As the previous poster said, try to construct readable, coherant sentences. Many will wade through a few lines and give up because it is too much trouble to decipher. I will use the following as an example.
1 of them has a 1935 S studebaker he hand built 80% of it back back of what? and there are very few of them on the road so what. Mmy other friend builds hot rods not any trad. rod(rat rod) so he is a dumbass since he dont doesn't build that style car?? This "sentence" makes, virtually, no sense at all
I do have good news for you, though. I am done here since your comprehensive ignorance no longer amuses me. If you intend to engage me in a war of words or clear thinking, you have entered into global, thermonuclear conflict armed with a peashooter. Good luck with your racken pinion rat rod REAL rod.

 

im happy you CARE to type well or perfect lol. i got my point across other wise how did ever1 else answer me???? your a dumbass

 

Can I chime in ? Read first post, middle and end. If you want to build a trad. rod , listen to everyone here. There is very good advice here. I am an fng on site ,but not with cars, however I do learn a lot lurking and searching. The one thing I will say that a continous argument will put you in the losers circle. What I came away with by going to the HAMB drags and the Fri. night show is a most of these people know their stuff.

 

the problem is that you HAVEN'T clearly gotten your point across or we'd have answered your very broad questions by now. TWICE you've been asked WHAT you are building. not how many grains of sand there are in the Sahara Desert, but a fixed, finite question which so far hasn't gotten a fixed, finite answer. what are you starting with? what do want it to look like, ride like, sound like when it's done? what skills are you bringing to the table insofar as welding, fabrication, mechanical aptitude?

some of us are still trying to help. a LOT of us are getting pissed as you can tell. don't go down that road. you want a rod, stick around and read. as Fat Albert used to say, ya might even LEARN somethin'!

 

To address your initial question, I'm very happy with the '35 Dodge axle and parallel leaves under my car. It handles surprisingly well, the steering, also '35 Dodge, is tight and fairly light. I'm running bias ply tires on both ends, motorsickle tires up front. Be careful to set up the front with proper castor, make sure the king pins/bushings are tight and the steering geometry is right, bump steer and shimmy won't be a problem. My car weighs around 2,000 lbs and 400 hp. It's fun.

As far as the rest goes, you might want to be more specific, ratchet your attitude down a couple of notches...

 

All the shit is fun to read but that aside.

Ride Quality does not neccesarily based one one thing only. A Ford Anglia will give you a bouncey ride with or with out IFS/IRS since the wheelbase is so short. A Duesenburg rides pretty well on an I beam since it smooths out the bumps with a long wheel base.

The long and short of this is any car will ride well on a I beam IF it is set up properley.

If all the steering and A arm geomoetry for an IFS is set up wrong it will drive like a piece of shit.

It all depends on what car, which parts are used and how well it is all put together.

By the way mine runs true, straight and comfortably on a I beam with transverse leaf spring.

(any speelling miztakes are there for amusment only and are delberate)

 

Hey Blazer guy...

Pic #1 Traditional rod Pic #2 Rat rod. See the difference? Both utilize a transverse spring I-beam axle.

 

as far as road-holding and straight axles go, i'd be more than willing to use a straight axle car based simply on how well cars like Bentleys and Alfas held the road in Grand Prix races in the '30's, on narrow, slick tires! sure, i bet they had sore backs and their arms were beat to death after a race, but they finished well enough.... but terms like "opposite lock" and "terminal understeer" do come to mind.

 

I learned to drive in a 50 ford pick up...straight axle up front parallel rear...
as for me..still the best set up for straight axle..reduces body roll...
as oposed to buggy front and rear...d32

 

If want to chow down on a big mac and chit-chat on a cell phone then stick with a ifc front suspension.

I use a I-beam with a transverse spring front and back, and I also use side arm steering and run bias-ply tires on my '27 t roadster. The more I fine tune it the better it gets. It goes down the road straight with no bump steer.

 

I suggest IFS...you won't like TEXTING with a straight axle...even if you do use a racken pinion! LOL

 

Hey I'm jealous as hell. All you guys butcept Squirrel gets to be dumb asses and I got left completely out of the conversation.

I wanna be a dumb ass too.

On a lighter note: Listen son take a breath, these fellas are being real gentle. Hell I've been so rude to newbies that these same guys jumped all over me.And that was on a good day.

 

I usually dont go anywhere near these sorts of threads but....

93blazer4dr, if you are serious about knowing what works and what doesn't use the search facilities here on the HAMB. While not perfect, there is a lot of info probably already covered. Also have a look at some of the tech week stuff even if its not beam axle related as its excellent. Read and read some more. Then think. and then post. Your then on your way to HAMB nirvana....

 

I would suggest going to the book store and look in the automotive section. There are lots of good books out there written by the best builders in the field. One I recomend is "How to build hot rod chassis" by Tex Smith. He covers all the types of suspension and how to set them up. He also explains the hows and whys of suspension geometry. If you are a decient mechanic and fabricator you should be able to build a good chassis just with this book alone.

I have seen several hot rods built by people who thought that they knew how to build that were unsafe and handled terrible.

 

Well said willy! I think you gona make it
I see, you get it right away. others have the little penis syndrome and have to prove everyone and argue.. If you are here on the HAMB and you need to know something: first research, read, ask questions and try to be as specific as possibly. if you want to build a rat rod do it just dont expect everyone here to be cheering you on. is it initiation week in other forums or what????????

 

My 37 has the straight axle with stock wishbones , mono leaf spring, Carrera shocks, 525 GM steering box. It handles with the best of them, can throw it in to turns were the guys with their Mustang suspensions have to let off. Sure it rides rough like a hot rod should, if I want a smooth ride I drive my Dodge Magnum. Forgot to mention I have a transverse rear spring using 49 Olds trailing arms which helps car to hook up.

 

What the heck happened????????????? The guy asked a question. What's with the lecture?
I can see it all now . We all should be building IFS with Struts and shock towers the size of a small silo. Street rods will now look like dolly parton in a bikini.
Yes you can build a decent rod with a I beam or solid front axle. Millions have before you. No it wont be a formula 1 contender . Yes you will enjoy it.
What more is there?
Don

 

Wow! What a "shit show", but that aside, I to had the same dilema on my '31 Chevy p/u...I decided on going with the straight axle..heres why: A)I used to be into 4wd, and my truck had 38" tires, and it had crazy bump steer, but it was cool to drive and I didn't mind driving it..and I currently own a jeep YJ that I drive almost everywhere..B) a new econo IFS from Heidts was about 2700$..yikes!...It took me one trip to local swap meet, and got a complete '32 Chevy front end, incl leafs, axle, spindles set up with '54 Chevy juice brakes, steering box with drag link, all for 50$... so no brainer...

 

The idea of setting up an I beam properly includes numerous factors, any of which will affect the outcome. For example, caster angle, steering gear type and geometry(bump steer is NOT automatic or necessary), wheel offset, tires (width and carcass construction), the weight of the tires and wheels (unsprung weight-the greater it is the worse the effect). A lot of rods are built with priorities that do not fully take into account sound engineering, which is not the same as good welds, adequate materials etc., which are necessary and desirable, but engineering is in addition to those elements. there are textbooks on suspension design that discuss and illustrate the principles involved. And they make a difference.
Ther are inherent advantages to IFS for ride and handling but not so much that a straight axle can't compete for a nice safe, decent riding and handling car.

 

Tell me about it.

The "Sandy Vagina" contingent must be getting off work early this month or something. Lots of pissing, moaning, and lecturing going on here lately.

Get over yourselves guys, and go out to the shop and turn a wrench or something.

It's going to be a long winter if you guys are all up in arms already.

 

i drive a 1929 model a truck everyday, and i've driven plenty of hot rods...i'll say,it drives as good as anything there is.. our truck had a mustang 2 front end on it,and i sawed it off at the motor mounts,because it was so ugly and tossed it in the dumpster in front of the shop.. it didn't drive as good ,and it looked like an abortion on there ..we put in a 5" dropped i-beam,and we drive it a bunch, pretty common to drive 150-250 miles+, race it then drive it home, then back to work on monday.. and yes there are plenty of bad roads in the midwest,and i can tell ya, the horror stories about bumpsteer,wondering,getting your girlfriend pregnant, swerving,shaking,killing people,scaring little kids,..etc.. are are mostly b.s. or bad engineering.. it rides butter smooth on the highway(@ 70 > whatever m.p.h.) one thing i can tell ya is...henry didn't spend a whole lotta time testing in the wind tunnel !!. my girlfriend "princess"cheryl,races it every chance we get..