Does anyone use unsplit, triangular wishbones at all? I see almost everyone uses split ones. Are there any pictures of rods running stock wishbones?
I do. The only reason to split them is for other motors other than a flathead. Also split them if you don't have a stock crossmember..
I have never split mine on a rod to be street driven. They can be made to handle far better like original. I don't split the rears either. I use a belly band with an open driveline.
My front is stock model A, I have a banger... The rears are actually 48 Ford front wishbones, also unsplit. It uses the stock ball end and pretty much works great.
I'm really liking these cars. Heres my unsplit wishbones. Please no comments about how damn good looking I am. Notice how low the motor sits.
I wondered the same thing, so looked at Don Montgomery's early hot rod books, almost all the fenderless roadsters ran stock wishbones...Doane Spencer's was one of the few exceptions...
Thanks, I've got a set of chrome backing plates on the way for it too. Unfortunately, (or is that fortunately?) it won't be rough n raw looking for long, shiny black paint is on my christmas list! Dave, that car would even make ME look good! Nice 5w!
Mine are unsplit. I used a spring ahead axle, so it just looks cleaner unsplit. The rear bones are the lower links on a trianglated 4 link set-up.
I just rolled a stock front end under the 47 with 350/350 in it. It looks like I could go unsplit, anyone do this?
with the flathead of course. because of the stock center "K" member, and i have the stock wishbone. the front end geometry works correctly that way. even if i ran the chevy i would try to go that way. i think the reason most of the chevys with modern trans use the split is because the original center crossmember has been removed. and it's just easier to mount the splits out on the rails. but without a good ridgid X member the frame can flex when one wheel tries to go up without the other. if the front axle can piviot on the center ball, it doesn't try to twist the frame so bad. but you still have the spring mounted ridgid trying to twist the frame. that's why ford started using a "X" member in their frames starting in `33. the `32 frame is a poor design because of that. i've read where the engineers tried to convince henry to put a "X" in the `32, but he resisted untill `33 that's why so many of the `32 bodies cracked around where the roof meets the quarters. the bodies were acting like structural members. i guess because we like these old cars, and if we want to stay period correct, we have to tolerate these flaws. if we incorporated all the known improvements, we would end up with a 911 porsche.
So, with a stock Model A frame, and an 8BA flathead, what wishbones would I use on the front to keep it unsplit? Im trying to decide! Thanks
Wishbone is split to make room for that big***ed mill that you are trying to shoehorn in there......... Leave the wishbone alone if you can as Henry had it right. Somewhere along the line it became fashionable to split bones for the sake of it.