First, Can someone please tell me the proper way to refer to these?? These are the rear arms off my '29 model A rear. Rust has eaten through near the axles and I can't get reproductions. I had thought about cutting the ends off and sleeving them with 11ga plate I have to run down about 1/2 the tube and then welding the end back on. I was going to use nuts/washers in between the plate to push it out and drill plug holes down the shaft. I want them to look as factory as I can. I haven't found replacements on Ebay or elsewhere but do have the skills to repair what I have. I will see less than 50hp from the newly rebuilt banger motor on this Model A so while they must be solid and strong, they won't be subjected to large amounts of power and torque. How would you fix them??
If they are that rusted to the point where they have holes in them then I would go find some new ones, you don't know where the rest of the thin spots are going to show up. Also they are called rear wishbones.
Those are rear wishbones. Just get another pair. I see them in the classifieds here all the time. If you can't find any, send me a PM. I can probably sell you a pair... Mike
You could fix them, but I think you could get a different pair of rear wishbones for little or nothing through the classifirds here. I thought I had a pair, but I just looked and couldn't find them.
Like these guys all said, your best bet is to find another set. Id be afraid to run those. They normally rust from the inside out....
This guy has new ones. He doesn't do internet, but has 1-800-955-3139 or 765-288-3291. Hes in Muncie In. 47305 and his are heaver then original. Hes the guy that sells a kit to bolt a 5/sp in your A, and since you loose the torque tube to do the install, he came up with these babys. Probably the way to go cause by now most of them you find are rusted from the inside out any way. I put several sets on cars that I converted to the 5/sp setup and was very happy with what he has. Iceman
This guy has new ones. He doesn't do internet, but has 1-800-955-3139 or 765-288-3291. Hes in Muncie In. 47305 and his are heaver then original. Hes the guy that sells a kit to bolt a 5/sp in your A, and since you loose the torque tube to do the install, he came up with these babys. Probably the way to go cause by now most of them you find are rusted from the inside out any way. I put several sets on cars that I converted to the 5/sp setup and was very happy with what he has. Iceman
You actually have the better ones, they have forged ends. Most of the other REAR RADIUS RODS have some steel banding that is bent and welded to the tubes. I would cut off the forged ends and find some other Ford radius rods with similar dimensions and weld them on.
They are called rear radius rods and there function is to keep the axle lined up with the torque tube. If you want stock Model A rods you should consider a "want ad" on the Ford Barn. They have Model Specific ads. Your peppy Model A will really like a T5. Not traditional. But it will help to keep you from getting run over on a four lane.
I didn't take any photos but I fixed them. Cut off the forged ends and sleeved them with tubing and re-plated them. Drilled holes and plug welded the tubing. I then filled it with POR-15 just in case and then re-welded the forged ends back on . The metal was only bad within 5 inches of the forged arms. The end job looks stock and that is what I was after. They painted up nice and wasn't too bad of a job. If they break I'll hunt a new set. All I'm out is time at this point.
The Jalopy Journal
