I remember someone asking what stuff fit the early chrysler straight axle but I cant find the post. I just got this nifty straight axle setup from a Junkyard. Can you adapt Chevy or Ford spindles to it easily? It already had hydraulic brakes but I don't know the availability of rebuild parts/drums for one. There was also a pretty decent Radir wheel in there. I think the scraches may buff out! This guy had a giant shear that he cut the tires off the rims with.
DIRTYT just picked one up too. It's from a 1 ton truck though, so we figured on removing some of the like 17 leafs from the springs. I haven't seen it yet, other than pix, but it also has what look like F1 style shock mounts. As far as spindles go, I don't know for sure if the Fords will work, but on the 32 (ish) Buick axle I have, the king pin and spindle heights appear to be the same size as Fords. And yes, I know that a Buick isn't a Mopar. Jay
Seems like I heard somewhere that using the Ford spindles wasn't a big deal but I can't remember what (if anything) was invloved in the adaptation. What years did those old Mopars come with the bent tube axles? I want one. JH
Plowboy, Yor best bet is to snag a pair of Ford spindles for it. I'm using a double dip on my coupe, and a pair of A spindles. You have to bore/reem the bungs a little (contact BenD for exact numbers) because the ford kingpin is a little bigger, but then you can use anything that fits on a ford. Oh did you notice how egg shaped that Radir in the picture is?
the axle in your picture looks like it has the same torsion bar as my '35 Dodges.. I have heard that too about the ends only needing the king pin hole reamed to the Ford diameter to get them to fit, hieght is there already. this is what CGkidd has planned for his setup. and "straight axle" is not the term here, they are double dip tube with 3 or 4 inch of drop stock, a straight axle has no bends- no drop Paul
Thanks for the info fellers! I guess it ain't straight but when you run with the fags I hang with "straight" becomes a subjective term. I suppose I need to find a home for it then, I have a spare pair of Ford spindles I believe.
If I recall they were a Plymouth/dodge/chrysler/desoto axle from about the mid '30s through the early '40s. The one I have is on a parallel leaf setup but will get Batwings and a spring behind the axle. I measured it and its about a 3" drop with a 57" track width. I never did understand what the extra dip was for it must have been for pan clearance or something.
Something looks funky in your picture Plowboy. Is that axle bolted to a frame rail, or is it the angle of the picture? Should of had a pair of feafs. Not to hijack the post but, Is there an easy way to tell if one of these axles is bent? My 37 Plymouth has one spring gone (tourched off long ago) and it looks like the frame may have been bent in a crash. The body is still on the frame, so its kind of hard to get a good look. I have yet to deside on what I want to do with the suspension, but finding out if the axle is screwed would sure help in the decision. Gene
Yeah, it was bolted to a model T chassis and a trailer was made out of it. I would hate to be in an accident that could bend one of those, they are pretty stout.
I don't know for sure. I know my 33 Dodge has one,and I had a cousin with a home made trailer that had one and it was supposed to have came out from under a 31 Plymouth.
38 Would have been the last year for the "straight" axle in Chrysler cars. They were in all of the Mopars from 1914 Dodge through the 38 model year except for 1 year, 1934 I think. Not all of them would have had the double dip. Mopar carried the "straight" axle in the trucks until 71 model year. According to what I've read, from the inception of Chrysler corp in 1924, all Chrysler products have had hydralic brakes. Gene
Dodge was using a beam axle through the '20s. I don't think I have a good picture of my '23 here but its a strange lookin' duck. Not much difference between '23 and '24 for Dodge. In '40 at least on Dodge and Plymouth the front suspension came both ways, either an independent or tube axle, I don't know if either was a special order, but I have seen '40 Dodge and Plymouth with an axle instead of independent. Can't tell you for sure about Chryslers. Found one an early ('20s style) axle. '23 to be exact.
Dodge never made a straight axle that I know of. the people that call any solid axle straight are probably the same ones that call Coupes Roadsters 'cause they're hot rods here's a picture of the double dip on my '35 Dodge parts car notice the rubber bushed anti sway bar and a fucking straight axle notice that it is straight
The old guy at my work has a '37 Dodge front end complete with springs and brakes that he removed when he went with a mustang II for his street rod. It is the 'douple dip' tube axle. I just gotta go over and dig it out of the weeds. Josh
there ya go! get that tripower yet? I got a pair of hairpins to trade, you could make a pair of bat wings and mount it like we did CGkidd's Paul
Talked to the guy today. The intake is at his dads place in bremerton. Next time he go's over there he'll grab it and bring it in. Eric's car is looking sweeeet!! Josh
I have one. I plan to order an early Ford spindle and king pin set soon. Speedway has the (spring behind) brackets. I'll put together a tech post on the setup.
it doesn't sound like a big deal but I do know that Eric was having a hard time finding anybody locally and on short notice to open the axle ends up for the Ford kingpins, it left my shop still wearing the Chrysler spindles. to mix it up good a guy could use a Chrysler axle, Ford car spindles, F1 hubs, Lincoln backing plates and Buick drums, then the aftermarket or home made batwings and hairpins. Paul
Actually thewre isn't anything wrong with the old dodge drums. They stop and pieces aren't hard to find. For my part the kning pins seemed to be non existant. I found all the break parts at the local autoparts but couldn't find new kinpins, and didn't want to make some. I got a thing for being able to find replacements on the road. Well that and a fellow HAMBer made sure I had a set of dropped Model A spindles with new kingpins. I'm just using an adjustable reem to make the bungs bigger on mine (borrowed of course).
Thanks for all the info! I may put it to use then or I may trade it off for some other goodies I need. We'll just have to see. The lander is still my main focus, but it never hurts to accumulate junk.
Good looking kit, but $575? Ouch!!! http://www.ecihotrodbrakes.com/dodge_plymouth_discbrake_conversions.html JH
Is the axle an "Elliott" or s "Reverse Elliott". On an Elliott, the spindle spans the axle boss, and on a reverse Elliott, the axle end spans the top and bottom of the spindle. A beautiful axle, the Reverse Elliott, abut a bitch to fit brakes on.
A bit late but a guy called rustyhope sells disc kits for your early Mopar spindles, 1930-31 Hes on the hamb.
i have a 30s mopar tube axle i made an adaptor plate to use buick backing plates and finned drums , i'll try to post pics latter .
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