should I box my 38 Ford frame? Front i-beam suspension, rear parallel leafs (with the rear crossmember still in place), mild small block Ford (351 w/c4)(maybe 300 hp). So Should I box it or leave it alone. If I was to box it would I do the front and rear ,the whole frame, or any combination of?
I would do the front (but it will work either way) and make sure the frame is in very good shape or reinforced around the mounting points for the parallel leaf springs.
I believe its a waste not only of money but wieght wise as well. My buddy has as a daily driver a 32 five window that he uses 7 days a week 365 days a year. It has been his daily driver since 1952 first with a flattie and then in the 1970s he went to BOSS 302 with a four speed and a 9 inch Ford and the original frame has never been boxed and it still is fine after all these years. Proof to me that unless you're gonna do some serious racing you don't need to box rails.
I would only box a frame if it has independent suspensions. A channel frame is designed to flex with leaf springs.
Box the front if you feel the need and where the front of your rear springs mount. I also agree with the prior post, boxing is usually done becouse everyone does it, not that it is necessary.
If the original X member is in place, and the frame is not rusted out anywhere, I agree that boxing is unnecessary , given the suspension types you are using. With the original transverse spring in front, very little 'twist' is induced into the frame from that end. The X member provides resistance to twist, a feature not found in coventional ladder style frames which benefit more from boxing than yours will. Ray
Actually you didn't ask the same question. You asked about an aftermarket '32 frame...which is a substantailly different animal than a stock '38 frame. Few, if any, aftermarket '32 frames have a true X member. The typical repop '32 frame has a cage of light guage, small dimension, rectangular tubing that does (almost) nothing for longitudinal twist. Boxing the side rail "C' channels helps some with that, but still is no match for a proper X member. Whereas, a stock '35 thru '48 chassis has a well designed and lengthy X member and is also double walled (not boxed) into the frame rails ahead of and behind the X portion. Ray
Ray, you are so right. I have been looking for 35-41 x members to strengthen my 32 frame. I boxed the front, still working on the back. Good/smart info is always needed, thank you!
Most best questions asked are from those who want to learn from who know. I've never noticed somebody to ask how to take care of a dead horse here. That should from some kind of or another internet forum that is completely different than this one.
Run it as is, just make sure to patch it where the x member comes into the rails if it needs it, it usually rots out in the rear
Box it. Protect your investment in time and effort. Keeps the underside of your vehicle looking clean and tidy. Is an insurance policy for your body, helps to reduce stress and cracking. Makes your suspension work better.
A 70+ year old frame with a more powerful drivetrain would probably do well boxed. Here's a question: why NOT box it? If you have the chassis separated from the body already, why not do it and play it safe? What would Boyd do?
Well, assuming a good solid original frame to start with, a good reason not to box it might be that it is a LOT more work, done neatly and properly, than one might imagine and for little or no REAL gain in utility. The '35 thru '48 frames, with the stock X and other crossmembers in place, has numerous intersections of those crossmembers with the main rails. Further, the X member channels tuck into the side rails well past the point where the X meets the side rail. The consequence is that the side rails are double thickness ahead of and behind the X member for most of the remaining length of the side rail. Kind of tough to improve on that, especially when you consider the time and effort involved, unless you build a whole new frame from scratch....in my opinion, of course. Ray
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