Hey... I have a 1928 Essex 3 window coupe that I am building. I don't have an Essex frame but I have two sets of 31 chevy rails and a frame that somebody started building from scratch from 2×3 120 wall. Both chevy frames Are bare. I have also collected a front and rear end out of a 1940 ford with springs, brakes, and bones... I would like the car to sit as low as possible. I was wondering if I can get the chevy frame pretty low to the ground by putting the ford transverse leafs in it without kicking up the frame in the rear? The scratch built frame is Zd 10 inches already. Or would I be best off to z the chevy frame? I would like to run a suicide front end and I don't plan on running fenders... I thought about running chevy parallel leafs out back and a suicide front and channeling the body. But I don't know if that would look like a backwards ass 3 springer or somthing ... This is my first Hotrod project of this magnitude so please be patient with my lack of knowledge (stupidity) Haha THX!!!
Welcome, I used to live in Kennewick. Can you post pics of the frames? It sounds an awful lot like you are go with the scratch built frame, particularly if you want a suicide front end.
Thank you... I can't take any pictures until tomorrow... One is boxed and was under a Hotrod at one timeand the other is bone stock
This is a 27 chevy frame with 40 ford bones installed the axle is a magnum unit with a 4 inch drop, and a model a lowered crossmember installed. The rear suspension is a triangulated 4 link with coilovers.
Nice! I really like the look of the chevy frames. They seem to be alot more stout than the fords. But I love the look of a transverse leaf up front!
The suicide front end will most likely get you down to a good ride height if your spring center is mounted up high enough on the front of the frame. You definately wont need all the springs from the 40 front, or rear. And 31 vicky is right. The rear is another story and a z style frame is most likely in order.
That's what I was afraid of. They seem to have a monster truck stance. Im thinking that Z-ing the frame in the rear and channeling the body is the only way to get the stance im after... Thx!
What ever you do dont give up on those 31 chevy frames. The wheel base most likely will be longer than your essex, but without fenders it would look really cool a little stretched
I noticed most people go with a model a spring and cross member in the rear. Is there a reason not to run the leaf pack from the 40 ford? I might end up goin 4 link out back but I like the look of my 40 ford rear end. And it matches the bolt pattern for my wide 5 wheels
I wont. Im really liking them. I think it would look cool stretched too. I could shorten it a little when I z it if its way to long
The 40 is a lot heavier than you essex will be, so the lighter springs possibly from a model A woulld give you a better ride.
Many cars on hamb have a 40 "front" spring mounted at the back of the car, for the rear end, and you can use either a flat homemade crossmember for it for lower cars, or use the 40 rear crossmember and flatten it out to be lower.
Hey Ghost28, got a better picture from above looking down at the rear end? I am interested in how that triangulated suspension looks. Thanks!
You could Z the front and hide it in the toe boards of the cowl. That gets you lower without crowding the interior and makes the channel look deeper & keeps decent oilpan clearance. Channel the depth of the frame isn't too bad on the interior.
That's a good point. I was actually wondering about that because the car already has a 4 inch chop. And I like the look you get when the car is chopped and channeled and the motor is up in the air a little bit. But not too over the top...
I might be wrong but the Essex frame was the one used under alot of the early racers. They look alot like the Miller frames, and they have a nice curve with a kick in the rear.
You're right, Dyce. But the Chevy frame can be reshaped at the rear kick, to get that graceful 'curl' over the axle, just as nice. Chevy frames ('28-'31, anyway) have adequate side rails, and the fronts taper down to a pair of horns that can be massaged to a vintage art form. I have a '29 Chevy frame for my '27 tub...it's a tossup between that and Deuce rails. But I'll use my Chevy frame for something...
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