Straight axle for Henry J

Well I've decide I'm gonna put a straight axle in the Henry. My problem is I'm not really sure what to use. Anyone know what fits? I was thinking maybe one from an econoline. I don't really want to go for the raised front end look though. I like the way this car sits but confused (new to straight axle stuff) on how exactly the front end is setup as it looks like there's hairpins coming off the front axle. I know one guy that used to own it but he has no clue what was used. Any ideas?

 

post some pics of the existing set up.....if it has hairpins. it has an axle under it now...

 

Econoline is way wide. Same with early Dodge A-100. Best bet is early 50's Chevy truck (parallel spring)or old Ford buggy spring type, if you want wishbones.

 

I have no other pics of that car. The guy I know who used to own it has a bunch of photos he took of it somewhere in his garage that I am going to look for one of these days. He does have a really old black and white photo of the car being built and it appears to have parallel leafs on the front which has me confused on what looks like hairpins/wishbones. The only other thing I could think of is that it is the steering linkage as you sat in the back in the middle and it had a center steer system with a sprint car box. I tried emailing another guy that used to own it but he had some health issues and think he might of p***ed away.

 

I emailed the one guy who used to own the car again today and he replied. He said "It had a Model A axle and side hung center bolted spring with only hubs, no brakes, with the early Ford pattern". So that means it just had the one spring on the front right? Which would mean there were wishbones/hairpins on it?

 

A side-hung center bolted spring is non-Ford person talk for a transverse front spring like everything Ford built from 28-48 except 42-48 pickups.

And yes that means it would likely have hairpins on it.

 

I'm going 4 bar and coilovers like the early 70s funny cars ran.

 

mine has an early chevy truck axle and springs, and is sitting about the same. it has a kicked up frame stub, and all stock 53 chevy truck shackles. the lift is on the front spring perch.

 

Von Hartman put a Willys axle under his Abomination Henry J. I thought he had a build thread here, but I cant find it. If you send him a PM im sure he would give you some details.