OK guys, I am building my own T frame; due to not being able to find the features I want on any of the many choices out there. I have question about the front traverse spring mount. The Drawing I posses shows it as 5 degrees angle up off the center line of the rail. Why? Is this supposed to be the caster angle? if it is, would it not be better to have the frame at the planned rake angle, then add the 5 degrees? What am I missing here?
Will your axle be mounted above axle or behind? If behind it can be square to the frame as you can make your mounts at that angle. However, I think it works and looks best the same as the axle/caster. If you do mount it at the same angle as the axle then yes, set your frame rake and go from there.
Spring mounted at the same Caster angle of the front axle if the spring is over the the axle. Some details about what you are building would help a ton in determining how your questions get answered.
Just tack your front spring mount in,.. the 5degrees they show is to compensate for the caster angle so your front suspension and especially your shackles don't run in a bind. However,.. you will most likely be running your T on a rake so this adds to the angle and the front and rear suspension will be loaded differently.... so you won't know your true front perch angle until it's under load...... So like I said. to get it dead on right,.. put 5 to 7 degrees of angle on it to compensate for the caster and tack it... do your build up and under full load, cut the tacks and set it at the actual angle you need to eliminate any bind,.... and weld it up. Or you could do what about 97% of all the other guys do, and guess at your caster and rake,... weld it up accordingly and just stress the spring & shackles...
To add to what Elpolacko said in post #3 that is so that the spring, shackles and axle are all on the same plane to keep the shackles from binding. Having the mount on the same angle is just part of making that work.
Alright,.... let me clarify this as I ***ume you all know what I'm talking about.... Find the true angle under load ,... support the ch***is and take all pressure off the mount first....... Then cut the tacks, set your angle on the front spring mount.........and weld it up......... I understood what I meant ...
I guess I should have included more info, I have this dodge axle that now sitting between a V-12 Lincoln and a 40's era Halibrand QC on my garage floor, I am 6'7" but love C Cab T's. So my insane mind says why not BYO? My plans include spring behind to feature the double wavy dodge axle. If I understand what has been said, my "guess" was pretty much correct, angle is for the caster, and should be about 5 up, at the rake angle. Right?
Sorry I do not know what info do you require. I have no "Plans" just a copy of this that I found with a search in post #6 http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=334371
The 5* from the old TP frame plans has nothing to do w/caster angle. What it corresponds to is the arc created w/ axle up/down motion determined by the length & mounting points of the radius rod/wishbone according to their [TP] plans. dave
Honestly, yes. aster angle on early Ford type front ends usually likes to be somewhere between 5 and 7 degrees at ride height. If your plans include mounting the front spring alla "T" bucket on pivots behind the axle, it becomes less critical because your caster can be dialed into the axle itself with hair pin type radius rods. If you spring ends up over the axle on a more typical early Ford type fixed perch, then spring mount caster angles become critical. Personally, even on a "T" bucket "suicide perch" I do my best to mount it at a caster angle. You can never know what the future brings in the life of a car, and cutting major stuff out to redo ****s when your tastes change...
That is what brought up the question: from post#11 by brianangus "For all beam type and tubular axles, the kingpins should lean towards the back of the car, at the top of the kingpin by an angle of 6 degrees.This is best accomplishe by welding the crossmember or suicide plate in at an angle of 6 degrees relative to the top surface of the framerail. You do not have to take into acount the angle which your car will be setting at because of "rubber rake" caused by running large tires on the rear and small tires on the front." Why does "Rubber Rake" not count?
Anything that wopuld alter the angle od the ch***is shouild also alter the caster angle as it would take the car using the front ties as a pivot point and move the back of it up or down. I like to set my caster angle with the frame in its proper orientation or close to it. But on a ch***is that is longish an inch in the at one end of the ch***is is not going to change your angle by very much. It does become more criticle on a short ch***is.
Got this link from tbucketeers has 2 magazine builds an the youngster plans might help people on here http://netquickposse.org/tbucketeers/
You might be interested in this: http://www.tbucketplans.com/2012/04...-ch***is-plans-digital-edition-now-available/ The California Custom Roadsters plans are well worth the money. They will also answer a lot of questions for someone building a T bucket style frame at home. I'm not sure I want to build my own dropped tube axle but they have the plans for doing so. I bought the digital copy of the book Chester sells a couple of years ago and while it's interesting reading it's not what a guy who wants to follow this day in age. Not too many of us would be inclined to grab the torch and cut the frame rails to size and then grind the cuts to fit the pieces together now.
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