dragged home this es*** and wondering what people think of using the frame with leafs on all four wheels and what i can swap the es*** front spindles out for to get something more updated the rear is no problem i guess i can just put a newer style rearend in? help needed
Adapt a ford or Mopar axle to it. you can out Ford spindles on either ( the Mopar has to have the king pin bumgs reemed to fit the ford king pin). So the es*** has parallel leafs on all 4 corners correct?
If a remember correctly, back in the day 26/27 Es*** ch***is were sought after for hot rod platforms. There were some nationally know race cars built on that ch***is, with some modifications. Is your Es*** frame actually two frames deep in the middle? Hard to describe what i mean, so do you have a side-view picture of the frame?
That's a good looking and solid car, but depending what you are gonna do for a power plant the frame is gonna be the week point. I like the idea of using the leafs on all 4 corners, but lowering the car is gonna be a problem. a dropped axle of some sort could help on the front. I would try to incorporate a model A crossmember and front suspension under it with the transverse spring, with either split bones or hair pins and a 4 inch dropped axle that would get it lower. As for the rear springs they should be updated or modified also. Think about boxing the rails for strength.
i will be interested in what you find out. i am going thru the planning stage for my '27 es***. i bought a little later front end with springs from a es***. it is a little wider but i might make it work. i was thinking about trying to get ford kingpins and spindles and trying to make them work. i really want to keep it all in the hudson family as far as parts go. i can tellyou this- a 52 hornet rear with springs looks like it will work great in the back. i will have to remake the rear perch.
You'll find the rear leaf springs are not parallel like the fronts. This was an effort by Hudson/Es***/Terraplane to limit ch***is sway by spreading the back of the rear springs further apart than the front. Theses ch***is were very popular in the racing community throughout the late 20s through the 50s. Stout rails with the lower reinforcment braces made for a great base for both one and 2 p***enger racers. The Niekamp car, winner of the 1st AMBR tropy was built on a modified Es*** frame.
you are right pasadenahotrod, the original springs were way wider in back. i wondered the reason. it's close to the same angle as the latter stepdown springs. not trying to hyjack this thread or anything, i have a 40 ford axle i had bought to maybe use awhile back. i didn't get the spring or anything. maybe i need to get off my high horse and consider using it. it would prob be a lot easier to make work as far as parts go than the es*** fram i got later.
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