Technical 37 Ford with dropped axle - Which Steering arms work ?

I got a 4 inch dropped axle from Speedway for my 37 Ford. Stock Wishbone, Stock spring and pulled two leaves out of the spring. Speedway sold me some 1 3/4" dropped steering arms to go with the axle -- the thinking was that the 4" dropped axle was 2" lowered from stock and the stock steering arms gave 1 3/4" clearance between steering and wishbone so with 1 3/4 more drop on the steering I should still have plenty of room. NOT !! It turns out that the 1 3/4 dropped steering arms are only 1/2" deeper than stock and the steering arm is in the neighborhood of the top of the wishbone instead of underneath. I find 3 3/4" dropped arms on Speedway and 4" dropped arms on a few other sites. Who else has done a 4" dropped axle with stock wishbone and what steering arm did you use ??? Thanks !!

 

Personally I’d heat and drop the stock arms on the spindles. Then no worry about them ever coming loose, which has happened to me.

 

it doesn't appear that there is enough length there on the original arms to drop them enough to clear the wishbone

 

Best steering arms are Henry's but if you need bolt on's I'd go with P&J's. I've got them on my 40 with a 4 inch dropped axle and stock split bones and the tie rod and drag link are under the bones. Works good.

 

They won’t drop 2”? I’ve dropped stock arms at least 2” before.

 

2 inches would put me still into the wishbone - looks like I need at least 4 -- and the wishbone is not split.

 

I wonder if 40 steering arms are longer ? I haven't looked at the right one on the 37 yet but the left looks so short -- like if I bent it straight down it would barely be below the wishbone with no material left to level out the eye for the tie rod.

 

Technical - fitting f1 or f100 fdrums to this | The H.A.M.B. (jalopyjournal.com)

roadster supply
so cal

there are three different drops

stock - stock is a stock late 36 to 40 - not 41 pick up as the taper is upside down on the input stock for 36-40 the steering arm snakes down
a 36-40 spindle using a 4'' dropped axle with a 4 bar or hairpin works as its a fluke.

dropped for a 5'' axle with hairpins - not as deep as\/ but mighty confusing as they are only to be used with a hairpin, i.e. they are only an extra inch lower
dropped for a 4'' axle with a wishbone.

the socal/roadster supply arms register in the spigot or rebate of the spindle.

if you are now using a 35 wishbone and a 4'' dropped axle that is 46 inches to king pins,
you have basically come in one inch per side and the tyre will rub the bone.
you wont be able to run a shackle pin for tube shocks
you still wont even if its a 47.25 wide axle.
plus the bone will probably whack the steering box now

if you have to use a forged steer steeing arm you have to go for the chassis engineering style .

 

You are putting the tie rod ends in from the bottom side of the arm now, right? I can’t see how you put an axle that is 2” lower into the mix, but now you need to drop the arms an additional 4”.

Just taper the hole halfway from the bottom side and the ends will fit like they grew there. Then heat and drop for clearance. There are many threads and magazine articles showing the proper process. And it’s free!

 

Here's a 40 Ford with Magnum 4 in dropped axle and Magnum dropped steering arms installed 23 years ago. Last photo shows the heads of the Grade 8 bolts securing the steering arms to Bolling Bros. Lincoln backing plate. MAKE SURE BOLTS DON'T BOTTOM OUT IN THE THREADED STEERING ARMS AND USE LOCTITE. OEM stock pitman arm also shown. 15 inch tires. Magnum axle is 3/4 narrower than stock for fender/tire clearance. This 3/4 inch difference means tie rod had to be shortened which increases the turning radius slightly. Posie reversed eye spring. Double nutted the spring perch bolts to protect the threads. Stock 40 wishbone not split. Stock 40 transmission.
Engine is 1953 8BA. Hope this helps.

 

YES ! That's where I need mine to be ! Thanks 19Fordy -- how much drop are in those Magnum steering arms ?
Are they still available somewhere ? -- so far I've found arms that are 3 3/4 inch drop and 4 inch drop online.

Right now my stock arm is at the top of the wishbone and the 1 3/4 inch dropped arm is only 1/2 inch lower than the stock one.

 

19Fordy, here is the current situation -- aftermarket spindle with the 1 3/4 inch dropped steering arm. which I thought was going to be 1 3/4 inch more drop than stock -- turns out it is only 1/2 inch more drop than stock. you can see the shock bolt and wishbone -- the stock arm runs right into the shock bolt with the area where the tie rod should go - where the aftermarket one barely goes under the shock bolt.

 

35/36 bones are not recommended for use on a 35-40 ford with a dropped axle. The design of their spring perch reduces turning radius. I have the same axle, spindle, steering arm setup as 19fordy only with Super Bell Power stoppers. on my 40. I have the 37-40 bones and have no clearance problems. I also have a 525 steering box which makes no difference. For some information on the wishbones refer to Posies catalogue or P&J's. 19fordy's arms are the deep drop, yours are not.

 

studebakerhawk: I just measured my dropped Magnum steering arms sent you an email reply that will be very helpful. You need 3 3/4 in. Magnum dropped steering arms to use with a Magnum 4 in. dropped axle. That's what I am using.

 

Thanks krylon32, I'm using an un-split stock 37 wishbone with a 4 inch dropped axle and a stock spring with 2 leaves removed.

 

Thanks 19Fordy, will order arms on Monday

 

Once again I would give Pete & Jake's a call. Talk to Jason. There's some minor differences in the P&J arms that make them work a little better.