All you open wheeled roadster guys, what are you running? I'm trying to decide whether or not to spend the extra on an original dropped axle. I certainly like the looks much better. But, will it really be that noticeable? I really can afford an after market.......2 bills.... An original is, what, about 300-350..... big difference right now for me...grille shell, headlights, ***le, etc...
I think the new ones will get you lower than a dropped original. Probably less worries about a new one being bent, damaged, or worn out too.
I am running a Ch***is Engineering forged axle in my 32 Ford roadster. I am very pleased with it. Looks a lot like a heat and stretch dropped "heavy" 32 axle. Out in my shop I have a heat and stretched 40 Ford style axle. I was going to use it in my modified project. But I would really prefer a Ch***is Engineering unit. I'll trade my axle for a Ch***is Engineering one (or enough cash to buy one).
After Market ones only come in greater than 4 inch drops, so if you want a shallower drop than that (say like on Mike Bishop's AV8) you will have to have an orig dropped. Personally I usually can't notice any diff between an after mkt 4 inch drop and an orig and given that you have a Brookville body, I'd go for the after market - you will save some funds for some other item on the project (plus an orig has to be shipped to and from the dropper) and you know exactly what you are getting.
Mine's an old timer bought cheap. I was going to start without a dropped axle then ran into this one in a hotrodder's junkyard.
FY get your hands on a speedway catalog ,they have good prices on axles. They also have a couple of good front end kits available. You could buy a complete kit which really reduces the cost of each component. you could use the stuff you needed, then give a good deal to a HAMBer on the stuff you dont need. And you would still end up "ahead" (I use the term loosely) Just some thoughts good luck
Only you can answer that question and if you are like me you won't always get the same answer. I really like the crudeness of this original dropped axle that I believe is a Dago. My first reaction was to grind it down fill it and make it "pretty". I've decided to leave it as it really was. This is what they really looked like and I feel lucky to have one. On the 32 P/U I'm building I've got a CE axle. It's got a 4 bar and Vega built for long range driving so a period axle isn't necessary. This dropped, filled and old chromed axle under my coupe is special to me. I was lucky to be into the nostalgia cars when everyone else was up dating their rides. Super Bell convinced everybody that a tube axle and 4 bars was the ****. For a while the "ugly axles" were cheap. The little details are what separate the "oh wow" cars from the cookie cutter cars. It all comes down to how important it is to you. Is it worth the extra money and the extra effort to seek out this stuff or do you ask the HAMB for a web site to order one up....both will work just fine.
If you have an original stock axle, have ***us drop it for you. He does a great job. Just had him do three axles for me.
if you decide to run an aftermarket axle. the cheepest way to go is to get a magnum axle 4 inch drop.it is the only one i have found that you can use stock 37-48 ford spindles without using a bolt on stearing arm. i have had one on my 32hiboy for 84000 miles and have never had a problem,and it has seen alot of abuse. -danny
How much would a complete HAMB dropped axle cost?? Sawzall and Tokyo had a couple of '33-6 axles for sale at the showdown. I think a couple of people here do the dropping... I was going to say that aftermarket axles were for communist bedwetters with power windows, but I guess I better not... My best original, a '32 heavy, is so perfectly dropped that I thought it was a streetrod casting and threw it into the back of the garage...it stayed there until I noticed the little Ford alloy designation on the end... It was somehow dropped, in a time and place unknown, with no distortion and perfect curves in the ends. It looks like Henry made it that way.
THanks for the respones and pics! I think I'm going to go with a Magnum......for now. I've picked up everything, and I mean everything for this car at a steal. So, I'm certain I will find an original off an ole' hotrodder that doens't need it. The swap would be easy and I would have the Magnum for the next project...
No, I don't think you understand. We're talking about axles that you put under.....you *****! Why don't you GO......rilla! Alright, enought of the corny jokes!
If you stick with the Magnum check the king pin to king pin measurement, new axles tend to be made a bit narrow and it gives the car that ****ed in look, I try to stay at least at 49" from center to center of the kingpins. Like Bruce said the heavy 32 axle's are the nicest ones to have dropped.
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