I'm putting together information and gathering parts for my "built from garbage" '29 RPU banger build. I've read through a few threads here, but they (unless I just haven't found the right thread yet) still leave me with a few questions. One of the things I'm going to have to consider (like you should) is dampening the front suspension. As you probably well know (unlike the rear and because of the way I'm building this wreck), I'm not going to have much room for hydraulic shocks up front. Besides, they're not going to fit the aesthetic I'm going for. Don't get me wrong, I'm not too much of a "form over function" guy, but... I've seen a lot of builds utilizing friction shocks up front. One book I have on building t-buckets (not what I'm building but the frame I built is made partially from t-bucket frame plans.) has a schematic for fabricating friction shocks that, to be honest, looks a little too easy. Basically an arm, a spring, and some leather discs, bolted right to the front of the frame with a torque setting around 20 foot pounds. I mean, I understand the concept and the mechanics behind them, I just thought they'd be a little more involved than just a few chunks of metal and some dead cow skin. So, I guess my questions are: Are they really this easy? Do they halfway work? Am I stupid for wanting to use them, period? Have you built any? Can you post up some pics of your homespun friction shocks? Hope you guys are having a great day! If my ex-wife is reading this, I hope you have the day you deserve. Thanks for entertaining my stupidity.
2 thoughts. 1, there was a thread here from a guy in Brazil who built a speedster with a V-12 IIRC. He built his own friction shocks. Or 2, rear shocks from an MGB is another option. I've seen them on t buckets but sorry no photos.
I built 2 for the front of out lakester. 4" dia steel disk welded to frame. Friction laminated to it. another 4"disk with arm to front axel. bolt running through both disk welded to back of first disk. Bolt also has key milled in it to allow another 4" steel disk with friction material laminated to it to form a sandwich of friction material arm to front axel and another friction surface. I used a beville washer and nylock nut to secure it. Takes a little trial and error to determine how much pressure to apply. I got friction material from McMaster Carr.
Go to post 968 and onward, he just built a set and later people are discussing it. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1930s-era-champ-car-new-project.223598/page-33
Lots of stock model A s running around with no dampers whatsoever. There is some friction damping in the leaf spring its self and they seem to get removed due to replacement costs. Not ideal imho but it seems to work.
This is how i made mine. Fits to the model A speedsters (stock body with lowered rear end might need modifications). Simply: arm, frame part, pressure plate, friction discs , disc springs and castle nut. Haven't got my speedster on the road yet, but some guys who bought a set said they works pretty well. If you do not want to make your own, you can order one of mine from Mike's https://www.mikes-afordable.com/product/A18015F.html
Link to the V-12 speedster build https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/seagrave-531-v12-special-build-up-in-brazil.1163715/
You guys, as always, never disappoint. This is good some shit right here! Feelin' better about 'em with every post.
I had a friend with a T bucket that I would see at rod trots in Texas in the 70's who had built a setup pretty similar to what Lattahattu showed in post 7. He would tell me about the different materials he had tried as friction material. Last I knew he said that Masonite disks seemed to work pretty well. I had MG Midget lever action shocks on my T bucket and have to think that they were pretty well worn out when I scrounged them at a wrecking yard. The shock looked like this one but having just looked up new or rebult ones the cost is pretty stiff running about 500 for a pair of new ones. The good thing about them when I had them was how easy they were to install on the T bucket.
There is a company called Hartford Friction Shocks, www.packardtwelve.com, they might have the parts you need.
Friction shocks are great for a LSR vehicle with very limited axle movement. Why do you ask? Because the rules state a sprung wheel requires a shock absorber. Mine meet the rule.
Friction shocks do work but have to remember that they have a break away torque that diminishes some once they are moving.
http://www.virtualsteamcarmuseum.org/makers/gabriel_manufacturing_company.html https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/HuUAAOSwL-BdvfL-/s-l1600.jpg https://forums.aaca.org/topic/303727-snubber-catalogue/
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