I wanted to drop the original headlight bar on my model A but only use the kit i had access to in the workshop, basicaly a saw and welder. To achieve the tight bends i decided to use two large chain links, one 16mm and one 20mm gauge. I mocked up the bends using paper templates and cut the links to suits. It needs a bit more blending but i am happy with the results. It may not be the best way of achieving the result but it works if you have limited kit.
Interesting way to do it, I never would have thought of that! I dropped mine for my 28 RPU with a jig borrowed from a friend and an oxy-acetylene torch. It was fun to do.
^^^^ I built a jig and did a couple 30/31 headlight bars in my shop with a oxy/acetylene torch too. With the roar of the rosebud tip and the nagging question if it would ever fit back into the jig when both ends were done....I didn't find it to exactly be a relaxing experience. By some miracle they did work out though. Lynn
I dropped 2 bolts through the bolt holes into a vise, and then tightened the vise on the bolts. I then used an acetylene torch to heat the bar and bent it to the shape that I wanted.
That's easy for you to do because you're smart and you have excellent skills. But what am I supposed to do?
Well that is a cool and innovative solution! I bought an already dropped bar for mine a few years ago but turned out it was too narrow when I tried to put it in. Not to long ago I ended up buying a torch set up from another guy so I've been messing around heating and rebending trying to get it to fit the jig....so far not the result I was hoping for. I should have just cut it in the middle and added a chunk and rewelded it, but I hated to cut a chunk out of my nice original one to do that. Another bar is on the way from @BigJoeArt, so new options exist now. LOL
To me a thing to have in mind and be particularly careful about is maintaining enough room under the bends to be able to insert the lower carriage bolts back into the ends of the bar after bending. I had to turn my head just right to get them in and they would only go in from one direction. There must have been someone watching over me to protect me from myself. Lynn
I did the heat and bend on the headlight bar for my 30 but it has a 32 grill shell so had to make a longer bar with a bend to clear the grill shell. Wasn't happy with it and found a stainless bar so gave mine to a friend and it's on his roadster and he's happy with it. Nothing goes to waste with hot rodders, somebody always needs old parts.
A bit more careful grinding and that will come up well……. my son and I had a go at a deuce one, a few years back. After 4 hours and being late at night, ( son had to start again early the next morning) we couldn’t get it 100% right, so I decided to cut and weld the flanges back on. We were happy with our first attempt, 80mm drop, not quite the 100mm we were aiming for. If one day if we decide to drop an axle, we will make a better jig, and practice on a model A one first……..
The Jalopy Journal
