Question. Was there a year Ford drilled a vent hole in the center housing or did someone modify this particular center housing ? Left (my 39' 3:78) center section Right (40 3:4?) center section I bought a while back. I'm going to use the (right) one with the axle housings for mockup I wasn't expecting any differences ... then saw the vent. Just curious. Thanks. Mike. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Alright guys ... bolted together the extra rear axle I had, mounted the rear A spring and boy does it look like it sits low. I'm concerned the axle will hit the under side of the frame rail. I have 4" of clearance now with the frame on stands and the axle on stands. I have adjusted the stands for the axle so the pinion shaft and drive shaft are lined up with the spring up in the crossmember and bolted in (running open drive) It is mocked up and not under a load at all. Am I going to have issues with the ride height once the car is on the ground ? Here's a list of what I'm running and what I've done. 40 Ford banjo Model A spring (Reversed eyes) 6 leafs in the pack. *** I do Have additional leafs I can add ( that's just what was in the spring when I dismantled it to reverse the eyes.) Rear stepped frame 3" Everything lined up great and is centered as it sits. (Minus Radius rods) I have 2 different sets. They feel thin so I'm not sure I'm going to run them. I can post pics so you can help me ID them if that will help. Here's some pics as it sits. I mounted the backing plates and wheels because I wanted to get an idea where it sat. Not to mention it's starting to kinda resemble something that will someday be a car [emoji848] I know you guys like pics [emoji51] Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Is your body going to be channeled? If not, and it sits on the stock sub-frame, the only place you might have clearance problems are bottom of the wheel well and top of the axle. 4" is usually a good amount to use for clearance, but with that rear "kick", if you cut the sub frame to fit over it you may have an issue. Also take into consideration location of gas tank ( and size @ 6 pounds/ gallon), battery, and some weight for the back end of the body. You really should at least clamp your wishbone brackets in place , and some rear torsion bars too so you can have the jack stands under the axles and not the frame- then the weight is on the springs
Why did you send a picture of those perfect headlights ... I'm not there yet. But want to be There goes my arthritis again [emoji1368] [emoji7][emoji33] Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Alright getting back to your questions Channeling ... I am most certainly going to channel it. Most likely the depth of the frame I want that 1950's east coast look. Gas tank will go on top of the rear crossmember behind rear seat. I have a poly tank now (came with the car) however it may not fit. I may have to get a slim tank that is taller to fit between rear of seat and back panel. Battery will go behind or in front of pass side trans crossmember. (If space allows) Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Okay. I hadn't really thought of that, I can do that. I have the set of rear torsion bars that came with the car. I believe someone said 35 maybe and the set that came with the rear that I dismantled the other day. They're much longer. I'll have to cut them down to get them to fit behind the trans crossmember. I'll post up pics and lengths Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Alright. Radius Rod Set A 46" long from eye on front mounting hole to middle of where axle tube will sit. At point where actual "tube/rod" meets the metal mounting bracket - at the axle It is 2-1/2" thick Set B 64" long from eye on front mounting hole to middle of where axle tube will sit. At point where actual "tube/rod" meets the mounting bracket - at the axle is 2" thick. Set A is heavier than set B being much shorter. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
OK- if you do that, go to your end shot from the rear of the frame looking toward the front - by channeling the body enough in the FRONT to cover the frame (3" +/-) the rear will drop down almost on top of the axle ( by line of sight using the bottom of the front frame rail). post 332, pic #3 I think you'll have to cut out part of the wheel well for clearance??
Yup. I saw the notch removed. That's kinda what I had figured I would need to do. I just had concerns about bottoming the under side of the frame on the axle tube. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Doesn't have to be permanent- just to keep the axle from "rolling" and not being centered on the spring with weight on it. The locations will all be crucial for final set up , but not so much now - I just spent over a month setting one up- takes time! Lots of measuring, tack welding, and re- measuring.
I've been reading and reading and I'm not gonna lie ... I'm not looking forward to that part. I'm lost with it. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Hey Mike, funny you are dealing with the same things that I am. Check my build thread, I shortened mine. I posted some tips and pics. On the axle/frame clearance - that looks exactly like my set up. I put a plank across the frame rails and jumped on it. It did not hit so. . . fingers crossed!
So I need to ask this. Where do I focus my attention to the mounting location at this point. Should I try to get them to mount on the frame rails (inside or out) or mount them where ever they land ? So to speak. By making some make shift mounts with a temp crossmember ? The short (heavier) radius rods won't reach the trans crossmember Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I knew you were running this set up and had been meaning to check out your thread. I'm going to get things buttoned up one the mounting points of the hairpins and radius rods. Then get to jumpin !! Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
If it looks like yours I feel like I'm doing something right ! Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Final fit up- front axle has to be "kicked out" approx. 5-7* for caster angle, and rear end has to be "rolled"up in front to get pinion angle right (+3*). Mostly done with hairpin and torsion bar adjustment, but ya gotta be CLOSE to the mark during set-up. Also needs to be figured UNDER LOAD. Get out your Math Hat! ( it's all downhill after this! HaHa) This is what I used to figure mine out;
Oh what the hell...I better put the beer down then. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Ok, just caught up. Mike, did you lengthen the frame when you did the new kick? Otherwise that rear is going to sit forward of the wheel wells on your body by about 7.5" iirc. As far as rear rods, you want them to reach to about where the U joint will end up behind the transmission. You'll also wan to look into adding a torque arm down the center, parallel with the drive shaft. One of the long rods may be a good candidate.
Hey Pat, yes I extended the rear rails 7.5" center of the axle to center of the shackle mount. So my actual wheel base didn't change. The rear rods.... that makes perfect sense. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Doing some searches on here for Radius rod setups ...Is this a suitable set up for my car. I'm doing my research before I take any steps. There are so many variations but this set up seems to depict what Pat had described earlier. Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Mike, you are running open driveshaft? If so, that set up looks good. You can put a panhard bar instead of that 3rd radius rod. I would not open up the radius rods out to the frame. I've heard that they are not strong enough to do that, the closer to each other, the stronger they are
Yes. That is what I was getting at. Play around with the rods; you may be able to bolt one right onto the bell without much modification, maybe just a simple bracket. I'd skip the 36 style mounting unless you need it for clearance. The further out to the sides and closer they are in the center the better IIRC. It's done that way in the picture because it's a notched 32 frame. Your long kick should be enough to clear but mockup will tell you for sure. I have a PILE of long rear rods in varying condition that would be well suited for torque arm duty if you don't want to break up one of your pairs.
Hey Ron, Open drive is the way I'm going. It made sense and was easier with the trans already set up that way. I'm familiar with pan hard bars (what they are) but how would that be the same or similar as the additional torque (3rd radius) rod. Having different points of attachment and one being parallel and the other being perpendicular to the driveshaft ? I can set it up either way, which way would be the best set up and make the most sense. Clearly I'm not at all familiar and a slight bit over whelmed with the geometry of it. After reading so many different threads and setups people run. It's a tad confusing ... however the pic I posted definitely makes "perfect" sense. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
All good points! I guess my next question would be how much horsepower you going to put to the rear? If you have a potent power plant I would not put radius rods. Instead you can make (the fun part) ladder bars. Mike Bowling does this on all his cars. PM him and he will hook you up w/pics. Then a lateral bar to hold axle in place. Looks easy on paper doesn't it? Maybe you take a "tour" north of Boston soon. Ben, Mike, and I all have model A projects going and are willing to help. . . Or just pick on you! Hahahaha
I'm running an 8ba flatty so I'm not too concerned with an abundance of neck snapping HP. However I would certainly prefer to build it to last with less or no chance of twisting or breaking anything. I'd definitely like to take a ride up and check out everyone's projects and see some things first hand ... oh and get my balls busted. We all love that. Get my initiation out of the way. [emoji1360] Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
You can run some DOM tube from the rods to the top of the axle tubes for a ladder bar type effect too.
Antique triangulated/parallel 4 bar set up , popular when steel was cheap. Built to make a statement more than sense, but it's so crazy it just might work! Don't try this at home without a trained technician.
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