Oh boy ... Gathering of the faithful is in Middleboro Ma this year I can't not go to this ! It's literally on the end of my street ! Man I have a lot to do. http://www.autonetnewengland.com/
Hey guys I'm ordering a set of radius arms tonight to get things going. What brand do you recommend ?
Meaning arms for the rear suspension; open-drive? Ok, you previously claimed you insist on old school all the way, so Pete/Jakes, SoCal, Speedway, whatever will kill the whole deal, IMO. Maybe you can hide them in front of the 32 tank, but they still will show, I'd think I'd run 35/36 rear trailing arms, or take up fishing
Okay so I have a set of 37's on my rear now that aren't split and also have a set off a 41 pickup. Would either one of those work if so what about the front bones ? I have the set that's came on the car. They're split but they're set up for spring ahead and I'm running a 4" drop axle now.
At least I think someone said early on my thread they were 37' I could be mistaken as I seem to be a lot.
I'm sorry, I need to start over. I am running a 8ba / 3 spd w/open drive. (Connected to the motor) I also have a 40 rear w/ spring behind that is Closed drive (Bought to lower rear w/o cutting the frame now) I'll either have to convert the trans back or convert the rear to open drive. I also have the option the run the rear or center section to put on the 40 rear. (It's in pieces) or trans/torque tube/rear that came with my car. (Closed drive) I have 3-4 torque tubes a few different transmissions and 4 rear ends at this point. Oh man... Rear arms 37 41 Custom fabricated arms/ladder bars on my Dana rear. I will need to cut them and widen them to fit frame rails on the A frame I I go that route. No brake parts in the Dana unfortunately. What is the opinion of the pros ?
I already had written this before your last detailed post, so I will add to the bottom. Open Drive:---If you don't care about someone looking under the back end.... your easy way out is ladder type bars from any rod supplier. But, if you want older style build, 35/6 rear arms are easier compared to the 37-up. The 35/6 are the strongest by a lot, and has built-in spring hangers to put the rear spring behind the rear axle. Where were you planning to run your rear spring? You can use what you have, but they will need two additional fabbed arms above those, to be strong enough. Plenty of pics on hamb. Front bones: I forget what brand or year front axle you bought. Measure where the perch bolt goes through. Some are 2" like Fords from 32-36. Most aftermarket axles are 2-1/4", which is the same as Model A axles, as well as 37-48 Ford axles. So, it would be good to have bones from the right years, to match the axle measurement, but if you have a 2" axle boss, you can use bones that fit 2-1/4" by using a 1/4" spacer/washer. Spring ahead bones can be trimmed to fit a spring above setup. Plenty of us have done that. EDIT/ADD: Closed drive: This might be your most sensible option. It will enable you to easily use what rear arms you have, because the torque tube is now the strength. Sure you will play cut or fit with torque tube length, but it really is a simple drive setup.
Don't fret too much. Once you make up your own mind on "open vs. closed", things will seem clearer. You can always use the weekend to mess with the front axle and bones..
You shouldn't be ordering stuff like that if you haven't mocked up yet. You might just end up wasting money & time on brand new stuff you don't end up using. Start mocking it up before you dig into the catalogs!
And go to the Candia flea market!!!! -----Yesterday was PISSAH! Where are you located?? I'm just outside Newburyport and it takes me about 45 min to an hour to get there ( 5:30 am on Sunday- NO TRAFFIC, smooth sailing, pardner !)
Mike I'm located in Middleboro. It's probably a two hour drive for me but I'm used to the windshield time looking for parts, do the drive doesn't bother me. I'm going to try to get to the next one in June depending on what I need. I would've liked to have gone to Candia yesterday but I was with my kids all weekend and in the garage all day Sunday replacing a snapped timing belt in my sons VW Jetta. It wasn't fun as you would imagine, but it had to be done. Pat , I had no components to start any suspension mockup and that is where I would like to start my build. I was going to order a set of front bones but I found a guy who had some parts and picked up some used kingpins, more 35 wires, a set of front hairpins (used ones) and a set of front and rear axle U bolts. Plus some other things i needed. So as of this past weekend I can start bolting things together and save the new parts for paint as I go.
Been in the "snapped Jetta timing belt" situation before, and it such. That's what interference engine means! Best of luck, and hope you will be hot rodding soon.
I'm at a standstill with my front spring, guys. I have two sets of shackles and neither one fit the front axle and spring perch. One shackle is a stock model A and the other one is what I was led to believe came with the mordrop axle I purchased. Apparently it's not because the OD of both shackle pins are 5/8" and the spring and perch eyes are closer to 3/8"- 5/16". I read on here that "A" style shackles are used metal to metal. Which I have no problem running and will press out the bushings if that's my only option right now. I am wondering what year shackles work with the mordrop I beam axles ? I would prefer to run bushings in the suspension for obvious reasons and will order what I need as soon as I know what to order. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys !!
Me, confused on the terminology here... -the shackle does not "fit" an axle. The shackle fits to the spring eye, and the spring perch. Model A perch has a smaller hole for the shackle bushing, same is true with the eye hole in the A spring. These are where you use solid bushings. Model A spring is a bit different in "reach" from perch to perch, compared to 32-34 spring. So, spring must be correct for what axle you use. What axle? if a Mordrop, it could be various years, with various widths from perch pin holes. ....Lets assume you have a 33-36 axle, and if you want "spring above", you'd use a 32-34 spring, and 32-34 perches, then you'd use repro 32-34 shackle kits which will be poly or rubber bushed. and, the perch bolts you have? what are they; repro 32/34 or used Ford?, what year? I ask because I don't know what bones you want up front. A stock OEM 32/34 perchbolt is long enough to go through a 32/34 axle with 32/34 bone yoke size. If you use trimmed 35/36 bones, the 32/34 perch bolt might be short on threads for the nut. I trimmed mine for OEM perch bolt length, with some work. Repro perch bolts will be longer, but I like OEM parts myself. as soon as you get more familiar with terms and years....it gets easy
I meant the perch and spring eyes... I knew what I was saying in my brain but I guess I wrote it wrong. So I have a mordrop axle. I do not know the year but It came with a spring that I believe was run with the axle at one point in time. I will take pics in the am and Post them with perch pin measurements center to center and associated hardware I have. The perch pin length I will measure also To answer your question regarding the shackles, one set is stock model A for sure and one set is I believe aftermarket same dimensions, just different grease fitting placement and overall shape of the shackle "link" I'll call it. so I assume they're also for a model A. I will also post pictures of these at the same time. I'm running a spring over set up w a 4" mordrop but the shackles that came with the the set up don't work w it. The spring has rubber bushings with a steel sleeve and the perch I believe is machined at 3/8"-5/16" ID for the shackle pin. It might have a bushing. Once the shackle wouldn't fit I honestly just placed the whole set up to the side and moved onto my motor mounts. I am running a set of old 40" hairpins I purchased of a gentleman, they came with bat wings and all the hardware. The perch bolts are plenty long enough and have enough thread to run the nut up and insert a cotter pin into it. So I don't believe I have any issues there. I'm just stuck on what year shackles I need to run on the front spring. I had assumed 32 but I didn't want to jump the gun and start looking or purchasing any until I knew. I had looked on here for info on dimensions, I was not able to find what I needed so I figured I would ask. Thank you for the response, I'll post up pics and measurements tomorrow to hopefully help solve the issue.
When you build a car from "scratch",and you are mixing and matching parts, you have to either have a good source for making things fit- e.g. a machine shop that you bring a part to with oversized bushings they can fit, or have them the correct ones for the job. Usually you can get urethane or bronze bushings for shackles at a good hardware store, but kingpins and perch bolts should be fitted to your axle ( especially a used one). Keep that front end tight and well lubricated. Check a "Speedway" catalog for axle size/ spring length dimensions. They have lots of charts that give you info on setting up front ends.
Axle width perch center to center is 36" Perch length is roughly 3-7/8"-4" long. I see there is a bushing in the perch now that I looked closely at it. Again, I was under the assumption the spring/axle/perch assay had been run as a unit in the past. You can see the person before me had it plated and smoothed so if there were any ways to date the axle I'm sure they're covered up and gone forever. Hopefully these dimensions will help you guys point me in the right direction. Thank you.
Sorry the spring length center hole to center hole is 31-1/2". I wasn't sure if I were to measure the spring straight across at the eyes as it is hanging in the crossmember.
The perch bushing bore hole looks too small to be 32-34. I assume it must be a Model A. I had some here, but don't know where, to compare. Somebody here will know by that pic you posted. The spring eye bore has the OEM rubber bushing. But those tapered leaf ends; I don't think I've seen those tips on a 32-34 spring. I don't have the measurement for the 32-34 spring, but somebody here will know for sure. The axle; Does your batwing fit over/under where the perch bolt fits through the axle? The "height" of that spot on the axle should be 2" if it is a 33-36 axle. If it's a Model A axle, it will be 2-1/4". 1937-up would be 2-1/4 as well, but it does not look like a 37-up axle to me. Check the batwing to make sure it fits the axle, then wait for more replies here.
Yup the batwing fits on it perfectly and the perch goes right past with plenty of thread for the nut and cotter pin.
I know I will need longer perches to run a lower shock mount under the axle, but I figured if I run the shock on the perch as it's designed and fab the shock mounts according the the length of shock I need once the axle is mounted I should be fine. It is a 2" axle btw.
Old bushings in springs and perches are a huge pain. I keep fresh bushings on hand and old bushings are the first thing to go. De bush that spring and try again. You don't need bushings for a lose mockup.
"The spring eye bore has the OEM rubber bushing. But those tapered leaf ends; I don't think I've seen those tips on a 32-34 spring" I just called and asked the guy I bought the axle set up from and he said he had the end of the springs radiused because he like the look. So I guess that answers that. Haha.
This is why I've been waiting to start my mockup. I really didn't feel I had enough parts on hand to get the ball rolling and I really hate hitting walls as I go along. But I understand that's part of it. I already removed the bushings and I'm going to go from there for the mockup. I found some shackles to order this am.
I am thinking those perches are Model A. If nobody ID's them soon, just see if the bore hole size where the bushing presses in, is the same as the bore hole in your spring. If it is much smaller bore, they must be Model A perches. I am pretty sure those won't work with a 32-34 spring and axle, even if you used mix/match bushings. Here are two pics of: A dropped 33-36 axle, ..and OEM 32-34 perches with the mechanical brake attachment piece cut off. ... and a 32-34 Ford spring with reversed eyes. (the bones are a mix ...trimmed 35/36 yokes blue color, and the main tube of the bones are later 40's..red color)
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