Two questions: 1. I'm going to be installing the lower front shock mounts into my front axle soon. My plan is to use some 3/4" O.D. chromemoly tubing I have and cut it to the proper length. I'm going to drill a hole through the axle and then insert the tubing and rosette weld it on the backside of the axle and weld around it in the front. Then, I'm going to thread the tubing and install a shock bolt like this: The tubing will most likely be about 1 1/2" long. 3/4" will be "inside" the axle and 3/4" will space it away from the spring pad. Add the other 1/2" of spring bolt and the shock will be about 1 1/4" away from the axle. Is that too much leverage for that piece of tubing, or will I be ok with this plan? 2. I'm also going to remove three leaves from the otherwise completely stock front end set-up in my '38 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup. This will most likely raise the draglink up. Should I worry about the steering geometry or will the change not be too noticeable? Thanks in advance for the answers guys.
Were it mine, I would likely use 1" od material with whatever the stud size is drilled through the center. I am not an engineer, and what I suggest may be overkill, but items I have fabricated over the years have not broken. 're geometry......I could not say with any degree of certainty. I suspect, though, it would be wise to check the caster before and after the mod and, if necessary, add a caster shim between the axle pad and spring. The angle of the drag link may affect bump steer, but if it does, it may not be enough to be objectionable. Try it and see would be my suggestion. Best wishes.
My front upper coil over shock mounts are made from 3/4" x 1/8" wall DOM tubing (1/2" inside diameter). They are mounted through the frame and stick out 1-1/2" from the frame. They are not gusseted. These hold up the load of the whole car, not just the shock load. Never a problem. Chromemoly might not be the best choice for material due to the special welding and post weld treating processes involved with CM. Is the axle forged? I would not weld this to a cast axle.
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