Rat Rod problems!! (chassis question)

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That's how mine is set up. Works great and hasn't broken.

 

Looks good man!! My tie rod sits about 1/4 "off the top of the bones. The suspension will drop about 3" with 2-3" travel needed.(at least on mine) Bring your tape measure to the rumble,you can copy my ideas. Seeya Sparky

 

My Model A Roadster has 3 inches of compression suspension travel.
my 42 has 2,5 Inches that one hits the bumpstops' quite often.
So i say go for 3 inches and above...

The Rod needs to go free at all time half an inch would be enough,.
be sure to incorporate rubber bumpstops, steel should NEVER hit steel in a suspension setup, if you want to live going down the road....

 

is that 6" pipe? seriously it looks like 3 or 4", why so big diameteR? just curious

from over head, is everything out from under the perch and spring - I mean forward of it?

shouldn't you be cuttin the gr***?

 

Tingler,

What is the spring rate on the springs that you used? What's the weight of the front end with engine and body installed? What is the weight ratio from front to back (F60/R40 percent)?

Depending on the spring rate the spring links may bind when the spring goes down forcing the link to bind to the outside. You may have to recurve the springs and add a longer link if the spring rate is too light. Your work looks good and small adjustments may all that you need to have it working perfect.

 

I see what you're getting at...
Is the steering arm going to ground out ad be immobilized on the bottom of the frame on bumps or worse, while braking, causing the steering to jamb..?
Solutions if it does;
#1 You have the spring under so you can always add a spacer to gain safe travel but it'll raise the front of the frame.
#2 You can add leaves to make the spring not travel as far on the same "bounce".
#3 If there's room without hitting the wishbones, you might could run the tie rod under the steering arms. Check to see that it doesn't hit through the full range of motion though. The tie rod usually tends to move up as wheels turn though so if it fits straight ahead it'd probably be ok.

 

Are you using Heim ends on the tie rod? If so, you can drop the tie rod to the bottom of the steering arms and gain at least another inch. If you're using regular tie rod ends, you may need to retaper the hole half way from the bottom, but you'll still be able to gain an inch.

---- the Dr. types faster than I do.....

 

Flip the steering arms so the tie rod is out in front , if you don't already have the steering box in.

 

Mr "Ackermann" told me that isn't a good idea...

 

that won't work.

you need to connect the suicide mount to the rails.

You're welcome.

 

Mr Ackerman told me that too, but Mr Blowtorch told him to get the **** outta dodge and then Mr Blowtorch and I bent the steering arms to a suitable new shape

 

I believe you would want about 3.5 inches of clearance between the frame and any suspension without any kind of c notch.Oh, thats at ride height. According to Wyotech anyway. My 2 cents.

 

Tingler,

Can I see a picture from the front to see how the perch is mounted? Also, is the rectangular tubing for the frame going to be hole sawed to allow the 3,5 axle tubing to fit in to BEFORE welding?

 

Tingler:

They call it a suicide front end for a reason.
The traditional way to set up a suicide front end is to switch the spindles.
left spidle on the right and right spindle on the left as mentioned above. That puts the tie rod out in front instead of underneath. Thats how I was taught to do it, and I have yet to have any problems.

Then you can set it way down without fear of hitting the tie rod.

 

YES. The tube will be inserted INTO the rectangular tubing before welding.

 

Tingler,
I think that the spring ends are going to bind. As the weight goes on and the spring compresses, there is no way for the spring to travel with the end links that you have, The fulcrum point must be above or below the center that you now have it at to avoid binding. Binding would produce uneven loading and the front end would be unstable and unsafe at speed, BUT LOOKS GOOD!!

If you were to compress the spring, the spring would GAIN length, where would the extra length go to? You need to lengthen the end links to allow spring to go under the mount or shorten the spring length to allow the spring to grow when compressed.

 

I did not notice that before, but that is exactly right. The shackles should point slightly downward. Good eye little.

So how about some of you guys chimming in on the reversed spindles. I know for a fact a few of you are running "guido". Especially you Texas guys.

 

Windshields wipers on a ducks *** it will if it don't rain.

Looks good to me friend. I'm thinkin' if you get 2" of travel you'll get a ton.

 

Would it be easier to configure the steering after the suspension/frame is in place? Obviosly Tingler already had his steering components. I ask 'cause this is the point I'm at with my truck. I'm wearing a hole in my scalp from scratching my head over frame design ( my arm got tired of reaching around to scratch my ***).

 

As hotrob and I said if you flip your steering arms out front you'll be home free...

 

Right now I'm thinking that might not be a bad idea.

What happens when you **** up your "ackerman" anyhow???

 

fine, since my smart ***ed comment didn't even get as much as a smile from ya, I'll give you my opinion.

It looks fine.

You're doing it right. Set up the suspension (no motor/trans) with the shackles level. When you load it, the spring will comress, and the shackles will be at approx 45 degrees.. which is what you want.

With most of the weight on the front end, it'll come down approx 3in. An another inch or so after you drive it.

Steering arms look like they'll be ok in the pic. You can heat em with the torch and bend em down.As long as they go straigt down, ackerman won't be affected. I have a digram somewhere that shows how to check akerman, I'll see if I can find it.

Or dropped steering arms work well.. use Ch***is Engineerings arms, beter than Speedways.

I personally don't put the tie rod to the front... cause it looks stupid... and you can't hide the steering dampner very well with the tie rod hanging out in the breeze!

Tack everything WELL and put the motor/trans in it. You'll see what you need to change... if anything.

So, in conlusion:

you still need to connect the crossmember to the rails.

 

Bwhahahahaha....

seriously, that was funny. I laughed here, just not on screen!

Thanks for the suggestions, Killer.
I need all the help I can get.

 

BTW, the spring on my hot rod is about and inch or so away from the tie rod and I haven't hit it...

yet.

 

Turn your wheels right and left and see how the tie rod moves - whether it contacts the hairpin. If not, you're fine. If you want piece of mind, get the deeper dropped arms as killer said. If you heat the arms, make sure you do it right. Speedway has directions in their catalog.


Mutt

 

The shackles are fine the way they are.

Putting the tie rod on the front looks like a huge afterthought,
and ****s Up the Ackerman effect.Cl***ic case of bad planning.

If I was real concerned about banging the crossmember into the tie rod,
I'd move the spring back behind the axle.This would get the crossmember
behind the tierod.Clearance issue solved,and it would look a Hell of a lot better than hanging the tie rod out front.Take a look at the front end of Frankenshine.

 

One major thing that I would change, is that I would probably find something more substantial than a C-clamp to moung the spring to the frame!

 

Look's to me like the perch wraps all the way around crossmember.I don't think it need's to go all the way around.If it just welded to back side and top of crosmember look's like it would get you another 1/2 to 1" of clearance.JMO GREGG

 

Tingler,

I know what you are saying, but standing on it does not load the spring as much as dressing it with a engine, trans, rad with liquid, couple of lights and driving it over a city street does. Hang about 800 lbs of sand bags over your 3.5 round and tell me how it works! What I was tring to stress to you was that a spring will GROW in length as you compress it, where does the extra length go to? IF the spring rate is too light the end links will bind if they look like your picture. IF the spring rate is too heavy the spring will not absorb the road shock and the front end will 'dance' and become unstable. My concern would be for your safety, not the good looks. You just need to tweak it a bit. Everyone has given you good information, just let it sink in and you will understand what they're saying.

Just remember that you can have a 'killer' looking car when its standing still, but it may bite you in the *** at 60 mph and you hit a series of ripples in the pavement.(read bumps, potholes, etc.)

Speedway may have designed it but they ***ume no responsibility how you install it. Ford designs cars every year and they recall them too.