What is the hangers location for a model T rear spring. I have read 47.5-48.00-48.5... Anyone have the right measurement ? Thanks
Usually the eye to eye measurement of the spring plus 2 x the length of the shackle you are using. So if the spring is 44 1/2" eye to eye and you are using a shackle that is 1 1/2" long, add 44 1/2" + 3"=47 1/2". I guess you could add another inch for stretch if you wanted
I just make sure all the leafs I'm going to use are on and the center bolt through the spring is in and tightened down. There are other things to think about while you are doing this too. Pinion angle. A transverse spring isn't going to be very adjustable. If you have it together and the pinion angle is wrong and you try to force it to be right after the fact the spring and shackles will be all out of whack and bound up. Can't really just put them anywhere. It's kind of involved to get it right. You should have the chassis at ride height and the engine and trans in, check the drive line angle at the trans. There are some good threads here on the subject. Do a search.
You're right F6G, pinion angle is important. I will not weld the spring hangers until everything is set up. At this time of my project i'm collecting the infos i don't know yet. Some parts are on the way to my garage ( front and rear axles, wheels and tires...) and others still have to be found such as engine and trans ( not really easy to find a good small block here and at the right price ).
Even a junk engine will work for mock up. Bolt your trans to it and set it in. Maybe a buddy has a blown up engine you can borrow. It will get you started and you can begin to set things up.
Stock model T rear end spring perch centers measure 48" I just went to my T parts pile & measured one !
This, easy to make, light weight mock up block has been in countless cars over the past 25 or so years. Handy item for a group of friends to share.
Don't have a good way to weigh it; but you can easily lift the block with the pan attached with one hand. Seemed to weigh less than the '55 Chev truck bell thats bolted to it in the picture. A bare block works fine; but this is a lot easier to handle and it don't melt when welding mounts like the plastic mock-up blocks do (cheaper too). I cut the insides out of the block with an Arc Air carbon gouging torch. Did this before plasma cutters were around, never tried a plasma on cast iron; but if it worked it may be cleaner. If you try this be sure to leave a couple head bolts and the dowel pins on the decks.
We're working with old springs,or at lest I do,and find I need to reark them some times,48in. with standard shackles is a good size for axle mounts,. There is a tech on rearking springs in my rebuild of my old rod I did first in 1959
I'm running a 26 T rear spring in my AV8 coupe. I found that with a leaf or 2 missing the spring spread out a little more than stock so went about 1" wider than the stock T's 48" to keep a bit of angle on the shackles at ride height. I pretty much gestimated the extra in the end and it worked out.
That is what we did when I was building my Touring. Only we didn't have a rear end around but there was some yard art a few blocks away that we could measure. It was late at night so we kinda crept into the guys front yard to get the number!
I've got more information that i was expecting!!! All your answer will help me to place my T spring at the right place the first time. As someone said : do it once but do it right!
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