Technical Steering Arms

I am putting a drop axle together and have a question about steering arms. I am using Speedway spindles with '40 outers, and have to buy steering arms. These are cheap ones that I'm mocking up, but looks like Super Bell copies. Anyway, they don't fit. Do I need the CE bolt-through style that drop down from the spindle?

 

I have used CE arms several times with no problems. I like the fact the bolts go thru instead of screwing into a blind hole. May not be as "pretty" as some arms; but I think they are next best thing to bending stock arms.

 

I don't know what the answer is, but I had that same fitment issue with a set of bolt on arms I tried out.

 

Hair pins or wisbones? The So Cal dropped arms are through bolt and have a couple options .

 

It's a combination of the Chinese spindles and arms. I've struggled with this problem many times with aftermarket spindles and arms. I still like the thru bolt steering arms versus the blind hole arms. I get my arms from Roadster Supply. I suspect they're still made overseas?

 

Wishbones.

 

I believe these are 37-41 wishbones with tie rod to travel underneath bones... Socal dropped arms.

 

I think these will fit:

https://www.yogisinc.com/YPJ-1108M

 

After market arms,can be handy,but many are designed an made too work=ether way, front steer* or rear steer*,an have zero built in Ackerman . They sell that ;with out telling you,an keeps them from having 2X as many instock.= Not really very good to use!
Except if you fit/bend/adjust* them ,so the way you do use them, gets something close to good Ackerman. It is wroth doing it right,an not just bolt stuff together.
If don't know what I just said,take the time to read up and learn about Ackerman.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ackermann_steering_geometry

 

I’ve used plenty of early V8 spindles but on a project I’m doing instead of cutting off the steering arms I bought Speedway spindles fitted with king pins. The forgings look great and dimensionally they are the equal of Henry’s parts. I’ll be using Super Bell steering arms.
Regarding the arms the OP has even if the bolt holes did line up the snag grinding to remove the forging flash is heavy handed and has plenty of stress risers. Quality parts can and do come from overseas but those steering arms are not in that category.

 

These things are definitely cheap crap. I was planning to buy Super Bell arms, but I'm leaning towards the P&J now.

 

What wishbones are you using?

 

Split Model A.

 

I'd look for bones from a '30s car, beefier. You want bolt through arms, I ran the blind ones when I first built, after a thousand miles or so, they kept backing loose and wobbled.

 

If backing out, safety wire would be in order BUT my bigger opinion is(and no offense to the SR crowd) this is what happens when using multiple catalog parts.

 

I bought the P&J/CE arms. I think the only catalog items I'm using are the spindles. The drop axle is believed to be 70's era, and at least as heavy duty as a Ford axle.

 

So what did you ultimately do?
D

 

I used Pete & Jake's.
You can not beat the quality.

 

When I see those really smooth designs from Speedway and So-Cal, I have a really hard time believing they are forged - they sure look cast to me. So-Cal does not list the manufacturing process - while at Speedway the 1 3/4 drop arms are listed as forged, while the 3 3/4 drop arms do not mention forged . . . Hmmmmmm? Does anybody have the details/answers on forged or not - from what supplier? The Super-Bell ones from P&J are obviously forged.