Picking away at it a few minutes here and there this morning I got ten minutes before work in and cleaned up the king pin holes in the spindles. Yesterday I cleaned up the snout of the spindle that didn't have a hub full of grease on it, stuck it in a vice and went over it for a while with some high grit wet sanding paper I had on the wall. Getting closer, next step is wire cupping the arms and the rest of the spindles that haven't been touched yet. I could sand blast them but the closest one I have access to isn't very close and my cabinet is at my brothers house 6 hours away still so this will have to work As for how I cleaned the bores up I wrapped some adhesive backed fine grit wet sand paper around one of the old king pins and went to town seems to have done the job and should make sticking new bushings in a little easier
Alright got the spindles wire cupped and as clean as I'm going to be able to get them in the time I have to spend. Went out today to get some work done and came home with a gorgeous dropped and narrowed A axle, reversed main springs and a box full of stuff I was looking for! The guy who originally started stripping this A frame down for his project found me online and I asked about a few little bits. Turns out he had a cardboard box of stuff he had pulled off it and would sit it out for me at the shop to grab I'll get threw it tomorrow when I get a chance. Next on the to do list is get the bushings out of the main leafs, install new bushings in the spindles and ream them, build the spring packs and bolt it all together! Simplifying things I know but I think I should be able to have a roller by next weekend if it goes well and then we start mocking up drivetrain! Yup I used an old manual press. I'm sure my arms will be real impressed tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be able to lift my camera enough to get some photos of what i drug home for you
Did some swapping around and ended up with this much nicer body Still planing to have it on its own wheels by next Monday, motor and trans in it by thanksgiving and mocked up in the driveway by New Years
Thumbing threw some inspiration photos and I don't think I ever posted this cool one I saw at the hamb drags this year
Alright little update. Not as much as I wanted to get done but I guess multitasking can slow a guy down I did however get a good chunk done. I got the old bushings knocked out of the mainleaf, both packs cleaned and painted and all my front end stuff painted. Well, painted with rustoleums rust primer stuff anyhow. Photos are a little out of order but I also got the old leaf spring taken apart and removed and put the new one together with black friction tape between each leaf. ~ the rubbery tape you wraps around hockey sticks and the like, not the stuff you put on slippery steps. Had a little trouble getting the new center pin/ tie bolt in but eventualy I got it threw. I totally forgot that I would need to drive out the sliver of remaining bushing in the spring perches on the axle so the shackles got no bushings on that end for now. I know the leaf will have to come off/apart to take the banjo apart for inspection so I'll do it then when the backing plates aren't in the way and I have more energy for it all. This will work fine for mocking up as long as I pay attention to the slop and get it braced up well when building other stuff. I need to get the bushings in my spindles and ream them out and I'll be ready to put the front end together. Thinking I'll clean the front backing plates and bolt them up and get the new bearings and races into the hubs next week so I can mount the wheels and get an idea of where I land. I'll leave the drums off until I have the proper spacers to run the wire wheels. I'm trying to find a good balance between getting it all mocked up but at the same time don't end up putting something together that I'll have to take apart later to do it right. Anyhow that's where we are right now
I think you're having fun with this model A project. Love it and your build plan is spot-on IMHO. Almost makes me want to put fenders on my coupe........almost
Yeah it's been fun so far, putting it together in the back corner of my garage I get a taste of how you've been working around cars in your small garage for all these years. Just talked to a friend who's going to weld up my drivetrain mounts and he's game for making templates Monday if I'm ready so I guess I'm in for a few early morning work sessions before work this week.
Got the spindle bushings pushed in and one of the four reamed. If I'm lucky I'll head to the garage after dinner tonight and get the other three done and see about putting the front together and on the frame. I'm back and forth between putting the spindles on the axle and then the axle onto the "car" Or bolting it all together and putting the spindles on last. Guess I'll see which ever is easier to hold everything still for me and go that way. Then onto cleaning up the hubs... rolling by Saturday morning? We'll see!
I find it works pretty good to stick the axle in a vise, build up the complete front end; then install it as one piece.
Not a bad idea Rich! Monkey, I havnt got another dropped axle kicking around. I'll keep an eye out for you though and keep you in mind next time a bunch get dropped.
GREAT IDEA! Was about to say, that I like it complete, and being able to roll it in under the car, instead of dragging it around.
I'm pretty tight on space so this is what I ended up doing. Worked out really well. Kept everything off the ground enough to work on and is very easy to move as a unit so I can work on one end or the other. Got the spindles/king pins/ lower shock mounts on as well as the backing plates and main leaf. Hoping for not only a roller tomorrow but one with drive train mocked up in it! I'll make a fresh pot of coffee in the morning and see what happens As an aside I didn't clean and paint the backing plates because 1: they still have hardware on them and it'll be handy to give them a look when they get rebuilt later 2: I think I ran out of paint drying outside weather for the year :/ Plan is to wire brush the hubs and install new race/seals/bearings and slide them on. I'll stick the ring adapter on and put my front wheels then with out the drum because I don't yet have the spacer required to clear the drums. Any how kinda rambling. More tomorrow
Thanks @cactus1 all I need to do is get the races out of the hubs and I can start fitting the new stuff this afternoon. Had to many house chores to get as early of a start as I wanted to but I'm still feeling confident about having it rolling with drive train tonight
Well started off the day getting the front suspension sorted. Well, kind of. I put the front leaf pack together on the axle and slid it under the frame, once in the cross member unrealized I need rough a 1/4 inch spaced. I made up a wood one quick and met challenge number two. My u bolt plate has a dip but no hole for my to long tie bolt to run threw. What's a guy to do? Made one out of wood until I can borrow a drill press and pop a hole in it Ok bolted up I got the axle at about ride height and blocked the wishbone up to give me 7 deg of caster. This is all temp for the moment but it helps paint a picture for me as to where this will all land. After this I set to battling the hubs. After finding the best hammer and an old king pin I finally hit the right rythm and got the old races and bearings out. I then hammered in the new races and spent some time clearance from the drivers side spindle and bearings. Passenger side they slid right on but the drivers side wasn't having it. Inlittle off each and they slid on like they are supposed to. I guess I still have a little fine tuning as the directions say you don't want the inner bearing to be up against the radius of the end of the spindle about but rather the flat edge. It's pretty damn close but if that's how it's got to be I'll bust out the dremel and mock the radius down to be more like the other side and move on. I did get the passenger side bearings packed but couldn't get the deal in the hub. I keep being smacked with the realization that the era of late night wrenching being an effective measure is long gone. So for shits and giggles... and to feel like I actually did something I slide the hub on with out the deal and gave it a look. *nut and washer shown for mock up only, I've got the correct stuff at s friends shop. So there we are. I'd say a good hour left and it can role. Then for what I've really wanted to do. Clean my damn shop lol. Hopefully my next update is a photo of it on all four in a clean space. Still aiming at turkey day to have the motor and trans in place. I probably could get it on all four tonight but I figure I should spend all the time I can with my wife before the rug rat makes that a thing of the past lol. Anyone have advice on getting the seals into the back of the hubs? Block of wood and a mallet? Or thoughts on how far the bearing should slide down the spindle?
Yup they're correct I triple checked. Just a mix of me getting tired and mix and matching old ford stuff I'll get after it in the morning I think
More of a mock up of progress than real progress but I couldn't resist. After doing a few searches I found the correct way to clearance the bearings. I guess the variation between old bearings and new bearings being made lands in the shape of the ID edge. I blended the radius out a little more and they slid right up. It's hard to see when everything's right together so I slid a paper towel between the bearing and the spindle when seated and it was tight everywhere I tried so it assuming they are now where they should be. I'll check it again when the brakes come off for paint and guts. And for now I left the seals off the hubs, I'm seeing a 50/50 take on the seals that came with the kit with the opposition using the "hollow"style seal that was stock on the f1-f100. Anyhow it's almost on the ground I need to chase all the threads on the wheel studs, the nuts that go with them, and one rear U bolt but and I can actually sit it down. Then I'll pull the front out and fix the front spring and install the drilled u bolt plate. The spring/ shackle problem is just a simple example of doing the old ford dance wrong. I'll take it apart and put it together slightly different and it should fall in line.
Oh! And I grabbed a 46 tie rod for giggles to see how off it was and what I'll need to do to get the steering arms in the correct place. Low and behold the steering arms clear everything lock to lock and if I mount the tie rod from the bottom side of the steering arms/ and or use some drop tie rod ends like @Runnin shine the tie rod will clear the wish bone with out bending anything.
If you are having trouble with the seals; National Seal # 473441 is a better fit on the 1.562” early Ford spindle then the 450461 seal commonly used (450461 is for a 1.500” shaft). The unmarked ones that come in the Speedway kits seem to match the 450461 size wise; but have been a tight fit getting them pressed into the hubs. @36-3window mentioned the better seal in one of his posts.
Yeah timken #473441 are the ones I was considering using instead of the ones supplied. I saved a screen shot of the info that doesn't show the posters name but I'd bet it was the thread you mentioned. I'll take that as another vote for that seal
Well I took the morning and cleaned up my mess. I always prefer putting things away as soon as I'm done with them but when I'm trying to sneak in a half hour here and there they pile up. Pretty use for that packing paper from speedway right? 6 layers of clean work surface in seconds! Anyhow tonight I got the tap and die sets out and ran over the wheel studs up front and the nuts im using on them for now. Studs are actually pretty good just really dirty. Threw the tires on and bolted what few nuts I have in that size on and sat it down. First time on all four! Next is grabbing a few more lug nuts and fixing the front spring/ shackle angles so it's where it's supposed to be when we sit the motor down. Really excited to have the drive train in, probably driving people crazy talking about it but it's keeping me motivated. Also looks like I only need to take an inch or two off this 46' tie rod to have it fit! I believe these have a thick ID so I will need to cut it to length and then drill out the ID and then I can further tap it. Anyone have experience with that? Do you cut a slot and keep the clamps on the end or no slot and add a jamb nut?
I don't know that it is very thick wall; but I usually run a the tap drill thru, sometimes it cuts, other times not. I like to make a slot with a cut off wheel and use the original clamp when shortening an old tie rod. If I make a new one from DOM, usually just use jam nuts.
The Jalopy Journal
