So i know its a simple question, but im on a tight budget. As long as i engineer my crosmembers well, will it be alright if i leave my 29 dodge frame un boxed? Its gonna have a Hipo 305, so nothing real high power. I also boxed the front cross member, and am planing on mounting my axle to it like i see alot of fellas do, with the plate that comes forward and u bolts. Any thoughts?
Dude, irregardless of budget, don't compromise the integrity of the whole project by skimping on the foundation. I realize you probably want to get it done, but you should be able to come up with some steel, and maybe a favor on the welding if you are not able to do it yourself. I really hate to see anyone hurt, or have some serious problems from skimping on the frame. Think of how much it will cost to fix the problem when the car is done! Either way, good luck. Enjoy and learn.-MIKE
Box man, plan for the worst (IE, Crash survivability) hope for the best. If you are worried about it not being traditional enough, sit the boxing plates 3/4 of an inch into the C channel. Doc.
I am boxing my entire frame. I am using 3/16" and buying 6" wide strips. My frame is around 15' long. When I am done I will probably have spent around $45.. I would box it just to improve the handling. Peter
Box it man, steel is cheap. it's probably the cheapest way to improve handling, it'll make for a sturdier , stiffer frame that won't flex under the torque of the engine when powering through turns etc. that frame was never built to handle more than about 35hp from the original sidevalve 4banger and three speed, plus it was purposely made to flex because of the bad roads in "them old days"!! IMHO you can't build a serious car for modern traffic on unboxed rails from the 20's, nothing is going to p*** you off more than finish a beautifull car that just won't run in a straight line when on a roadtrip..
The original Model A frame was built to flex and twist,,boxing is a must with todays roads and bigger engines. Grab a friend and 2 concrete blocks,,place the front drives side of the frame on one block and the other on the p***anger rear side of the frame on the other block. Stand on one of the corners that is not on the block and have your friend do the same on the other side,,, There will be enough flex to help you make the right decission. HRP.
Blue Bear hit the gas on his car real hard.The frame twisted and trans came up through the floor,the clutch pedal caught him,and now he's Ms Pink Bear.
Really or are you just joking. I saw that episode and thought he was dumb as **** for arguing over it
Even a stock 350 will twist the hell out of a model A frame... But I agree... Crossmember engineering is much more important than just boxing the frame. Weld up the front and rear members, and design a real solid center X-member, and box at least the front between the front crossmember to the legs of the center crossmember.... I think that would do it. Remember, it's not just about frame strength... It's about body rigidity as well... If you don't build for rigidity, your doors are going to be all over the place and you might even have a hard time keeping body work looking right...
I only like boys with boxed frames Don't skip this step. It will save you lots of trouble in the long run. You can't add structural integrity after the fact.... Plus it keeps water from pooling and rotting out the frame later on... -Star
Im am also young and on a very tight budget, trust me dont get impatiant and just throw a half-*** car together. Take your time do it right and no matter how long it takes you you will have a car that you are happy with and will out live you. If you have to ask if it will be strong enough and wont break..... this could be your and a friends life here. box it.
Young and on a budget as well, I plan on boxing my frame... Look at it this way...it's cheaper to make it safe than ending up in the emergency room...
That's hard to say. Your Dodge frame was designed for a parrallel leaf spring suspension and is already much stiffer than a comparable Ford frame, which was designed to twist along with its transverse leaf spring suspension. If you were going back to the original type suspension, then you might not need to reinforce the frame rails. But you are putting a Ford front suspension on it, which will introduce a twisting motion it was not designed for. And, of course, the new engine and transmission will be a lot heavier than the originals. To be safe, you should probably box it.
I have been building model A's since the early 1960's. Back in the day we didn't box frames, with pretty mild small block engines. I was always breaking brackets which I thought was because of lousy welding jobs. In retrospect, it was due to frame flex. I now have a 1930 coupe with a blown small block that puts out well over 400 horsepower and I have never had a problem with any suspension parts due to boxed frame and adequate cross-members. Boxing is cheap insurance for minimal suspension problems.
Your dodge frame is alot like my 28 frame in shape and size. And I went with the 32 ford crossmember with a transverse spring front, and a triangulated 4 bar out back. As I installed everything including the crossmember it got a whole lot stiffer. but as soon as I finished everything including the boxing plates front to back. the frame did not flex at all. Plus keep in mind that your frame is close to 80 years old and might be prone to stress. So with adding a little new metal you might avoid future cracks in the old metal...John
I have a 37 Plymouth pick up and after looking at that frame , there is NO way I will build it without boxing that frame in with something ! Don't make that mistake now and have to pay for it down the road !
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