Anyone have any pictures of under-slung ch***is that sport a transverse front spring and dropped axle? I've seen a couple on here, but can't seem to find them again. I did a search for "underslung" and "under slung", but they were mostly parallel. This is the best pic I could find, but I know there are more. Here's Pinkee's RPU: There was a green Model A roadster also that had an underslung front similar to this. Can't remember the name of the thread or the HAMBer's HAMB name. Anyway, if you have some post some. I'm thinking of going this route now for the front end. Is there any dissadvantage to doing this? Seems like it would be benfecial for frame fab simplicity, larger radiator... yet maybe it would make mounting my Hemi a pain in the ***... Let's here it. What do you think?
The axle (or axles) center line is above the frame and sprung from below. The springs would attach to the top of the frame (mounting bolts in tension) instead of the frame riding on TOP of the transverse spring. When I did a search, I saw a few people who were basically flipping their ch***is over (frame horns curved up) and ran parallel springs (like a chevy) to suspend the axles front and rear. Like this: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=85909&highlight=under+slung
I did that and found four of them and they all seem to be related to parallel spring type. I'm looking for info on Transverse type... if anything is out there.
Boy these look cool. Imagine those frame horns catching a curb or speed bump and tripping end to end....what a ride!
IMO, that's not an underslung suspension on that green car. Underslug to me implies that the frame rides under the axle, not below the axle centerline. Just my $.02. That grean car looks more like a suicide type front end without the horns cut off.
Good point! I agree actually. I just didn't know what the hell else to call it or how to define it really. Whatever the hell we define it as, let's see more stuff like the two above. The first one is Pinkee's. If someone has some good photos of the way that front spring is set-up, post 'em please!
To me it looks like the difference is nothing more than a few inches of frame/frame horn. As tjm73 said, it just looks like a tall suicide or bulldog perch on a frame that you've neglected to chop the frame horns from. Is that it? You just want frame horns that poke out from underneath your axle? Because other than that I think that configuration no matter what forces the spring bolts are subjected to is pretty common.
My Grandfather built a T tub for my Dad in 1928, It had a Rajo head and an underslung front axel. The frame was under the axel. During the depression cameras were for rich folk so there are no good pictures. I'm an old man now and can't ask for details 'cause I don't want to talk to dead people. I am planning to duplicate Grandads work soon, have a line on the stuff I'll need.
I think, in general, I would like to see some more set-ups where the spring is mounted above the frame rails... or should I say the frame rails will go under the spring ends... and mounted behind the grille shell between the radiator and the crank pulley of whatever engine is in the frame. It would be even more neat to see how lever shocks would be mounted with such an arrangement...
I think the whole effect would be much better if an UNdropped axle were used. Then the rails could p*** completely under. Still not really underslung in my mind because the spring is loaded as original...just mounted behind the axle suicide style. I dunno....
Seems to me I've seen a few pictures of cars where it appears that the whole frame has been flipped over as the frame horns pointed up and the springs were over the kick ups. No, no I mean kick downs......... That ought to lower the car a bunch.
The green car doesn't represent underslung to me. I am doing an underslung now, and flip the frame is exactly what I did. '40 Chevy 1.5 ton, flipped over. Repacked the leaf packs for their new load. The problem I've ran into is mounting the axle to the leaves. I cant run the '40 Chevy due to wanting to run Buick brakes. So I'm adapting a '40 Ford Non dropped axle to work, adding spring pads and all. This is where I'm at now on the front end.
If you're gonna drive it, I'd think twice about doing the spring mounts like the green ch***is. If you look closely, the eyes are attached to the end of the hairpins, and the axle load is transferred through those threaded rod ends sideways. You can still mount the spring under the perch with the underslung frame, just use a zero or negative arch spring. Nothing at all wrong with 'em and it's kind of a different look. All 70s Chevy 4wd trucks used negative arch springs on the front (axle was higher than the eyes stock).
So Pinkee's 29 RPU Is wrong and built incorrectly? The green roadster too?? I think it depends on the rod end/heim joint that is to be used. Depending on the end used, some of them will handle a huge load in shear and it's also redundant where the rod ends meet the "batwing" (or whatever the correct name is for it). Also, just about every bolt related bolt to the radius rods and spring shackles are mounted in shear. As for the definition of what "underslung" means, I don't care. I simply want to see more setups like the ones above. I'll change the ***le to something else...
You're right about the rod ends being able to take a significant shear load. I think what got me was the amount of thread hanging out on the clevis ends on the green car. That allows the shank of the rod end to bend, which isn't strictly the same type of load. I don't think they're "wrong" at all. Hell, my race car handles 900+ horsepower through 1/2" tubular bolts in single shear, but we inspect everything all the time. I'd build it a little more "butch" if I was going to drive it around all the time. S'all I was getting at.
Right on man.... agreed... For the look I'm going for, I'm going to have to figure out a way to make that work. Even if it means making my own Hairpins with larger clevis ends. I just may do that. Hillbillyhell made some nice ones awhile back and he's set up pretty much just like that. I think it's constructed of 1" DOM tubing. Looks pretty burly.
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