when did the suicide front suspension begin?

A search didn't turn anything up... so when did hot rodders begin using the suicide front suspension? I have seen a few photos from back in the day of people using them on there rods but was it common practice like it is today? if anyone has pictures of old hot rods using them that would be awesome too!

 

The Chervrolet Brothers offered what we call a suicide front end bracket in their Fronty-Ford race car parts catalog back around 1925. I'll post photos later. Bob

 

1924. About the same time the news cats came up with the 'Daredevil' moniker.

 

here is what made me think they were used back in the day (photo stolen from Lurk King)

 

Nothing new in rods and race cars, just better materials and execution of the same old ideas.

jack vines

 

Here are some photos from a 1920's catalog, they used a dead perch back then too. Bob

 

so were they very popular? seems like most of the "traditional guys" look at a suicide suspension and say they werent traditional at all. anybody run them on their A's in the 50's and 60's?

 

Pretty sure this photo actually dates from the mid-sixties. Think this car was in Car craft in '65, will confirm that over the weekend.

 

From what I've picked up on here they seem to prefer it called "spring behind"

 

hmmm interesting...well then does anyone have vintage pictures of "spring behind" setups?

 

Here is one early pic I found, it's hard to see but it's there.

 

Wrong.

I have nothing else to add to this.

 

thanks for the picture. so can we safely go out on a limb here and say that spring behind or suicide suspension is in fact traditional?

 

Very traditional!

Those are two differnt set ups being mentioned btw...

 

please elaborate....

 

Suicide refers to a set-up with a perch in front of the front crossmember and the frame horns bobbed.

And when asking a question like this, its probably better/clearer to be more specific than "back in the day". That could mean anything from the twenties through to the sixties/seventies. Better to ask was this done in the forties or fifties, or sixties, depending on what time frame you are interested in.

 

As old as dropped axles.

 

^^^^^^ yeah, what he said

 

yes this was what i originally was asking about. and from the looks of it, seems like they were in use back in the day

 

This is going to be mostly opinion.

I see it as a spring over axle set up (stock early 30's Ford stuff) mounted on a perch out in front of the stock location to lower the front of the car is now called a suicide front end.

A spring behind is just that, the spring mounted behine the axle mounted to the wishbone or in some cases to after market batwings.

Thats the way I see it.

Others can chime in of course.

Sorry for getting this thread off track.

 

I think Norton got it.