C9
12-09-2004, 09:50 AM
I think this is what you're looking for.
The bracket is a SoCal item.
3/8" steel and it should be easy to make, but the price is reasonable.
It comes as a one piece unit and in my case was slid over - after some grinding to fit* - the rear axle housing that was minus the axle flanges at the time.
If the flanges are on the housing, cut the bracket so you can install it as a two-piece unit.
Just takes a little extra welding.
The main leaf is a SoCal item, but I don't think they sell the main leaf by itself any more.
You may be able to have a local spring shop make you up a leaf to fit the spacing of the rear axle brackets.
The brackets are spaced 44" apart as per SoCal recommendations.
Fwiw - the rear end width in this car is 56" outer brake drum to outer brake drum. (Which is the commonly accepted way to measure them.
Be sure to take the pinion angle into account before tacking or welding.
Note as well the triangular gusset to the inside of the bracket.
You won't have to make up a spring center mount like I did if you use a piece of rectangular tubing that the spring shackle will fit over.
I'll post another pic of the spring center area and note that the 'crush tubes' are sunk into the crossmember a ways.
This was done to gain an additional 1/8-3/16" clearance at the front of the rear crossmember for the Panhard to clear.
*The grinding alluded to was on the inside of the brackets axle cutout.
Done because of the not so-perfect roundess of the Ford rear axle housing and the accurately sized hole of the SoCal bracket.
Even so, the bracket fits very precisely and if you didn't get too crazy with the grinding a little tapping with a soft hammer will knock it into place and it will remain there for welding.
One small hint - once you're set up with pinion angle etc. - is to tack the bracket into place with 2-4 strong tacks and leave it like that until you're absolutely sure that's where you want it.
The bracket is a SoCal item.
3/8" steel and it should be easy to make, but the price is reasonable.
It comes as a one piece unit and in my case was slid over - after some grinding to fit* - the rear axle housing that was minus the axle flanges at the time.
If the flanges are on the housing, cut the bracket so you can install it as a two-piece unit.
Just takes a little extra welding.
The main leaf is a SoCal item, but I don't think they sell the main leaf by itself any more.
You may be able to have a local spring shop make you up a leaf to fit the spacing of the rear axle brackets.
The brackets are spaced 44" apart as per SoCal recommendations.
Fwiw - the rear end width in this car is 56" outer brake drum to outer brake drum. (Which is the commonly accepted way to measure them.
Be sure to take the pinion angle into account before tacking or welding.
Note as well the triangular gusset to the inside of the bracket.
You won't have to make up a spring center mount like I did if you use a piece of rectangular tubing that the spring shackle will fit over.
I'll post another pic of the spring center area and note that the 'crush tubes' are sunk into the crossmember a ways.
This was done to gain an additional 1/8-3/16" clearance at the front of the rear crossmember for the Panhard to clear.
*The grinding alluded to was on the inside of the brackets axle cutout.
Done because of the not so-perfect roundess of the Ford rear axle housing and the accurately sized hole of the SoCal bracket.
Even so, the bracket fits very precisely and if you didn't get too crazy with the grinding a little tapping with a soft hammer will knock it into place and it will remain there for welding.
One small hint - once you're set up with pinion angle etc. - is to tack the bracket into place with 2-4 strong tacks and leave it like that until you're absolutely sure that's where you want it.