paralel leafs in the front

[Tim]

does any one have pics of there frames and set ups using two leafs in the front rather then the standard ford traverse set up??

there all over i figured why notuse one

thanx
tim

[four-thirteen]

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/image_uploads/88920-des3.jpg

not a good picture of the front end, but it's got stock leafs and a drop tube axle. sits pretty low

[Paul]

pardon the redundant pic post http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[Paul]

and one from the top..

[Tim]

got any from the side with out a wheel on it 60's?

and just cusi was bored, thought you car kinda looked like the hotwheels car with the headers that go up the side and started seeing if it could work, gota find some headers yet

[Kerry]

I wanted to use the parallel springs but the question was how to lower it. I modified the axle and mounted it above the spring instead of below. I had to modify the crossmember and re-arch the springs a bit but it worked out well.

[Kerry]

With the axle above the spring I wanted the bracket to be stout. Scrub line was also a potential issue with the bracket but I ended up with room to spare.

[Kerry]

I've posted this picture a couple of times alerady but it's the best I have that shows how she sits.

[Flipper]

[ QUOTE ]
With the axle above the spring I wanted the bracket to be stout. Scrub line was also a potential issue with the bracket but I ended up with room to spare.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/image_uploads/240775-f1bracket.JPG


[/ QUOTE ]

I like the way you ground down the stock "plate" that was cast into the axle. It looks pretty clean and is different.

What is the frame / spring set out of? Are you still running all of the leaves or have you removed a couple?

[Kerry]

Thanks for the kind words. I had fun trying to be different but not outrageous. The front half of my chassis is a 32 Chevy pickup frame. The back half is a 31 Pontiac.

To be honest I'm not sure how many leaves it had stock. I did some leaf swapping with the unused OEM rear springs for a little more load capacity. For proper travel (I didn't C the frame) I re-arched them something like 2.5 inches. Can't remember for sure right now. At first I thought I'd gone to far but with the hemi they sagged to just the right height.

The front crossmember pretty much vanished for axle clearance. I replaced most it with a couple of lengths of 1x3 .125 square tubing, keeping the sides and front of it to look more stock at a glance.

Here's a picture of the stock setup.

[Tim]

any pix of your "replacment" crossmember?

[Kerry]

Here are a couple of truly crappy pics from my "Toy" digital camera. Maybe if I'm good I'll get a decent one for christmas.

I've tried to mark things so you can tell what's what. The piece marked 1x? started out as a 1x3 but I cut off about an inch so it would hide well and welded it to a piece remaining from the original crossmember.

Not sure if I can describe it well but the full 1x3 goes under the main frame rails, tapering up to the outside edge.

[Kerry]

Here's the view from the front.

[Tim]

thanx,

so does that crossmember support anything or is it just to hold everything together?

[Kerry]

Both parts serve to hold it all together. The front part also holds up the radiator. The holes in the top part of that rail are large enough for the radiator supporting springs to go through so they are actually inside that 1x?. I ground down some nuts to shim the springs to the proper height.

I do have a hold off valve for the front brakes, brake lines, and wiring mounted on the back piece but nothing structural like the radiator on the front piece.

[Tim]

cool cool

thanx

anybody else got pix?

[Kerry]

You're welcome. Dare to be different!

[Tim]

any one have pix of info on under slinging the frame with two leafs?

ya know with the springs and axel ontop of the frame?

tia
tim

[4t64rd]

it'salled "underslung" there was a car in the 20's that advertied being underslung.

[PBRmeASAP]

OK, more info needed, this could save me some $$$. Stock leafs have 7. What did you end up with for brakes and what was done to accomidate them? any more info on how to do this? I have a stock axle and springs and was going to scrap them for the speedway kit, but this can save $, more info please

[Plowboy]

Here is the setup I used on my 34 Chevy truck. This started as a 1 ton truck. I used the stock front springs but took out half of the leaves. I got a MAS 5 inch dropped axle and mounted it on top of the springs. The scrub line is kind of an issue, but I will be OK as long as I only get one flat tire at a time! A 4 inch drop would probably have been a better choice, but who knew at the time? I used the speedway chevy spindle and brake kit.

[Plowboy]

Here is a pic showing the front shock mounts after I got it painted and assembled. Some road testing showed me I need to cut a little off the bottom off the shock mount because the shock hit once on a really big bump. Other than that it rides pretty decent.

[burger]

Plowboy,

I KNOW I've asked you this before, but are you using the stock steering box?


Thanks,
Ed

[Plowboy]

Yes I am, It steers a lot better than I thought it would too! In fact, it works great.

[Flipper]

Did you fab the steering arms or are they store-bought?

What are they made out of?

Any close-up pics?

[Plowboy]

I started with the speedway flat arms. They are just 3/8 plate. It wouldn't take a whole lot to fab them up, but these looked better than anything I could whittle out on my own. I then bent and ground them to fit.

[PBRmeASAP]

Ployboy got any more pics on how the shocks mount, shit that thing looks really low!!! how does it handle with the stock springs, my old man keeps telling me it will handle loke a "buggy" and be horible to drive? Also what had to be done to use the drop axle, fabing the mounts for the U bolts?

[Hackerbilt]

Plowboy...I notice you put your shackles in front, but in the first pictures you posted they appear to be in the rear.
Bumpsteer issues behind the change?

Bill

[AHotRod]

YES....my chassis I built for my Willys.

[Plowboy]

I made the shock/headlight mounts from some plate steel. the bottom shock mount is a grade 8 Bolt that is welded to the axle perch. I couldn't really come up with a better Idea. I didn't have much space to work with.

Mounting the axle is a big pain in the ass. The kit comes with the perches but you need to grind them out to fit the axle. The front springs are not really "parallel", they actually point in towards each other. Therefore the perches must get welded on the axle at an angle. Since the frame also tapers there is really no good way to tell if you have the axle at a true 90 degrees to the frame. I measured the best I could and made it parallel to my front crossmember. I was fretting that I may get it in crooked because after it is in there is no adjustment like a 4 link or hairpins would have. I still ahven't got it to the alignment shop to see how well I actually did.

As for the shackles, they are in the front. The shackles, springs, etc. are all stock. As for bump steer, I haven't had much of a problem, but I have only drove it 200 miles so far and haven't got it aligned except for a tape measure and eyeball. It has a bit of a shimmy in it at low speed when you jab on the brakes but I am hoping that is alignment. I played with the tow in a bit and made it a lot better. It is hard to measure for alignment since it is so low.

[PBRmeASAP]

plowboy the mirror on your truck hangin off the drivers door hinge, is that stock? I got the same one on my 31. just wondering, also keeping it on, too cool looking

[Plowboy]

Yes it is.... But mine is coming off. Too big and ugly for me.

[PBRmeASAP]

Big and ugly yes....but a pair of big and ugly mirrors....hmmm let me know if your planning on parting with it

[bigron]

here's mine. i did not build the frame. bought from a guy in florida about a year ago. been dragging my feet getting it done.

[Darwin]

Just how "tunable" is the Speedway/MAS parallel leaf/dropped axle setup? Enough flexibility there to use on a very light bucket style car?