Chassis Builders - A question for you...

[Harrison]

I recently installed the front crossmember in my '32 frame. Everything was measured a dozen times and welded once. The frame is square.

The crossmember is in the frame straight but when I bolted up the front suspension the right side is 1/4 inch farther forward that the left side.

I measured from common points on each side of the rear crossmember to the center of the kingpins. I do not have the rear of the wishbones mounted yet.

Have I screwed something major up? Is the crossmember going to have to be cut out and reinstalled?

Let's hope not.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks, JH

[**DONOTDELETE**]

At this point in your construction I wouldn't worry about 1/4". After it's on wheels and has the full weight of the body, engine, etc. is when I would check it. I never weld anything solid until the car is complete. Easier to cut tack welds than a completely welded thing. Also...I'd measure from the CENTER of the rear crossmember diagonally to the kingbolts.

[Harrison]

From the center of the rear crossmember it is measuring the same from side to side.

I should probably get some weight on it (engine in and front wheels/tires on) so I can be sure my caster is correct before welding on the wishbone mounts correct? I should be able to adjust it a little (if needed) with the wishbones right?

Thanks, JH

[Tman]

You wishbones wont allow caster adjustment. You need to put it at ride height before you make the mounts.

[HOTRODPRIMER]

Harrison,I would think that when you do weld the tabs for the split bones you can use the rod ends to adjust and get the distance right........if you have everything square you don't have a problem....HRP

[tommy]

You should be able to get that much movement in the spring pocket. Loosen the U bolts and adjust it. 1/8" back on the long side and 1/8" up on the short side. A BFH and a block of wood.

[choprods]

youre on the rite track-good advice/it'll work.

[Rude Dude]

When checking your frame measure in an X pattern never front to back. A lot of old frames were never square from Ford some have been known to be 1/4 inch off. Use a reference point X'd from rear just remember chassis will pull one side when welded on. Jigs are used by fabricators to prevent this from happening. You dont need a jig as long as you weld an inch to two inches at time alternating side to side.

[Rude Dude]

I had a friend who was able to use a porter power and torch to heat one side while applying pressure to the other side. He was able to bring it back to within a 1/8. It worked fine for his application the frame was a 32 also

[Harrison]

After my second measurement that shows it is OK and this advice, it sounds like I'm OK.

I'm moving on to engine mounts. Pics tomorrow hopefully.

One thing that baffles me... figuring ride height with no weight on the chassis and no front or rear suspension. Add to that an unlevel garage floor.

I set the chassis level side to side with a decent rake front to rear and started building. I guess we'll see how it turns out.

Death Rod? Hope not....

Thanks, JH

[lowsquire]

re setting your ride height, yeh it is tricky to know where itll end up,I decided what height i wanted the frame off the deck, then slid the front end in on wheels+tires the same diameter as youll use and see if theres enough room for the spring in there,if there is, a bit of eyeballing can work out the height of the spring arc required,
then get a main leaf made up to suit, the fine adjustment is done with the rest of the spring pack- ie number of leaves.
its a bit chicken or the egg really.
the caster angle is the same,id leave mounting the radius rods until youve got an otherwise rolling chassis with the drivetrain in it,then set the caster and attach the rods where they have to go.

[Tman]

2 ways to get the ride height close. One is to measure off a known combo on a car that is the same as yours. Motor weight,spring etc.

The other way is to use your mock up motor. You can get close buy sitting the heads,block etc on the frame. If you want to really get anal, you can add some sandbag weight on top of the dummy block.

[thirtytwo]

i disagree with some of the info givin but insted of curtail everyones opinion, ill just give mine too...
1/4" is quite a bit, ive heard too that fords were really bad... but why does that make it acceptable for one your buildin?

i have a stock 32 frame and its out of square less than1/8" and thats after 70 years of abuse..

check your diagnals, a simple front to back measurement is not good enough, if you want to make sure both sides are the same on the frame find the centers of crossmembers, run a tight string and compare measurement side to side....

now that your sure your frame is square ,and crossmembers are square also,which you probely have done all this already now you can move on to the front some one already mentioned that there is some adjustment in the spring pocket, and about ride hieght, i dont think you need the motor in although...

heres how i would do it put the tires you are going to use on the front use a dummy motor for a little weight..just use a main leaf or couple of leafs until you have the height in the front set the rake you want with the rear tires your using, and the axle under the car so you know you have enough clearance to frame ,

square axle mount wish bones try to make them parrallel to the ground or the car, don't set your caster by the rear bone mounts...make them look right first, if you have too go back and cut the bones to make proper caster- 5 degreesor more

finally youll have to play with the spring once you put all the leafs back in until you get the desired ride height by dearching, leaf play ,ect.

[Tman]

thirtytwo, good point on cutting the bones. I hate the look of wishbones attached at some weird point above/below the frame. Mine ended up hitting dead center of the frame rail AND having the proper caster. I engineered em that way but would have cut them if needed. I also used some thickwall DOM as a bung through the frame to attach mine. I am using urethane rod ends.

[thirtytwo]

yea t-man.....devils in the details, i got a car once that had "A" bones and the caster was made at the mounts t looked terrible i swear if you hit a bump the things would scrape the ground, needless to say that was the first thing changed,

i got kinda spoiled cause i like the 35-40 bones and they already have pretty good caster in them...lazy i guess!

[Harrison]

My bones will be pie cut and mounted neatly, just under the rails.

JH