Technical Suspension: Gasser straight axle Puddin style

I just wasn't feeling the glass nose. HAMB classifieds to the rescue! I bought this complete steel front end from Vic Young out of Camarillo. Vic has a gasser style 55 being built by the HAMB's Kiwikev.

Mike welded it up to make it a one piece and used the bar he bent up from the glass nose.

I wanted old school function here. Race car stuff... not show car stuff. It turned out fine in my opinion:

 

This was a tough decision, but I decided to go ahead and cut up a perfectly good hood so the injector stacks would pop out the top.

 

The weather was good and there was a nostalgia race coming up at Speedworld, so I spray bombed the front end with a rattle can, hung the new door. And got ready to go racing:

Shown here at the track, first time out with the axle:

 

Here it is the same day at the track. That is Mike in the burnout box telling me to heat em up.

You cant believe the nerves I had with this all new front end the first time out. I never made a partial pass. I went balls out. Mike was very confident in his work and told me to just do it.

I know a lot of you have seen this video, but here it is again: 9.76 @ 133MPH.

 

A few months later at Pinks All Out:



Now with the weathered paint, Two Lane Blacktop look:







Gettin it done at the 2007 CHRR with a 9.73 @ 133MPH

 

The axle is from Jim Tinsmith (Tinny's Hot Rods)
The spindles and steering arms are from Chassis Engineering Inc.
Wilwood brakes
Vega box - lots of sources
Leaf springs - local spring shop
Frame rails, tie rod, drag link, misc - all custom made
Shocks - Bilstein

 

Nothing super secret. Just early Ford forged repo stuff from Chassis Engineering Inc. and most of the other stuff is custom made.

I was told that was done, but after the fact and for what I paid, I have to wonder.
The hydrogen embrittlement discussion did come up. I'm hoping because I went overkill with chromoly, I will be safe. Frequent inspections do happen.

 

I think we ended up with 11 degrees caster.

The springs are 1 3/4" wide with sleeved rubber bushings. I don't remember the bolt size.

The axle is 2" O.D. and 1/4" wall thickness. The mild steel axles are the same but as you know, not nearly as strong as chromoly.

There is another company (Specialty Cars?) that uses a mild steel axle with a steel rod inserted inside the axle for strength. That was another option I considered.

 

Here is the contact number for Jim Tinsmith (Tinny's Hot Rods) 215-453-7999. He made the chromoly axle for my 55.

He's a long time drag racer. He's been into it longer than I've been alive. He just made a 1 3/4" moly axle with a 1" drop for the recreation of the K.S. Pittman 33 Willys.

Here is Jim's steel 33 Willys truck:

 

Another very important point I forgot to make was about welding on the axle.

We only tack welded during mock up. The axle was then removed and strapped down to a welding table and the final welds were slowly finished to prevent warping the axle.

Thanks again guys for all the positive comments.

Sam, how dare you miss the CHRR when it's in your own backyard! See you next year.

 

Honestly I forget how long it took. We both work full time and have lots of other things going on. But it was several months.

Before the car had the axle, it weighed a little over 3000lbs but we haven't put it back on the scales. I'm guessing it lost around 100lbs.