Projects My '26 Roadster / Vintage photo search

Hello All!

This new format change has made for some issues.. And life got in the way a bit too.... But I should have a few updates coming very soon!

TROG, new wheels and of course...a Ruckstell

Stay Tuned!

 

Take your time Clayton. Enjoy the ride. If anybody can offer inspiration on building a vintage hotrod it's you. Love this car!

 

Any $15 updates Clayton ?

 

Maybe.....

 

ALWAYS interested in seeing what you guys are workin' on up there in the NorthWest!

 

3 ports earn !!!

 

Its been quite some time since my last update...but a lot has been going on. Now thankfully I can bring you guys up to speed.

I have decided to go ahead with a few changes, additions that have been stewing for quite a few years.

The first and most important is the Ruckstell 2 speed axle. These were accessory 2-speex sliding gear/planetary axles for Ts that offered a low ratio and standard. I have been hunting for one for years....but all have out of my price range.

6 months ago, a good friend and fellow T'er brought me a milk crate with some Ruckstell innards and two cracked housings.

"Its a start" he said as I dug into my new goodies.

The housings were pretty rough...one more so then the other, so I used to really bad one to patch the other...which has cracked around the drive shaft mount. Since the housings are Steel and not iron, it was easily welded in.

Now that all parts have been scrounged I am ready to assemble. I will of course have a large update outlining removal, assembly, and installation.



The second important addition is the new wire wheels.

Since the beginning, the design always called for a set of Buffalo or Dayton wire racing wheels, very stylish and popular for the period and a traditional and well built gow.

Sadly these wheels have always been unattainable... Until a very good friend offered me a very nice set of 19" Buffalo pin-drive wires...complete with snap rings!

I have yet to blast and paint them....but I have all the adapters done and all new hardware. Hopefully we can get the mounted and on the car soon!

More to come very soon...

Stay tuned!

 

A few pictures...wouldn't let me attach them..

 

I'm thinking that the head pushed you over the $15.00 point and the other pile of parts finished you off for a while. Really looking forward to seeing it all come together.

 

I actually got everything for a great price. The Olds 3-port head came to me via a wonderful hod rodder and T'er that saw one of my posts about my Chevy 2-port head online. He said it had been in the family barn since 1940...and was intended for speedster that never happened.

He asked I just pay shipping, wanting it to go to a good home...on my T

The wheels also came from a similar situation... A good price from the super nice guy I bought my 1916 Hupmobile from. They are NICE. the look nasty, but the clean up like new.

I am most excited about the Ruckstell. I am adding 3:1 gearing this time....so it should have way longer legs..

 

It is amazing how much harder it is to find parts when they are older than 1928 and not Ford. I just had three guys from the HAMB step up with parts I need for my 1919 Essex Speedster project. I'd never have found them without the HAMB. Your new finds will keep your T in a special place among early style rods here. Looking forward to updates.

 

Longer legs...uh huh...this has NOTHING to do with acceleration in Ruckstell low...

 

Oh, it does....this means I also get 4.60:1 in low...for TROG..

 

Clayton, I have 3:1 rear axles in both my speedsters and thats the good set up with a 21 inch wire wheel.
You know the Ruxtell is a under drive NOT a over drive ??. It will make the 3.1 into a 4:60 etc making the car much slower but very nice for pulling a plow etc......

May help at the ROG to dig in the sand !!! We plan on running TROG this year in a T as well....

 

Oh yes, I know its not an OD... That is why I have one of these too..



I want the low gear and 3:1s. 3.63 was way too tall for TROG.... If I had my Ruckstell in...I would have been able to pull taller starting gears and would have been far more competitive.

With the Chicago and the Ruckstell... I will have 12 speeds forward, 6 reverse.

You guys are going to TROG this year!?

 

Hi

I am geting my 26 T home in few weeks and been thinking of what to do with it. This car has given me loads of new ideas. I particularly like the fact that it is a T - T-body on a T-frame with T-chassis run by T- engine. And it is still a genuine HotRod.

 

Excellent! Any pictures?

That was the idea with this car: Go early hot rod, but keep it all T...as one would have been built in 1929-1932.

I am excited to see what you have planned for your T....what do you have in mind?

 

Houston, we have a Ruckstell!

So last time I posted an update, I was working on assembling a Ruckstell 2-Speed rear axle...something I have long lusted after for the T.

The Ruckstell axle was first devised By Arthur Baker in 1915 and sold as the "Perfecto Axle". In 1918, Hall-Scott purchased the rights and licenses to the Perfecto axle and the project of improving the design was given to Grover Ruckstell... A brilliant engineer. They were sold under the Ruckstell name well into the late 20's for $62.50.

The Ruckstell is essentially a sliding gear, planetary transmission stuffed into the rear differential. An ingenious design. It has no neutral, just low and direct (ring and pinion ratio).

Since Ruckstells are on the more expensive side..... I decided to piece mine together.



I was able to acquire all parts needed from friends and had the whole thing ready to go in no time!





Last week, I started assembly...





By Friday... Everything was assembled and ready for safety wgearing

Then, after much struggle at 1:00 am.....I got the axle halves assembled and ready to install.

*side note* - since day 1, one addition I had always intended was 3:1 gearing. I finally got a set from a good friend and put them in. Since the pinion is larger then the standard pinion..... You have to split the rear axle case to put the drive line in. Single handedly.... Its difficult.



Saturday was the big day for installation... And a few other repairs...



A few weeks prior...I had snapped a brake rod...so I made all new ones:



After nearly 16 hours of fighting it ( springs that don't line up, shackles that don't fit, axle housings that were fixed wrong, missing hardware and a jammed shifter) the Ruckstell was FINALLY installed Sunday morning about 3 am.





Sunday, a good friend came up from CA....so we took it for the first test run...





It ran out fantastically!

It REALLY wants to run now. The 3:1 gears make it a completely different car....with SO much more power and speed. Its effortless at 60

More testing and the shift linkage setup coming soon, so stay tuned!

 

Wow, really digging the wheels. Hopefully you were able to get the 6 pin hubs?

 

This car is awesome. Are you bringing it back to trog this year?

 

Me too. I have been lusting for a set of Buffalo wires for years. I actually have a set adapters for T hubs to run them.

 

Thank you kindly!

Still up in the air. I would love to, but it will most likely be next year.

As long as Mel will have me, it'll be there..

 

Thank you kindly!

Still up in the air. I would love to, but it will most likely be next year.

As long as Mel will have me, it'll be there..

 

This is one of my favorite cars on the HAMB. You just keep making it better with tech from the right era. Always looking forward to updates. It's also cool that you drive it hard enough to break it from time to time.

 

3:1 gears are wonderful, but trying to assemble a rear axle with them is very difficult as you found out. It is very challenging to setup the pinion depth and all that while having to split the axle every time to get the pinion gear out of the housing.

Ruckstell + 3:1 gears has got to be one of the best gearing combinations for a T.

 

Thanks Six Ball!

Improvement for the betterment of the car and functionality that also compliments the car as a whole is hard to achieve... Yet easy to mess up. I'm happy I am achieving the former

Messing with the cars just for the sake of modifying.... A different story.

I do drive it allot.... More now that the Ruckstell is in. The damaged brake rod was due to some salt damage...and a poorly drilled hole.

 

I agree....that's why we set all that business up like this first...



Makes life much easier.

I so love the 3:1 this far.....so much smooth, effortless power....and the top end is mind blowing..

 

Very cool Clayton! Keep it up!

 

Hi Clayton
Great improvement!
What's the blue car in the background of photo number 7 ?

Herb K

 

Thanks Bud!