Hi fellow HAMBER's, i'm planing to drop the suspension of my 1934 Chevy Master Knee-action . Does some of you chaps, have experiance how to, if possible with pic's. or is there a existing thread ? Any help gratley aprisiated. View attachment 4185014
I have not heard of anyone doing this before. Most people who own 34 Chev Masters, update the front end rather than modifying the original front ends. This front end came from a late sixties, early seventies Holden Kingswood. Holden was the Australian branch of General Motors, the equivelant for you would be an Opel. You will notice the heavy duty plates welded to each side that allow the front end to connect to the Master Frame. You are far better off sourcing a coil over front end like this, than trying to modify a knee action front end.
Suggest you give serious consideration to replacing that Dubonnet design front end assembly with something much simpler and more user friendly. There are options. Check with Heidts (they acquired Chassis Engineering who offered bolt in suspension conversions). They are but just one such possibility. There are many weld in units offered too. Even the alternate leaf spring beam axle GM used in some models at the time would be easier to work with than that Knee Action monstrosity.
I had a 37 Chevy with the same front end, did a lot of research into lowering it, even took a dead one apart to figure something out, and gave it up as a bad idea. If you decide to go to the leaf spring option (as in a '34 leaf spring front end ), the Chevy had the axle below the spring, so you would have to make a different mount for it if you want to lower it. An independent front end would be the easiest , Jag XJ6 are about the right size for the early Chevy's.
Thank you chaps for your ideas and replay. I must keep it reversible in order to not destroy any original parts. I was just wondering if someone has done it and how. Here on the orgiginal pic's the hight looks good. i bought the car as a basket case with no history, first the coachwork as a heap of panels and wood and much later found the original chassis. Therefor i will keep the horrible knee-action but will convert it to modern lipseal, fit larger bearings , check for cracks and see that all moving parts fit perfect in the steering and suspension. Coachwork is one of a kind..... If it's not working i still can get back to your suggestions.
Put smaller tires on it. Channel the body over the frame. Z the frame? I would rebuild it as original and get over how high it is. If you need to keep it original for whatever reason. In fact the coach builders would have figured out a way to lower if it was part of the design.
If I remember that complete front assembly bolts in place. Why not remove it and C notch the frame so that the crossmember sets up into the frame. Should be able to get 1.5"-2".
I suggest this, as well. When you have the suspension off (or even if you are keeping it), carefully inspect the frame for cracks. Of all of these I have worked on, I have seen only one without cracks.
@ All :Thanks for all your interest and replay. @gimpyshotrods : which areas are most to check for cracks ?
Check all areas around where the crossmember and frame rails intersect. This type of suspension puts a lot of strain on the frame rails.
The car was build by Walter Blaser Coachwork in Burgdorf, Switzerland. Its a 1934 Chevrolet Master deluxe knee-action with a sightley streched chassis, 6 cylinder streight 207 cubic inch engine 3 Speed box. Its one-off and build for the 1935 Geneva Motorshow in Switzerland. It has two folding front seats for access the rear bench ( 5 Passengers total ) . It is registerd and build as convertible / pickup, since the customer was a butcher-shop-owner who wanted to deliver his goods during the week and travel in style on weekend and hollydays. The windowframes colapse when the door- and rearquater sidewindows are rolled down, The top desappears completly under the main lid and also the sideirons are coverd with a lid left and right, the topmechanisme is preloaded by a large spring so it can be raised/lowerd by one person from inside the car. There is this pickup-bed, that can be attached. W. Blaser coachwork has build only this and a similar convertible only, but on a 1934/35 Ford V 8 chassis for 1935 this Motorshow in Geneva. The wherabouts of the Ford convertible is unknown up to date. I have made contact latley, with the still existing Company W. Blaser, they are very much interested and made willingley original drawings and pic's available to me. I bought a pile of panels Coachwork without knowing what it was, i planed a unusual roadster on a differen chassis, i reseacherd the missing history for manny years and later traced the original Chassis. Once i knew what i was searching for. Since its united again and most of its History known to me, i can't tare it up for what i was going to build, that's why it has to remain as original as possible. I just would like to resolve known mistakes and designfaults to make it driveable. At the moment i gather information and ideas for this project. Though i still have other projects cars to finishe .... as much as they ever get finished. By the way, doese somebody recognizes the Headlights since i have different headlightshells with my car .
I now see why you don't want to chop anything up! That looks much like a Benz until you get to the front. Rebuild the original shockers, they have a good ride when they are not leaking. There is a bit of info around about rebuilding them, or you could try the U.S. to find a rebuilder or a set of non-leaking ones.
Thankfully, the major roads in your fine country are in much better keep than the ones that this suspension system was designed for, and originally used on.
This style of suspension was invented and patented by Andre Dubonnet the French aperitif heir who was also a sports car and racing fan. General Motors purchased a license and used it on their cars from 1934 to 1938. They were complicated and prone to wear and leaks in everyday service. Apple Hydraulics offers rebuilt units, a rebuild service for your shocks, and a rebuild kit to allow you to rebuild your own. $685 to rebuild your shock, $165 for the kit. https://www.applehydraulicsonline.c...absorbers-yours-rebuilt-master-deluxe-1934-38
That is an extremely interesting Chevy, @oldbanger71, thank you for all of the information and pictures. The attachment had me wondering what it was. I hope you will keep posting your progress here, and wish you good luck.
Thanks to all for sharing your knowledge and information, Rusty O'toole, do you have experiance with that company and thair products ? This was the beginning.... bought it when internt was not yet invented... told my girl to marry here when finished restored, The car not the girl... ..Eleven years of hard work later, marryed her and still happy married some nearly 20 years later.. Car at the end of army time when sold to farmer 1963. Last pic is my car on the right and the one on the left that i found by chance .... or DESTINY, sold to a us resident collector. Woldwide there are only 4 of these 1939 Chevy master 85 Touring Phaeton left, build by GM Suisse SA, Biel/bienne Switzerland for the swiss army.
I have not done business with Apple but I hear they are a long established, reputable company. Your illustration shows a spring adjustment at the top of the spring housing. If your springs have sagged over the years you can get back to stock ride height by adding a shim. The ratio of spring arm to wheel support arm appears to be 3.5:1 so you should be able to raise the car 3.5mm for every 1mm of shim thickness. Any questions about your car should be directed to the AACA Forums. There are many specialists who can answer questions about your car. AACA Forums
They might like to see that car on the VCCA forums and someone there could help you with the front suspension but I would not say you want to lower it,they and the AACA like them all original.
@oldbanger71...I applaud your going out of your way to modify this vintage suspension in a period mechanical way. That's very Traditional... Have you considered doing a form of frame mod that raises the whole forward suspension...amounting to a drop...I know it's easy to suggest...reality may be somewhat challenging. Perhaps an altered spindle...what you are thinking?...can't be much more than 2 to 3"... That top pic is a little tough to decipher...I'm not completely technically daft but the drum spindle is sorta tough to make out..
I still think a frame notch would leave the geometry of most of the suspension in OEM positions...obviously sheetmetal and other mechanical structure may need adjustment but that is in essence all part of the vintage past nodding the already done...and there is no doubt no limit to where a thinking mind might improve and modify what your tackling. One more non chassis guy thinking out loud could you re-clock the twin arms attached to the spindle to adjust height?...
The Jalopy Journal
