Anyone have thoughts on reusing my 28 Dodge front axle, spindles, drums, and wire wheels for the front of the rod I'm building? I'll be stripping the car bare and dropping in a Chrysler 440 RB big block with an A833 behind it. Too heavy? Too dumb? No worries? Another option is to go with a Speedway Ford style drop axle though I assume they are Chinese castings. Are modern Chinese castings better than ninety year castings? Greatly appreciate any input--thanks in advance--Dum Background--"The Hodge Podge Dodge" Foreground--"The FireTurd" http://www.fireturdracing.com/
Looks like a cool build. If you want to stick with the stock front suspension, why not use the original axle and wire wheels. Sometimes guys change over to the Ford-style front spring and dropped axle - nothing wrong with that either, although you likely could not keep those stock wire wheels.
I'd love to use the original axle and wire wheels but wanted to make sure that it would hold the weight of a 440 and put up with modern speeds, braking, etc. The lug spacing is really weird, way bigger than anything I've seen on modern vehicles, so either I run the whole original front end or convert everything over to Ford repops. I searched around the forum and found a few tales of breaking axles but they appear to either be a result of the spindle ovaling out the kingpin or driving into something. Just trying to gather opinions on whether or not the factory axle will be safe enough.
You are worried about a DODGE part, but think a Chinese part is safer? Will kids be riding in that back seat? Bob
More concerned about the metallurgical advancements in the 94 years between the casting of the original Dodge axle and a repop Ford axle. It sounds like your opinion is that the original Dodge is a stronger axle then the modern copies. Thanks for your input
I already have a 440 Dodge so from a cost standpoint, that ship has sailed. Plus I'm in love with the idea of a 440 Dodge in a 28 Dodge.
My concern with the 28 Dodge axle is not with the axle, but rather the wheels and the brakes. The axle will probably be fine, but the brakes will be way inadequacy for stopping a 440 drive train, and the wire wheels probably wouldn't support the weight, stopping, or cornering under the 440 weight. You may be able to get a modern disc brake conversion with a more modern wheel bolt pattern for your Dodge axle. I think I would see if www.rustyhope.com has something that would work They used to make a lot of disc brake conversions for the Dodge axles.. There has to be something between the all original 28 Dodge stuff and the Chinese cast axle set up. Don't know where your at, but I have a 49 Dodge 1/2 ton pickup axle, springs, and steering box that would probably work well on your 28 Dodge if shipping wouldn't kill a deal. PM me. Gene
The nice thing about the '28 Victory 6 is that it came from the factory with hydraulic brakes- the brake cylinders are the same as those used on Divco trucks and show up on Ebay. In regard to the wire wheels- lots of early Ford hot rods with factory wires on them.
There are plenty of threads on here about adapting F100 brakes to non-Ford axles Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Yes, I understand the 28 Dodge had hydraulic brakes when new. I have a 48 Mopar car, the brakes on it were state of art in 1948, the early hydraulic brakes were better then almost anything else available back then, but this isn't 1948 anymore, and a 440 isn't a flathead 6 either. The early brakes are not up to the standards of today's traffic. Lots of early Ford hot rods don't have 440s either. Wire wheels as a whole are not something I want to trust my life to, see too many fail. Gene
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