Hot Rods Cheap Hot Rod axle

Was working on my beater 71 Ford f100 the other day. Happened to notice the front axle. Rather attractive looking and it has a slight drop to it already. Should be able to unbolt that coil spring assembly and bolt right on a buggy style spring. The stock hubs are also 5 on 5 1/2" so old wheels would bolt right up. If somebodys building a hot rod and after a cheap drop axle with newer brakes it would be a great alternative.

 

Isnt that a twin I beam?

 

Yeah twin I beam

 

I'd like to say "dumb ass" about now.

 

x2

 

I'm afraid it's a 2-piece axle and wouldn't work......

 

Yep, big, bulky, heavy and ugly. Not really what you want on a real hot rod HRM.

 

Pre paid and pre planned funeral arrangements would help your family in it's coming time of need.

 

And no, they can't be bolted together with u-bolts to make an axle ...

 

Another of ford's better ideas.

 

I call em "Twin I Tire Eaters".

 

Actually, they probably could be, just not a very good idea. Don't say it too loud or some rat rodder will try it.

 

I'm pretty sure Model A axles are still relatively cheap and plentiful and a whole lot cooler than a twin I beam.

 

That possibility occurred to me just as I was typing ...

 

The short answer is no, you wouldn't want to use any axle parts off a twin I beam front end.

But, don't let us beat on you too hard, at least you are keeping an eye out for stuff that might otherwise go unnoticed. Sometimes we get hung up on all the stuff you "can't" do.

-Abone.

 

Hey hotrodnomader, before you let 'them' "beat on you too hard" you might want to have them look up "Flaming River," a company that's made a fortune on their twin I Beam front suspension called "Dominator." It wasn't such a 'hair brained idea,' for an unconventional dropped front end and, evidently, Rod and Custom Magazine didn't think so either. http://www.rodandcustommagazine.com/techarticles/0808rci_beam_tube_axles/photo_18.html

 

The big magazines will print just about anything,
if you but enough ad space.

 

Flaming River made a fortune on this? When was the last time you saw one of these hokey ass axles under a car? I don't think I ever have. And if I missed it, it's probably because it's under some easter egg cookie cutter streetrod that I walked past without flinching. Wow... they paid for advertisement in a magazine and got a biased article written about their product! That must really mean it's a great idea for a part! Give me a break.

Obviously this kid saw the underside of the truck and didn't realize there are two separate axles of the Twin I-Beam suspension. No big deal.

 

I agree with these guys. Nothing wrong with seeing new possibilities in stuff: just make sure you look at the other end

In fact the Ford twin-I-beam (and the Flaming River version) gives better geometry than the systems that pivot in the middle - including Allard's. Specifically, less camber change and a lower roll centre.

 

Actually, gentlemen, there was a post on here about two weeks ago where someone was using dropped twin I-beams...had pics of three different varieties i the post. You might try reading over this post..dropped I-beam info on page two.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=595366&highlight=f100

Regards:
Paul

 

The same article mentions Fatman Fabrication's version of splitting the I Beam also. Both of these guys came up with innovations long before Rod and Custom, or any other magazine, decided to do a story on them. I've seen some wild, and GREAT fabrication ideas coming from many members of this site alone! Don't be so quick to rudely discount this "kid's" ideas. It's the same kind of improvisation that gave us the old cars we so dearly love to hot rod and modify.

 

Well not bolted but couldn't they be riveted?


hotrodnomader
Lots of old truck axles get used those from a parallel leaf system work real well with a quarter eli system. But Ford used twin I beams from the early to mid '60s until they figured out that they didn't work worth a damn. Try looking at an older truck.

 

Ford used a solid axle thru 64, starting in 65 on half ton trucks they switched to twin I beams. I believe they still used them all the way thru the early part of the last decade on half ton trucks. On earlier 3/4 and 1 ton trucks as well as some four wheel drives solid axles were used.

 

JB Weld?

 

It is threads like this that made me quit posting on the HAMB (my last post was almost 2 years ago). I know I'm not missed, I never had much to say. All I know is some old Pontiac crap. I am young(er) and pretty new to hot rodding. You ask one question that someone thinks is "stupid", misidentify one thing, or make a suggestion (such as this one) that people don't like and you get beat down for it.

This place is nice to lurk and look at pictures, but as a community it is pretty shitty. You eat your own over minor things. Try teaching the new guys something rather than taking them apart. You old bastards are going to die someday and then the hot rods will be left to the Cobalt SS crowd. I haven't posted in almost 2 years because of this shit. I was new to hot rods and wanted to learn. It turns out this isn't a good place to suggest things or ask questions.

Fire away at me. I only stop by once a week or so to see if there are any pictures I want to look at anyways. I do read threads that look like they may help me out. I am trying to build a car on a budget and learning as I go. It won't be perfect and it may not have all the coolest shit on it but it will be safe, run good, and be fun to drive. Afterall, that is what hot rodding used to be about.

 

Cheap axle yes, Hot rod axle NO

 

If you were to do something like that the Rangers 2WD's had TIB's - much narrower track and disc to boot.

IIRC they are cast steel, so could be cut/welded to fit but camber may be WAY off...

 

Good damn thing you waited until 2007 to join in the fun. Back in the late '90's it was dog-eat-dog here.

Seriously. I even left for a time, before growing a pair and leaping back in. But that was a decade ago...

Now we have the touchy-feely HAMB. And YOU complain about THAT.

Cosmo

 

Twin I beams are remarkably tough frontends. But they are wide, heavy, and tend to wear tires out fast.

 

Ford used twin I beams thru the 70's and 80's and if the king pins are greased regularly, they will last indefinitely and haul tons of weight which is something that the competition can't say.

Ball joints and A arms are for the cross town sissy competitions light duty girly boy car ride pick ups.

The twin I beam on my 79 has made 425,000 miles and there is no issue with tire wear unlike what the people who have never driven one will tell you.


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