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Rear parallel leafs on a Model A?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by curtiswyant, Mar 26, 2007.

  1. curtiswyant
    Joined: Feb 6, 2005
    Posts: 461

    curtiswyant
    Member

    What's the general concensus on the cheapest, easiest and somewhat "smoothest riding" rear suspension setup for a Model A? Four link would be a little overkill but a buggy spring would probably ride like crap. Does anyone run parallel leafs?
     
  2. 31whitey
    Joined: Jan 2, 2007
    Posts: 2,214

    31whitey
    Member

    buggy spring for life
     
    bct likes this.
  3. BRENT in 10-uh-C
    Joined: Apr 14, 2004
    Posts: 502

    BRENT in 10-uh-C
    Member


    Let me tell what I perceive as the biggest problem with most Model A suspensions. The spring leaves are worn where there is a groove notched into the spring. Take the stock spring apart and clean each and every leaf. Then remove one or maybe two leaves depending on bodystyle and etc. Chamfer the edges of each leaf on the end like the front edge of a Jon Boat. Then coat each spring with Slip-Plate or a graphite impregnated grease where they will glide freely. This allows the spring to work as it was designed to do and not be jerky.

    Next, invest in some sort of good quality shock absorber. Armstrong shocks from Triumph, Jags, and others from the 50's are a basic bolt-on swap. If you go with a modern tube shock, do not find a shock off of a Mack truck to use because the valving is just too stiff. Those two simple but effective repairs will make GREAT strides in allowing a stock Model A suspension to ride fairly decent.

    BTW, a parallel leaf suspension would be OK if you found a light enough springs, --and you had something out back to "suspend" the shackles and rear spring eyes. :D IMO THAT would be overkill!!
     
  4. curtiswyant
    Joined: Feb 6, 2005
    Posts: 461

    curtiswyant
    Member

    True, I'm ignoring "the look" for now. Are there any power-handling limits for a buggy spring arrangement?
     

  5. el Scotto
    Joined: Mar 3, 2004
    Posts: 4,698

    el Scotto
    Member
    from Tracy, CA

    I have thought of parallel leafs before, but I ended using buggy springs front and rear on my Model A. Rides better than my buddy's Deuce with coil overs, so far, but I haven't gotten shocks on it yet, so it's a little bouncy right now!
     
    Eli Brown likes this.
  6. pasadenahotrod
    Joined: Feb 13, 2007
    Posts: 11,775

    pasadenahotrod
    Member
    from Texas

    Must not be any power handling problems as most hotrods until the 80s used buggy springs with everything from blown 392 hemis to stock 2bbl small block Chevys and I can't remember anyone whing about how they would have , could have, or should have anything because they were running a Ford transverse spring suspension.
     
  7. Build your bars stout enough and do the spring like has been mentioned and your good to go. Just make it where it can move.
     
    Eli Brown likes this.
  8. revkev6
    Joined: Jun 13, 2006
    Posts: 3,352

    revkev6
    Member
    from ma

    as far as a buggy spring itself is concerned, no. as long as you attach it correctly to your rear axle and have it setup for what you are planning on doing the buggy spring is perfectly capable of delivering performance. just like a late model car, don't expect it to corner like it's on rails unless you attach some sort of swaybar.
     
  9. D.W.
    Joined: Jun 5, 2004
    Posts: 2,070

    D.W.
    Member
    from Austin Tx.

    Not for me. I run a blown small block w/ buggy spring & ladder bars.

    I can drive it to the track, run mid 11's all day long & drive it home again.

    Some modern drag slicks & a little more practice shifting should see 10's pretty easily.

    All w/ the good Ol' buggy spring.
     
    Just Gary likes this.
  10. kingpins
    Joined: Apr 27, 2009
    Posts: 623

    kingpins
    Member

    bumb... for the reason im thinking about using parallel leafs on the rear of my model A pick up and id love to see if anyone else has done it.
     
  11. kingpins
    Joined: Apr 27, 2009
    Posts: 623

    kingpins
    Member

    leaf springs it is then =)
     
  12. 30 A truck
    Joined: Jan 12, 2011
    Posts: 30

    30 A truck
    Member

    I used S-10 leafs. Extended the chassis.
     

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    rbrewer and AHotRod like this.
  13. BobF
    Joined: Dec 30, 2004
    Posts: 232

    BobF
    Member
    from Poway, CA

    As mentioned already the Model A frame ends at the center of the rear axle making extending out and down necessary. You could look into using quarter elliptic springs back there to be different and avoid the frame extension but it's a project no doubt. The easiest is to keep the traverse spring arrangement. I've been driving my 31 with a 51 Olds rear since the early 60's with a modified stock main leaf spring with no problems.
     
  14. kingpins
    Joined: Apr 27, 2009
    Posts: 623

    kingpins
    Member

    "30 A truck" thats exactly what i wanted to see... thank you. the plan was to obviously extend the frame...figured that would be a given to everyones knowledge of old cars. this set up will be on my 28-29 pickup aswell and will not be able to see the frame when done. thanks 30 A truck for the pic.
     
  15. David Chandler
    Joined: Jan 27, 2007
    Posts: 1,101

    David Chandler
    Member

    If I was making a truck, I'd certainly consider it. The idea of the frame ending before the ass end of the body, dosen't sit well with me. But mine is going together with the buggy spring set up, and all of the extra stuff required to make it work with a non torque tube rear axle.
     
  16. MATACONCEPTS
    Joined: Aug 7, 2009
    Posts: 2,069

    MATACONCEPTS
    BANNED

    Its an old car, dont compare it. Leave it an old car.
     
    3banjos likes this.
  17. FiddyFour
    Joined: Dec 31, 2004
    Posts: 9,024

    FiddyFour
    Member

    hell with parallel leafs, coil overs or buggy springs...

    my next car is going to have quarter eliptical springs with control arms and a panhard

    think outside the box, and have fun doing it
     
  18. kingpins
    Joined: Apr 27, 2009
    Posts: 623

    kingpins
    Member

    anyone who is into hot rods should def expect to "see" stretching of frames, boxing, kicks and so on.....also be understanding that there are people who dont...which is perfectly fine. but since we are talking about parallel leaf springs on a model A in a thread thats talking about parallel leaf springs on a model A then expect to "see" stretched frames to achieve that aswell as boxing and all other things not stock, and anyone who cant get past why anyone would put parallel springs on a A pickup falls in the same catagory as people who didnt understand why anyone would chop perfectly good top. its fine to state opinions but lets try to assume people on a hot rod thread knows alittle something about hot rods.

    david chandler i agree with you, "The idea of the frame ending before the ass end of the body, dosen't sit well with me". i also enjoy seeing people improve some things from 82 years ago either style wise or function wise. theres prob people rolling over in there graves at the thought of a 4 link and coil overs too. oh well. ive have buggy spring set ups on my other model As. but id like to do one alittle diff but yet still simple.
     
    trollst likes this.
  19. 57tony31
    Joined: Jul 20, 2008
    Posts: 632

    57tony31
    Member
    from Woods

    31 chevy here..........
     

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  20. Four link is overkill? Not at all. If you're looking for an easy to install simple rear suspension to replace the buggy spring I would go with a tri-angulated four bar and coil-overs. Not the most traditional but a real nice riding setup and very easy to do. You could do radius rods and a pan hard bar with coil overs also. The parallel leafs are gonna be to long on anything but a truck because the frame ends at the rear axle and as said before it will not look right from the rear.
     
  21. Here's some pics for ya.
     

    Attached Files:

  22. LjH
    Joined: Jun 1, 2009
    Posts: 42

    LjH
    Member

    Attached Files:

  23. lowball27
    Joined: Jan 27, 2011
    Posts: 38

    lowball27
    Member

    Just the way ol' Henry Ford built em. My preference is the buggy spring
     
  24. This picture brought a couple of questions to mind; but foremost, I was wondering how
    well the angled shocks will work with the mount bolts perpendicular to instead of parallel to the truck's center line. Seems like it would be hard on the shock bushings to flex sideways
    instead of rotating during suspension travel. Just curious.
     
  25. 296 V8
    Joined: Sep 17, 2003
    Posts: 4,666

    296 V8
    BANNED
    from Nor~Cal

    Iv never understood why people think parallel is an improvement in a hot rod type car.
    Your going to a setup that now has no control arms to maintain correct pinion angle under hard acceleration.

    On top of that
    A model A is a light car … 2 leaf springs is over kill and it will ride like a buckboard.
     
  26. Biggest issue with parallell leafs in a Model A is the frame ends over the axle, you have to extend the frame to mount the rear of them. Then, usually with parallell leafs your frame has an axle hump, the A frame is dead flat. By the time you're done you may as well build a Chevy, they come that way.
     
  27. fiftyv8
    Joined: Mar 11, 2007
    Posts: 5,394

    fiftyv8
    Member
    from CO & WA

    Model A's in particular seem a little short in the body length past the rear axle line to be able to install parallel leaf springs, as to install the correct length springs for ride comfort etc the ends would hang out past the body.

    However if building a model A pickup the box does extend further back than a passenger body and hence the potential to us leaf springs should you so desire.

    The only other issue you would need to consider is extending the chassis to pick up the shackles and create a kickup over the axle line similar to chevey's of the same year or fords of later years with full length chassis.

    Attached is a pic of a Model A pickup using that set up.
    I am sure it has been done before.
     

    Attached Files:

  28. edwardlloyd
    Joined: Aug 2, 2003
    Posts: 2,072

    edwardlloyd
    Member
    from Germany

  29. fiftyv8
    Joined: Mar 11, 2007
    Posts: 5,394

    fiftyv8
    Member
    from CO & WA


    X2 - looks a little light and not so geometrically correct from what I can see...
     
  30. F-6Garagerat
    Joined: Apr 12, 2008
    Posts: 2,652

    F-6Garagerat
    Member

    thats what i'm sayin. take a look at my build thread and the Uni-Ball.
     

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