Technical '39 Ford dropped stock axle...scary-looking steering arms?

So, I jacked up my car, to take a really good look at the front end. It has a couple hundred miles since I got it up and running/stopping.
It has what looks like a stock Ford axle that was dropped around 3.5", and the steering arms have been....er...dropped with some iron and stick-weld??? Maybe?
I don't know enough to determine if this is just crude, yet effective, or just downright bad news. It had to have been done a LONG time ago, since this car sat in a barn since the early Seventies.
Any thoughts?

 

Hi Jake, can you post more pics so we can get a good look at what you have. From the pic above, I don't like what I see with those arms but will need clearer shots. JW

 

Looks a little iffy to me.

 

That spindle arm should be thrown into your scrap metal pile immediately. Your ride and anyone in it are worth installing quality spindle arms with drops that are designed to fit various frontends. That shit looks like clumps of bubble gum. That is death waiting to happen.
[QaUOTE="Jake H., post: 10508117, member: 1622"]
So, I jacked up my car, to take a really good look at the front end. It has a couple hundred miles since I got it up and running/stopping.
It has what looks like a stock Ford axle that was dropped around 3.5", and the steering arms have been....er...dropped with some iron and stick-weld??? Maybe?
I don't know enough to determine if this is just crude, yet effective, or just downright bad news. It had to have been done a LONG time ago, since this car sat in a barn since the early Seventies.
Any thoughts?[/QUOTE]

 

Yep, time to pitch those in the metal bin and look for some new spindles.

 

I agree with everyone else, ditch those spindles for some new or good second hand ones with properly dropped arms, its an accident just waiting to happen..

 

I cant see the rest of the setup, but you might have a problem even with modified spindles getting them to drop low enough to clear the wishbone. That is a VERY SEVERE drop to those arms, evidently done for some reason. You need to do two things:

1) Post lots of good pictures from all angles so we can better evaluate what you have, and

2) Do not move that car an inch more until you fix that lousy workmanship! Seriously, that is very scarey stuff there. Might want to look over what other similar modifications are on the car too..........I'm sure he didn't stop there.

Don

 

^^^^^^^I'm with Don- There's something else buried somewhere---

 

Measure the amount of drop from the spindle's backing-plate holes to the bottom of the arm, order some new steering arms of a similar size from Chassis Engineering, cut off your bubble-gum arms, and bolt on the CE arms. Done.

 

Alchemy is right, the Chassis Engineering arms might drop down low enough to clear. Here are the ones we are talking about.



Don

 

I agree with Alchemy,I wouldn't drive around the block with that scary setup.

I have used these 35 - 48 Chassis Engineering drop arms on several cars,they are forged and work great. HRP

 

I use the Chassis Engineering ones also. Have a 4" dropped Super Bell I- beam in a forty sedan. Clears just fine.
Don't chance what looks like a safety issue. EVER.

 

I think bolt on arms are the things that should be scraped. The bolts are in line to resist the turning loads but the forces are being applied way below the line of bolts. The bolts have resist this load in bending. If not tight, they can fatigue and snap. I had to put a set of bolt on arms on a friends car. I welded a brace going up to the top rear backing plate bolts to resist the bending.
I think the spindles are fine as is.
Here is a pic of a fatigued bolt in an arm.

 

Andy, I respectfully disagree with you about the bolt on dropped steering arms,especially the CI forged arms but everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

But thinking the spindle in the photos looks fine? that scares me! HRP

 

I say take 'em to the Iran-Gihadist swap meet. Put 'em where they'll do the most good.

 

I also think that original Ford arms should be used if AT ALL possible (gentle bending with a magniflux check afterwards). But the arms in this case are way too far gone to trust. The next best scenario is the forged CE arms. It would be a shame to trash the rest of the Ford spindle though since it is better quality material than any reproduction spindle.

I've got a buddy who races stock cars built from 80's Malibu chassis'. Those guys are always bending the stock steering arms on those cars, so they too have braces to strengthen them. But I think the forged CE arms for hot rods are strong enough for the semi-smooth pavement we drive our cars on.

 

The problem here is that none of you are, originally, from Krypton. Unless you can see inside of that weld, then you cannot comment on its structural integrity. It may not be pretty, but it could be as strong as the surrounding metal or it might have cold laps, slag inclusions and huge voids inside.
Best to give it a flying lesson

 

I would buy them.

 

^^^ So would I. Remove the lousy work/welding and detail. Then make your own arms or buy some good aftermarket ones that will work.

 

Yea, it scares me a little to think I had this car up to freeway speed with my wife and kids in there, with me.

Who knows, they might be hell for stout? Or they could be one good bump from letting my steering go, at speed.

I don't want to gamble, so I think I'll order the CE forged arms. Rest of the setup looks really good and original: stock unsplit 'bones, good steering link, stock box, it has an old aftermarket tube-shock conversion that is plenty beefy...

 

You will sleep better at night.

 

Oh my......I dont know you but....id swap those out.

 

It is impossible to tell weather the previous owner tried to heat and bend the arm as it is normally done or just cut it off and bubble gum welded it back in place,is this his first welding job or has he welded all his life.

You are riding with your family and I understand your reluctance to put them in harms way with marginal parts...you are a intelligent man to replace them.

The Chassis Engineering arms require you to cut the offending are off and bolt on the new ones.
BTW,,what's up with the bolt that looks like it is loose. HRP

 

The arm you posted is a blind hole bolt on. Those are pretty iffy IMO and can prove to fail as pictured. The CE or similar bolt through arms are the best option.

 

I am going to get a better look at all of this, when I just pull the whole damn thing out, wishbones and all.

I am not even sure what is going on with the loose bolt, or if it's even a bolt, or what. The other side actually looks worse. Talk about a can o' worms.

I will figure this out, and post some pics of the safe and sane frontend I will install.

 

There was a beautiful '32 Roadster that showed up at the last Pasadena Roadster Reliability Run that had later Ford spindles and a welded on '32 steering arm. I asked the owner about the safety of welding the arm to spindle, he replied that it was done years ago and he'd had it magnefluxed. I think he was confused about the process, it won't indicate weld penetration, stability or heat treating. I wished him luck. I won't ever weld on a steering component.

 

HOTRODPRIMER, that is a confusing picture. But the "loose bolt" is actually the brake shoe centering adjuster. Scared the hell outta' me when I looked back at the picture, but I was relieved to see it was just an optical illusion.
I will get a bunch more better photos. I've been having computer trouble.

 

I'm with everyone who said to ditch those, and get new spindles, and steering arms !!!!

4TTRUK