Hot Rods Radius rods

O.k. , we all refer to "radius rods" , why are they called that , ? What "radius" does the name refer to ??
dave

 

Maybe the radius of the circle it would make if you were to swing it 360 degrees???

 

...Or it mimics a radius bone???

 

and radiator was already taken..............

 

Sounds better than locating struts..

 

Yeah, I always picture Mick Jagger when I hear the word strut.

 

hairpins......

 

Or Bob Seger.

 

The word hoochy coochy come to mind when I think of Jagger. LOL

I think that was Segers girl friend.

"Oh they love to watch her strut . . ."

A little something for the too young and uninitiated.



Damn makes me want to get in the wind. Somebody help me.

 

Gee thanks beaner , now I'll have that song w/visions of Tina Turner in my head all day !!
dave

 

Could be worse. I stumbled across to fire lake and got really down. You just can't beat Seger for get down and get on the road music.

Oh but you're welcome, you know what they say, misery likes company.

 

I think it's because they swing up and down on the axle end in a "radius"...and Everclear's "santamonica" is a 100 mileperhour tune if I ever heard one!

 

A radius is half the diameter of a circle, measured from the center to the edge. Your center point of the radius is the center of the tie rod end anchored to the frame, your edge will be the center line of your perch bolt on the axle. Your axle travels in a circular motion relative to your tie rod end, but it's a small enough travel along the circumference to not be a problem, unless your radius rods are extremely short and you end up having a bind since the axle would be trying to move away from your spring and other suspension parts are holding it in place. Having different axis of rotation relative to steering parts is also ideally kept to a minimum(bump steer, etc.).

 

The torque tube acts as a radius rod in addition to keeping the axle wrap in check. The smaller radius arms on the wheel ends of the axle tubes triangulate the axle housing to keep it perpendicular to the torque tube at all times.

 

radius rods are on the rear and wishbones on the front.........correct?

 

If you made $5.00 a day in 1927 a set of four cost you two weeks pay. Photo from the Chevrolet Brothers catalog of Model T Ford speed parts. Bob

 

The front "radius rods" on a pre 49 ford are called wishbones because that's what they are shaped like but they still swing on a radius and could be correctly ( or at least semi correctly ) be called radius rods....however what did Henry Ford call them?...I bet Bruce Lancaster knows!

 

Front or back, they are still radius rods.

 

I agree, wishbone is just the configuration of two radius rods. The term radius rod is used because they allow the axle to pivot at the radius of the rod's length from the mounting at the axle to the pivot point ball. For the rear axle, the torque tube is actually the radius the axle pivots on. It is easiest to think of with split radius rods. The axle will pivot along the length of the radius rod.