Hot Rods Have you removed a ON Topic independent or knee action suspension and replaced with a axle

A friend ask me about removing the knee action front suspension on his Pontiac and using a dropped axle I told him I had removed the front suspension on a Falcon and replaced it with a straight axle but never a dropped axle.

Have any of you tried this? HRP

 

I don't think factory suspensions in Hamb Period Vehicles in Vintage Modded states are actually OT...For instance 39 Chevs had Knee Action as well as Beam Axles in 39 I believe but neither are OT. Perhaps I am incorrect but I don't think so. Then there is of course OT and OT which I ask do you mean On Topic or Off Topic?

The other thing is I think Frame Swapping and Axle Swaps are allowed as this was common back in the day but it may be lumped incorrectly into S10 and Camaro and Frame swaps of that nature.

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/article/de-luxe-driver-1939-chevrolet-master-de-luxe/

 

Danny, do you mean on-topic knee-action suspension? It has been done on many pre-war Chevrolets, there should be something on here somewhere where someone has done it.

 

That wouldn't be OT as that is the way it came.
Depending on the year some of those knee action GM frames have pockets in them for the springs and a crossmember that doesn't lend it's self to a I beam swap They don't lend themselves to much of any swap without a bunch of cutting and welding.

 

OT as in ON TOPIC, I didn't even consider the fact that it would be perceived as OFF TOPIC, It works both ways doesn't it? I will edit the title for clarity. HRP

 

What year Pontiac is it?

 

How many tri five chevy's got the axle treatment

 

I believe it is a 1940. HRP

 

Probably hundreds during the gasser wars but this guy was asking about a dropped axle. HRP

 

This is a 40 Pontiac special 6 frame.

 

Well you got your "off the topic" posts HRP.

 

Why?? The 1940 Pontiac had decent suspension, better than any beam axle.

 

The stock axle in my 37 chevy is dropped, Doesn't seem like a big issue to convert from knee action to axle...I'm sure it's been done before.

 

The 1940 Pontiacs, and Chevys had the redesigned "Knee Action" suspension, which is MUCH better than the original "Knee Action" design that was introduced in 1934.

My 34 Master had the original style "Knee Action", but it was replaced with a beam axel and springs from a 1950 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup. Unfortunately, the axel ended up too far back, by about 2 1/2 ". The planned fix is to redrill the leaf springs and move the center bolt forward.

 

Did your Chevy have the mounting points for leaf springs? In other words did they use the same frame for axle and knee action models?

 

OT other topic , as in I would like to remove the mustang style front suspension from my 31 A and install a dropped axle. Just saying...

 

Rusty, that question could apply as to why we build hot rods & customs, because it's our desire to create and make the cars into what we want.

That my friend is a simple as grabbing the old fire wrench and cutting that moosetang suspension out and ordering or fabricating a new front cross member and locating all the suspension parts at a swap meet or abusing the old credit card and ordering new parts.

But you already knew that , didn't you? HRP

 

I once came up with a kit to put a beam axle in a Mustang II but it wasn't a big seller. Dang, wrong again..

 

And all this time I thought the idea was to improve the car.

 

I don't know about you but not all my attempts at trying to improved my car was successful. HRP

 

I am surprised that this didn't take off with all the MII's out there missing the front suspension....
Chappy

 

A fellow club member had a 32 Chevy the he wanted to lower and didn't want to use the original parallel leaf springs on the front and installed a Model A front cross member and split bones, the front suspension looked great and road as good as my old beater.

Set up properly a dropped axle rides just as good as any aftermarket front suspension. HRP

 

Backwards from your question; we pulled the I-beam and put a '54 Chev front suspension under a '39 sedan delivery; seemed like a good idea at the time (actually worked well).

 

. HRP

 

It looks like a lot of work and fabricating but this link shows how to upgrade that frontend with newer Pontiac parts and some fabrication. https://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/wiki/1937-1957_Buick_Oldsmobile_Pontiac_suspension_upgrade

 

I have the old original style knee action on my 37 Chevy Ute. Best I can tell the frame is nearly the same, but the leaf hangers are not present. I'm leaving this one stock original, so have to live with the original knee action front end. I am not convinced it rides better than a solid axle.

 

Should have been a good seller...lots of Mustang IIs with their chins in the dirt...just no energy to save 'em. Nobody around to say, "Hey! I want them MIA Must II front ends!"

 

There were a few viscous choices of oil up there, IIRC. Lighter oil gave a 'lighter ride', whereas the heavy stuff (warm states and summer months) didn't 'yield' as easily.
Think the specs were in Motor's Auto repair manual, maybe Chilton's. PRE-'53.

 

There were not any mounting points for leaf springs. These had to be fabricated. As far as I know, all 34 Masters had the Knee Action front suspension. The 34 Standards all had beam axels. The Masters and Standards used different frames, with different wheelbases.