I'm trying to figure out a good way to mount tube shocks on a '40 front axle on the A I'm building. I have some old F1 mounts and some Pete and Jakes shocks. The axle bolts have two mount holes on top, I'm not sure what they are for, I'm assuming one was for a sway bar link and one was for a lever shock. Do you guys see any problems with turning them 90* and bolting the shock to them? Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
No problem. But be aware the holes are tapered so you will need to drill them straight. And it's not common to mount shocks upside down like you show, but it might still work.
Thanks for the input. I just threw the shock on real quick and the bottom hole didn't have a metal insert so it fit right over the F1 mounting stud. I guess I will have to get that sorted out later. Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
just drill a hole in the axle on the inside of the were the pin holds the axle to the radius rods and put a shock mount bolt of a f1 through the axle , basically that's what the ford motor company did in 1940 in Australia
FYI I used to think mounting shocks upside down didn't matter but then I read that they dont work properly that way unless they were made to be mounted either way
90/10 and other ratios are why shock mount orientation matters. In the pic, the inner hole might offer less 'twich' (cantilever load) by applying load 'thru' the lower pin mount. (though more travel dist, may be needed) It would increase damping and have slightly less effect on 'body roll'.
Nothing greater than 37* , I seem to remember reading somewhere years ago . But I can no longer recall
I would keep shock eyes parallel and square within upper and lower mounts, turning them 90 degrees over time will load up the mounts to some extent. The shock eye itself could eventually sheer away from the body as the bushing is loaded and unloaded with unequal forces. Also not a fan of bent split bones as the bent area is exposed to move force as the suspension cycles and the weak link in the chain.
Maybe there is some confusion in what I meant when I said 90*. I needed to rotate the axle pin 90* in order to reposition the mount holes, I wasn't planning on rotating the shock itself, the eyes are going to remain parallel. And yes I know the shock is up side down, I just threw it on there and didn't swap the metal insert on the eyelet to make them fit the proper way. But thanks for looking out for me guys I really appreciated all your advise Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
It is fine to use the perch eye. Old shock conversions actually came with tapered bolts so you used the old rotary hydraulic shock mounts anyways.
Telescopic dampers have to deal with piston rod displacement, and the usual way to do that is an annular chamber vented to the atmosphere on the outside of the damper body. Some of the valving sits in the base where the lower chamber of the damper communicates with the annular chamber. If the damper is mounted upside-down the base valving is in air and therefore won't damp, and any fluid that does get pumped through might escape through the vent. Damper manufacturers love to make something sexy out of monotube construction and gas charging, but both are really about getting rid of the annular chamber, or at the very least the vent. Both have advantages in themselves, too. Bottom line, a monotube damper doesn't have an annular chamber, and therefore the reason for not mounting it upside-down falls away. Compression to rebound damping ratios stay the same regardless of damper orientation, assuming of course that the damper keeps damping.
Are you saying I should have the lower mount closer to the frame so the angle isn't so extreme? Maybe I should just used tub1's suggestion and put a mounting stud on the axle, that would give the shock a little more travel too. I think if I use that inner hole the shock may bottom out when in use. Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
yep olstinky that's the way to more travel space using the hole on top of the axle the shock mount has to be so high up in the air pm me your email I will send pics of what ford did in Australia if you want
I welded a mounting tab under my axle but my car is much lower. You should be ok just going through the axle Sent from my SM-G960U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I've put this part of my project on hold until I'm able to machine threaded bungs to put through the frame for the shock mounts. But in the mean time I picked up a pair of studs to use as a lower mounting point. The problem is they are the same diameter as the F1 upper mounts, 5/8" I believe. Is this just a matter of getting some larger I.D. Bushings for the lower end of the shock? I know it's a stupid question, but I'd rather feel stupid now rather than later if I screw something up. Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
note also if you use a ford sway bar the holes are vertical and tapered. A chevy rocker ball works fine in the tapered portion.
The Jalopy Journal
