I’m trying to build a rolling bones hot rod from scratch. I want it a late 40’s style build with nothing modern. I want the front suspension kind of low like 3w Larry’s old ‘32 coupe. I’m not sure if they dropped axles to get them low in that time period Anyone know what was done to 3w Larry’s coupe to get that stance?
They were available in catalogs for racers in the Model T days, and I expect a few were done by the local blacksmith in that era too.
I built my first truck with a dropped axle in the late 50s, and the earliest of all the magazines I had, went back to around 1952. Dropped axles, were fairly come among the straight axle Fords of the day. I bought the first of the two dropped axles I used in my cars, from Payless Auto Supply in Vancouver BC, in 1958. The store had a selection of axles in stock. Bob
Stewart's Speed Shop, post war made Dago Axles. San Diego Calif. Just an FYI early hot rods were not as low as we build them today.
I'd say you would have to do an in depth study of old hot rod photos starting with dry lakes photos from the 30's . I'd say that they started showing up more around 1947 after guys came home from the War with new skills in some cases and new ideas on how a hot rod should look or handle. There were also some serious pieces of shop equipment available from surplus that pretty well didn't exist in private shops before WWII.
What I want to know is..........HOW did you get such a sweeeet shop to fab/work in? When I worked for the guv-mint we had shops like that!! Not private owned....WOW! My answer to the poster would be......It can't be that important it's been so long ago. Hardly ANYBODY knows so the regular "joe-blo-whata-ye-know" REALLY don't know. You could just 'make-up a date' and 99.9% of the car guyz would just say........."really??......no kidd'in!" 1927 sounds real good!! Super shop 6sally6
Not all lowering was done by dropping the axles. How the springs and frame were fitted to the axle was another method. They were called 'underslung'. Another method of course is to channel it over the frame by sucking the frame rails up inside the body. All this is intended to reduce what the air sees when the envelope that encloses the mechanical devices that create power, propulsion and adhesion. It is never simply the 'method' one studies but the reason for its use. Thus we are always working on the ancient formula of form versus function. Not only does a car that sits lower have a lower center of gravity, attainable as described, but the coefficient of mass to drag in the air is reduced. Thus we are beholden to those who raced in circle track competition and on the dry lake beds for what is taken as the 'look', when in fact that element is actually a result of other forces that, of course, kept moving forward. So it is that many builders who are building car 'like they were in a certain period' have such a hard time getting the heart of the matter in their application. I would say, therefore to everyone who will listen
Not all lowering was done by dropping the axles. How the springs and frame were fitted to the axle was another method. They were called 'underslung'. Another method of course is to channel it over the frame by sucking the frame rails up inside the body. All this is intended to reduce what the air sees when the envelope that encloses the mechanical devices that create power, propulsion and adhesion is in motion. It is never simply the 'method' one studies but the reason for its use. Thus we are always working on the ancient formula of form versus function. Not only does a car that sits lower have a lower center of gravity, attainable as described, but the coefficient of mass to drag in the air is reduced. Thus we are beholden to those who raced in circle track competition and on the dry lake beds for what is taken as the 'look', when in fact that element is actually a result of other forces that, of course, kept moving forward. So it is that many builders who are building a rod 'like they were in a certain period' have such a hard time getting to the heart of the matter in their application. I would say, therefore to anyone who wants to travel the same road, the question you need to ask is not 'what?' did they use, but 'why?". This will get you further along in solving the same problems they did, using what was available.
Are you trying to be period perfect or just in the spirit of the late 40's? If perfect, then you shouldnt be boxing the frame. It would have been extremely unlikely someone would have done that. But if you just want the basic look of the 40's then go for it.
Payless on east Hastings...remember it well but I was a Western Accessories kid. They gave me the old posters for Mission Raceway when I visited on Mondays!
I'm jealous that you got the posters. When I bought my first axle, the father was so intrigued about what I was attempting to do, (full fendered Olds powered 34 Ford pickup, lowered, chopped, channelled, and shortened), that he and his wife hopped in the car and delivered the dropped axle to me in Vernon, in person. I was overwhelmed. He was a really nice guy, and I bought from them whenever I could. I also put my Buick powered 47 Chev on the dyno a couple of times. It just confirmed what I already knew, that I had lots of torque. Bob
I will try to get the ride height with the crossmember and springs. If I’m still not there, then I will drop the front axle myself an inch or two. I want my car to have the look of the 40s build with a plan to build more, buy less. I had to box the frame. It had too much flex in it after I took it off the frame table. But I won’t box the front horns. thanks everyone for the history lesson. I’m new to this hot rods of the past.
When did dropped axles become popular? That is the question. I suppose it was after all the straight axles ended up in gassers. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
My 46 Ford convertible had a dropped front axle, front disc brakes with GM 605 Power steering, 350/350 combo, split wish bones, 10 bolt chevy rear and a Chassis Engineering parallel rear spring set up. This was the best driving car I've ever built and drove it for almost 20 years. A dropped front axle is the way to go.
One of Ed Winfield's race cars early 1920's with a dropped model T axle. I think on early hot rods, they used Chrysler and other axles first to get the drop. Just my opinion.
The company building Mercury speedsters were producing forged aftermarket dropped axles for model it's in 1921 Sent from my SM-A705W using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I also would like to know when Mor-Drop axles ( of Oakland, CA) were first available. I thought Neal East once wrote an article about the history of dropped axles, but I don't recall what magazine or when that was. The earliest photo of a `32 type dropped axle I found in the Don Montgomery books was from 1946.
In the photo gallery of the American Hot Rod Foundation you can find photos of early A and 32 dropped axles in the mid 30's running with mechanical brakes. Even a few drilled axles. This was going on way before most people realized.
The Jalopy Journal
