Technical Straight axle question (or two)......

Living through the 60's I saw all kinds of straight axle set-ups at the drags and several street machines (a 60 El Camino seems to stick in my brangs)
Most were Econoline Van axles with twin horizontal springs....
Question....why not use a rear spring pack out of an old model T set up?
Seems to me a single spring situated cross-ways would be easier to tune and would certainly get the front end sky-high like so many of the "younger crowd" think is cool!
I'm sure it has been done before but I don't see any here on the HAMB.
Is it because its a dumb idea?!
Because it would be too twitchy when hitting a bump (or coming down from a wheel stand!)?
Because it's too stiff for street rod comfort?
I'm the first to ever think of it?
Jus wonder'n!
6sally6

 

Ive seen 60"s gassers that used early Ford front ends.Usually extra spring leaves added due to car weight,and the need for lift.

 

I thought there were some pics awhile back on here that had a cross spring at the track . Mmmm

 

Somone put this one under my 55 back in the 60's

 

Pretty well known car here in So Cal back in the day.
And a Hot Rod cover car !

 

I have an econoline on mine since the sixties when I raced in gas classes. I think the dual springs give you a little more stability and handle the weight better on the larger cars.

 

NOW boyz & gurlz.THIS is what a 60's style gasser looked like!
I'm a FoMoCo guy but.....sheeee-it....that thang lookz bad!
WOOO!!
6sally6

 

I had a friend that tried the transverse spring under his '55 Chevy he also a used straight axle , no drop at all, the car was scary and this was in the 60's

Being a street driven car it was fine in a straight line but going into a curve there was way too much body roll, he had several close calls and eventually installed parallel leaf springs, shortly after that he too,k the car to the track, He recently pulled it out of the barn and is hetting the car ready for the SEGS. HRP

 

There have been a couple that used a T or A rear spring as a front spring but they were more on the my car is higher than yours street freak category than drivable race car or street car.
When I went over to the Billetproof drags in 2019 there were a number of straight axle cars there and some handled pretty good but a couple were flat scary at any speed.

 

There are "straight" axles and there are "beam" axles.

 

I have the Auto-world HO slot car of that^^^^^one.....