Register now to get rid of these ads!

Technical 34 ford pu twisted rear shackles

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by tarheelrodr, Nov 8, 2022.

  1. tarheelrodr
    Joined: Feb 6, 2007
    Posts: 132

    tarheelrodr
    Member

    Thank you 28phonebooth, your explanation turned on the light bulb. Makes sense now. I will check those measurements. Stay tuned everybody…
     
  2. BJR
    Joined: Mar 11, 2005
    Posts: 9,817

    BJR
    Member

    In looking at your picture it seems that the mount on the rear end is wider than the spring eye. Maybe it’s just the camera angle.
     
  3. dirt car
    Joined: Jun 26, 2010
    Posts: 1,045

    dirt car
    Member
    from nebraska

    Not sure about the 33-34 chassis however seems all 32 's have evidence of indented & pooched out frame rails directly over the rear axle indicating bottoming out, overloading, rear collision etc. the later production chassis were fitted with inside rail supports to counter the issue. Much has been discussed elsewhere regarding the root cause of which mentioned in addition to the above, a 70-80 lb. full fuel tank, overloaded rumble seat (when the mother in-law goes for a ride), & with a pickup most any overloading weight one could imagine. It would seem this same tweaking over the axle issue if severe enough could result in the frame from that point to the rear being slightly tipped down & along with it an ever so slight attitude change of the crossmember & tipping of the spring alignment independent of the spring hangers...thoughts ?
     
  4. tarheelrodr
    Joined: Feb 6, 2007
    Posts: 132

    tarheelrodr
    Member

    I found online that v8 torque tubes are 61 13/16” long and mine measures that.
    Here are more pictures for your enjoyment…lol.
     

    Attached Files:

  5. tarheelrodr
    Joined: Feb 6, 2007
    Posts: 132

    tarheelrodr
    Member

    Installed Posies main leaf on the rear end assembly and jacked it up inside the crossmember and bolted it in. Had to guess at pinion angle though. Took some measurements on both sides, distance between front and rear of spring eyelets and spring mounts. Differences are .14” on pass side and .08” on drv side.
     

    Attached Files:

  6. Pete Eastwood
    Joined: Jul 27, 2011
    Posts: 1,324

    Pete Eastwood
    Member
    from california

    Quit screwing around & go find yourself a stock '34 spring.
    Put it in and be done with it !!! Can't beat genuine Ford parts.
    Come buy my place & I'll give you one . . .
     
  7. Pete Eastwood
    Joined: Jul 27, 2011
    Posts: 1,324

    Pete Eastwood
    Member
    from california

    Did you put jack stands under the rear end & let the weight of the frame close the gap between the rear end housing & the frame? If you do that, it may take a little fiddling, but you should be able to achieve the ride height of the completed car.
    Do that & you will see how the shackles will be positioned when the car is finished.
    Does this make sense?
     
    krazee, X38 and Big Al like this.
  8. tarheelrodr
    Joined: Feb 6, 2007
    Posts: 132

    tarheelrodr
    Member

    I have my original spring but because I lowered the front end I wanted to go with a posies lowered for the rear. I’m in NC, Cali too far to drop in but thanks.


    yes, jack stands are now under the axle housing. Today I am going to install just the original main leaf to see what that looks like.
     
    bchctybob and Pete Eastwood like this.
  9. One side has a new metal and rubber coverd bolt assy that is longer than the other side which has a shorter assy. They should be the same legnth. Or you can just run them as is, probably be fine.
     
  10. tarheelrodr
    Joined: Feb 6, 2007
    Posts: 132

    tarheelrodr
    Member

    ??
     
  11. One of the shakle bolts that they go on is longer than the other so the shakles are miss aligned because of it. Thinking Cap on.
     
  12. tarheelrodr
    Joined: Feb 6, 2007
    Posts: 132

    tarheelrodr
    Member

    Ok got it but the Speedway brand shackles I tried to use are not. Both bolts are same length. A buddy of mine has some Ford style shackles that I am going to use.
     
  13. tarheelrodr
    Joined: Feb 6, 2007
    Posts: 132

    tarheelrodr
    Member

    I misspoke Pete, I didn’t have the jackstands under the axle housings. They were under the frame so I lifted it up and put them under the housings but it bottomed out on the welded on shock mounts on the front side of the crossmember. Lifted back up and added the top 5 leafs for spacers and tried again. All looks perfect to me..!!
     

    Attached Files:

  14. rpu28
    Joined: Jan 17, 2006
    Posts: 195

    rpu28
    Member
    from Austin

    At the end of the day, the spring must be parallel with the rear end, and the spring eyes and spring-mount eyes must be parallel to each other.

    Assuming that you have managed the former, seems like bending the spring-mount eyes so they are parallel to the spring eyes is the easy solution.
     
  15. ekimneirbo
    Joined: Apr 29, 2017
    Posts: 4,217

    ekimneirbo

    First I will say that camera angles can make things look different than what they are.

    Looking at the pictures, when the spring is mounted in a "free state" rather than installed into the frame crossmember, everything looks like its in proper alignment and relationship.

    Once its placed into the crossmember and tightened into place, the spring leaves go out of alignment as well as the shackles.

    To my way of thinking, there are three variables here.

    1. The spring.
    Since the spring lines up well in the free state, I think it is properly bent. Seems unlikely that the spring eyes would be lined up properly with rear end brackets in free state if they were wrong.

    2. The crossmember.
    Since it is an OEM installed part and original rivets appear to still be in place.....and it doesn't appear to be bent from an accident. That seems unlikely as a problem source as well.

    3.The rearend.
    Is it possible that the rearend is maybe 1/4"-3/8" too far back ? Or tilted too much?

    Trying to look at this logically, so maybe there is another explanation, but thats how it appears to me.
    Suspension Free state.jpeg
    Suspension Installed..jpeg
     
    Last edited: Nov 12, 2022
  16. tarheelrodr
    Joined: Feb 6, 2007
    Posts: 132

    tarheelrodr
    Member

    All good points Ekimneirbo but the only way to make sure rear is in right position and right pinion angle is to have engine/trans in place to bolt front of torque tube. I don’t have my engine available. I might be able to use some old rear engine mount and empty trans case to bolt in place to bolt tube to.

    more pictures of original and Posies main spring. Original is slightly twisted out of shape on one end.
     

    Attached Files:

  17. dirt car
    Joined: Jun 26, 2010
    Posts: 1,045

    dirt car
    Member
    from nebraska

    Are you sure that frame is ok ? perhaps ok but that left side rail where it transitions to the inner reinforcement looks to be hammered & worked over.
     
  18. bob b.
    Joined: Aug 30, 2009
    Posts: 231

    bob b.
    Member
    from peoria az.

    are the 34 car and truck using the same spring
     
  19. dirt car
    Joined: Jun 26, 2010
    Posts: 1,045

    dirt car
    Member
    from nebraska

    When surveying the possibility of using a 34 rear crossmember in a 32 chassis I found it to be approximately 3" too wide so put it aside. Assuming the 32-34 springs & rear spring hangers are equivalent I never quite understood the fact the 33-34 crossmembers being wider the 'U bolt holes are 1/2" further outboard which would seem to alter or tip the spring attitude as it is secured further out on the curve of the spring, an insignificant amount perhaps & it must be correct just thinking out loud.
     
  20. Joe H
    Joined: Feb 10, 2008
    Posts: 1,525

    Joe H
    Member

    When you had the main leaf and five spacer leafs with weight on the axle and axle on jack stands, you said the angles all looked good, would the inner shackle plate slide on with reasonable amount of effort? Those two pictures looked pretty good to me ( an uneducated in Ford's, observer ).
     
  21. geoford41
    Joined: Jul 26, 2011
    Posts: 762

    geoford41
    Member
    from Delaware

    I am late to this conversation but it appears that maybe the rear end was taken apart and the axle housings were installed with the hangers facing UP I seem to think the typical 32-34 hangers are facing down not up as in the photos, I am not stating this as an expert but as an interested observer
    my 2 cents
    I just went on line and saw pictures of stock 32-34 rear end assemblies and this rear looks correctly assembled MY BAD!
     
    Last edited: Nov 14, 2022
  22. Are my eyes deceiving me or does the shackle on the spring side look smaller than on the axle side? It might be the angle of the pic though ….

    I apologize if someone all ready asked this ….
     
  23. Andy
    Joined: Nov 17, 2002
    Posts: 5,117

    Andy
    Member

    Maybe you have a 4 cyl torque tube. V8’s and B’s used different length torque tubes. They installed the trans mount in either direction to accommodate this.
    It looks to me that the only thing wrong is the torque tube is pushing the spring too far back.
     
  24. dirt car
    Joined: Jun 26, 2010
    Posts: 1,045

    dirt car
    Member
    from nebraska

    I think Alchemy & Andy may have it right regarding 4 cyl. vs v-8 torque tube differences
     
  25. ^^^
    How would the length of the torque tube matter if the front of it isn't connected to anything?

    Personally I think not having the front connected to a transmission is a big part of why he is having problem.

    When ever we put a rear back under a Ford after work; first thing was connect the torque tube and then swing the spring up into the crossmember.
     
    Carter and rusty valley like this.
  26. dirt car
    Joined: Jun 26, 2010
    Posts: 1,045

    dirt car
    Member
    from nebraska

    It's true that the rear is photographed separated from the frame, while others it is bolted in place
     
    Last edited: Nov 20, 2022
  27. ∆∆∆
    In his first post he stated that he has not installed the engine and transmission. Without at least the transmission there is nothing to connect the torque tube to. Closest picture of it shows blue tape covering the bell of the torque tube.
     
  28. tarheelrodr
    Joined: Feb 6, 2007
    Posts: 132

    tarheelrodr
    Member

    My torque tube is correct for v8. I found the tube length to be 61 13/16”.

    I’ve ordered a new set of Ford style shackles to use. May try to mock up my trans (without engine) in place by bolting it to the frame and then bolt torque tube to it or use my spare trans case and parts for mock-up.
     
  29. tarheelrodr
    Joined: Feb 6, 2007
    Posts: 132

    tarheelrodr
    Member

    I guess I really need to wait until my motor and trans are in place before I install the rear assembly.
     
  30. Andy
    Joined: Nov 17, 2002
    Posts: 5,117

    Andy
    Member

    The trans mount can be installed without the the trans. I would just unbolt the mount ears and see how it all looks.
     

Share This Page

Register now to get rid of these ads!

Archive

Copyright © 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. Terms of Service. Privacy Policy.

Atomic Industry
Forum software by XenForo™ ©2010-2014 XenForo Ltd.