So I am working on a 31 Model A sedan project. The cars ride height should be around 4-5" from the ground to the bottom of the body. I have cut about 14" from the bottom of the body up for the rear axle but my problem is, I have a 61.5" wide flange to flange 9" axle. The back plates are rubbing on the body... After reading on this board; 65 - 67" is the ideal flange to flange. I have a few questions, hoping someone can help! The last thing I want to do is find another 9" and cut the brackets off that I have already welded. 1. How much clearance is you you guys typically have on the low sedan from body to tire? from back plate to body? 2. Are there any other solutions? I did see someone on this forum who had the same situation and took the back plate off, put on discs and welded on a caliper bracket. In addition, he had custom rims made up with 2" back spacing. 3. Can I cut the axle tubes and extend them? Then buy new axle shafts? Thx for any replies. Looking for ideas... Im stumped.
Channeling does not mean w-w-w-w-w-w-whacking off the bottom 14" of the body! You have moved up to the widest part of the body by doing this. In my life I've only heard of this one time before, was the bottom 14" that rotten?
Here is an image to help visualize the stance. I had 1x1 tubing bent and followed the contour around the body. Your right, it is at the widest part of the body.
It would a LOT easier and less expensive to just go get a Ford pickup rear end from a 1973-1986 Ford F-150 Pickup which is 65.25 inches wide look here http://carnut.com/specs/rear.html
You need the widest rear ford made for your application. You need a F150 pick-up housing. They were about 66" I think. I did a '29 sedan last year and used one for it. I went with 15x7 wheels from coker and put 10.5" radir slicks on it. There was about 1 1/2"- 2" clearance to the body. It also had 5x5 1/2" bolt circle to match the fronts. I did another Model A chassis this fall. A '30. I used a narrower '77 t-bird rear and it would never make it on there if it were as low as yours unless you had wheel adapters/spacers to push the wheels out wider. Oh and cutting off the brackets from the f150 are much easier than most other rears.
Thanks for the help. <TABLE cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=2><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>61.25</TD><TD align=left>1957-1972</TD><TD>Ford F-100 Pickup</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE> This is the one i have on it right now... Everything is in solid... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=322224&highlight=qmotox+rear+end This is the link i found with the guy who made it work. I wonder how this thing worked out...
Which guy are you refering to? X2 on what Leaky Pipes said. You need to do a lot of measuring to figure everything out. My A Sedan sits pretty low 3-4" of ground cleance. I'm using a 9" out of a 60" Galaxie. It is 61.5" wheel mounting surface to wheel mounting surface. This was the widest 9" I could find that still had a center pinion. You can find wider ones but then they have a offset pinion. I center pinion is kinda important when you get the car real low and the driveshaft is running right between the seats. With a offset pinion your passenger seat would have to be smaller. Even with the wide 9" I ran I still couldn't get drum brakes and backing plates to clear the body. I ended up running disc on the rear with the calipers on the bottom side of the axle. I also had to have the wheels made 16x7 with a 2" backspace. <!-- / message -->
Yep, thats the guy. I've PM'd him already. So would 1" spacing be acceptable? from tire sidewall to side of the body? Mike47, i really like those wheels! The cheater slicks look awsome! Will you chop the car in the future?
Belongs to a customer but that is the plan. He has to put some new wood in it first, then I'll whack it down a bit. I think Leaky Pipes used the same rear in his '29 too. That statement about wheel backspacing is true but a 61" rear is gonna cut it real close unless you use the adapters/spacers. I've used them and and just don't care for them. More work to get to the brakes, more lug nuts, etc. and probably cost the same as another axle housing.
t6chan I got your PM but thought I would go ahead and answer you back on this thread so everyone could see too. I went back and pulled up some older pics during the build too. Shows how low the car sits 3-4" Pic to show tire clearance to body Shows pinion, driveshaft and trans right down the center of the car Disc brake hat and caliper The rearend is 61.25" WMS to WMS the disc brake hats add another 1/4" to each side for 61.75" overall. The calipers and weld on brackets for them came from Speedway as a kit. The bleeder on the caliper points strait up and they bleed fine mounted like they are. The wheels are 16x7 with 2" backspace. They were made by Early Wheel. Jason is here on the HAMB and was good to work with on these wheels. They are a multibolt pattern. My rearend is 5 on 4.5" MIKE47...Does the F-150 rearend have the pinion in the center?
A couple more pics from the build to answer a few more questions. Shows the slot cut in the body for the axle. Frame and body are sitting on the ground but it shows where the axle sits at ride height. Being so low the stock drums would have never let me set the axle up in the body this high.
Anybody heard of scrub line? Anyone understand why it is important not to have any part of the frame, suspension or body below it?
Thanks QMOTOX, I think i might be going the route you took. I see the kit you are talking about. How do you find the speedway kit? does it seem to work well? Have you put any mileage on them yet? And I am guessing that if you have the 2" back spacing on the wheels you wont require any wheel spacers? What distance are the rubbers from the body?
The Speedway kit works well. Its just GM metric calipers and wilwood brake hats pretty basic stuff. I put about 600 miles on the car October through December last year when it was together. Plan on a proportioning valve for the rear brkes I did have to turn mine down a bit they work that well. No wheel spacers except the disc brake hat that adds 1/4" per side. I did put some slightly longer wheel studs in. Tires clear the body by about an inch. No rub marks on the body yet.
I used a 9 inch out of a 78 Ford Bronco. Dont forget to take into consideration your wheel offset/backspacing Hey Mike, is that Shauns sedan in the pic?
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