Projects The "Under Pressure" 1930 Coupe build..!!

Just so we're on the same page here....we're talking about the bracket that your spring shackles bolt up to.

Your ladder bar brackets are the correct orientation...

 

somebody who is local PLEASE help this guy. this is getting scary.when it comes to suspension, it better be right,dont want anybody hurting themselves or some inocent family driving down the road. lowongas,no disrespect meant.but please do yourself a favor and get someone knowledgeable loacl to you to stop by and check this out. i may have missed,but i never saw a response to your question about your ladderbar brackets that mount on your rearend.NO,do not fill the space with weld,sometimes you have to do some grinding on them to make them fit at an angle,as they are not cut to sit that way on your rearend.

 

Yep, them suckers are upside down. I'd flip em so the shackles can extend freely without bottoming out against them. Check it out.....



Here's another example;

 

LOL, I just spent almost n hour looking for photos like that on here to show him....and as I come back to post them....voila! haha
Thanks man...this should help him

 

You guys beat me to pics...LOL...I found them too.I will try and dig up the sheet where it tells how to install them.Hey 345winder,no offense taken and as far as help..aint going to happen.I have placed several ads asking for help but nothing..but hey,its cool,I get it.When its done,I am driving to halfway to meet Steve in Montreal and buy him a Coke.Ok,the garage has heated up and I am off.I would drive to Cape Breton Island but DAMN,thats far..!! LOL.

 

Yeah, coming here would be a bad idea anyway. haha.

I wouldn't touch anything on that frame until we get some stuff straightened away man. I have no idea if any of that shit is right. You might have just gotten a bunk frame with f'd up measurements.

Don't do anything permanent yet until we get some straight answers...PLEASE

 

sent you a p.m. about the wheelbase

 

K, I think I'm becoming more obsessed with this than you are.

I think I understand what's going on, and I'm pretty sure your wheelbase is as advertised 106".

So, now back to mounting that rear spring and hangers. Now, you know the right way to mount your hangers from looking at the photos above. Start by just cutting them off and then take it from the top, again.

Put your spring center pin in the pad...just gently snug up those bolts with the little clamps on the bottom of the bolts, only to hold your spring from falling on the floor. Don't put any real amount of tension on there.

Use a spreader to widen that spring, you want it to be totally flat against the pad in between your bolts and clamps there...so side to side in that small section there should be no gap between the top leaf and the spring pad. I've highlighted the area that I'm talking about from one of those pictures above. Using the spreader still and now tightening up the bolts evenly as you go, and paying attention that spring is totally straight, side to side, you'll get that spot snugged up with the bolts and clamps and voila, your spring is properly installed in your frame. Now take the spreader off. ONE THING DONE CORRECTLY!

Just so you understand, the spreader no longer will be used from here on out during the install of your spring hangers. You only needed the spreader to flatten out that small section without bending bolts or anything.

Now, your spring is bolted in the frame and the spring is hanging at an arch.

Now, just do like myself and the Posies guy told you. Put your hangers on the spring so that your shackles are bent halfway between 0 and 45 degrees. (22.5) Make sure that your hangers are not twisting your shackles up. Make your measurements on the rearend so that you know the hangers are going to centre your spring. It has to be the same measurement in from both sides.

Tack them on the rearend, use a small square to make sure they're coming off the rearend at 90 degrees...straight off. put a few heavy tacks on there when everything looks good, then tack a gusset on there on each of the hangers and let the weight of the frame down.

You should be getting closer to 45 degrees now. Remember, the end goal here is to have those hanging at 45 degrees when your car is fully built. So with weight, it's gonna go down further and push the shackles even closer to that 45.

You can't just go with some standard measurement that guys suggest, because those numbers become guess work...because of your type of spring and the type and width of the spring mounting pad.

For example, a smaller pad would mean the bolts would be closer together, the spring would hang at more of an arch, and the hangers would have to be closer together to get your final angle of 45.

I don't know what else to say or how much more I can do for you. Really make sure you're understanding this, look at alot of photos and remember that your trying to achieve close to the 45 degree angle with the complete car.

Steve

 

PS. you can just use those modified ladder bar mounting brackets, they should be fine....instead of waiting for modified ladder bars....

My first thought was that it wouldn't be as strong with those modified brackets, but in talking about it with a friend, we figured that it shouldn't change anything because the bracket and ladder bar become one unit when all bolted up, and force is still applied in the same line....

I'm not an engineer either, but it makes sense to me.

 

WOW..its been SO long since I have had a chance to post and do some work on the coupe.I kicked out the GF so I had to adjust to a few things which made is impossible to work on my coupe but things are up and running.....FINALLY.I have been working doubles shifts driving to make the xtra money I needed to get by.I cut and re-welded the center cross-member so I dont have to dick around waiting for people to come through with the making of NEW brackets to fit.Was it the right thing to do..? I really didnt see any other way to solve my problem.I sure as hell wasnt paying for a NEW set of ladder bars to be made and shipped so I took this step instead.I was VERY careful and re-checked everything about 3 dozen times to make sure it was level and right where it belonged before I re-welded it back.I mounted the original brackets that came with the set-up I bought,but everything has just been tack welded in for the time being.Now I found a spring I had bought a few years back and MIGHT consider using it instead of the one I bought.The spring is 37 inches eyelet to eyelet and when I measured it standing up,it has a 9 1/2 inches arch to it.Too much of an arch to use..? How far would I set the hangers apart....? Damn good to be back...

 

The 37-40 front spring (when looking from the top) is straight -the spring your frame built for is arched. Your wheel base is going to be longer.

 

Huh.?

 

HOLY SHEET..MAN,it took forever to post BUT we FINALLY got a break in the weather here in MICHIGAN..( DAMN,I HATE THIS STATE..) and I got a chance to get into the garage.With temps in the single numbers and the fact I work outside I was am always too tired to work on anything.BUT WHOA...its 31 degrees here..!!! Man,wheres my shorts and suntan lotion..?!?!?!? Ok,after waiting for several weeks,with few MORE weeks of broken promises of "HEY,I will be there to help..!!! OH cool..I want to see how this is done.",no one has shown up to help.I know I dont stink..maybe these guys dont like coupes..?!?!?ANYWAY I put an ad out asking if anyone had a spring spreader in Michigan..well I guess no one does because I never got an answer.I didnt want to try a trick someone said to try..( use a 2x4..?? ) na...I like whats left of my body parts on me to STAY on me.I sat up a few nights and couldnt get the fact out of my head on how to spread the spring to fit the hangers...a LOT of sleepless nights and a few hundred drawings I HIT it.Now with the pics posted and I KNOW for a fact a few guys are going to say your "FRICKING NUTZ.." I wanted to try it.I had most of the parts laying around except the eye bolts which I ran to the hardware store to buy.Will is work..? Who knows..? Will it break..? Who knows.Can I stretch it far enough..? I sure fricking hope so...I just got so tired of listening to peoples BS about helping I couldnt wait any longer.SO off I go into the garage..Now I took my time and to MY surprise..IT WORKED..!!!I had a few snags hit but all in all,its in.I will have to take the tires off to finish welding all the way around the hangers and brackets,but at LEAST its in.MAN,this is a MAJOR headache done...

 

I think you should install the other arm of the shackle on so that the spring does not pull on the side with the bolts. Not that it will break the weld but just so it is not under pressure when you try to install the arm it might not let you because the holes might not line up. Knuck from indiana.

 

Well I made some more progress today.Rear shackle brackets and all of the braces are welded in.Now I have seen other Coupes with rear shocks and starting wondering if I need a set too.I ordered some REALLY nice "Make your own " upper shock brackets from Welders Series and man all I can say...THEY are SWEET..!!Makes me wish I had ordered all of my brackets and mounts from them..oh well.I had the lower ones sitting around so I starting checking out how they need to go.Now do shocks need to be straight up and down or should the upper mounts be MORE outward? I wasn't too sure so I haven't welded anything in yet.The pics show what I am working with.Does anyone think I should put a panhard bar in to or is that just too much.?

 

I can tell you that I used the same frame you have (after having it straightened on a frame machine, at my expense) and the upper shock mount is welded inboard of the rear frame rail just aft of the axle. The lower shock bracket is pretty much dictated by the previously welded ladder bar/spring hanger brackets, as the lower shock bracket must be inboard of those brackets. It is my understanding that the rear shocks need to be as far outboard and vertical as possible within the limitations already in place with respect to the ladder bar brackets, which doesn't really give you much choice. So, that means that the top of the shock is tilted inboard when installed, not outboard, with the lower shock mount just inboard of the ladder bar/spring hanger brackets. The upper shock bracket can not be on the outside of the frame rails because the shock mount would be up against the body. My shocks are tilted inboard at the top about 20 degrees from vertical. Thats just the way I did it, but i am sure there is someone here that can give you a more educated answer as to the physics of shock installation.

 

DAMN boutlaw...you are CORRECT..LOL.The lower shock location is dictated by where the ladder bar were mounted.Kinda answered that part.I will go with a straight up and down mounting of the shocks..seems the best way.I dont think the upper brackets are long enough for much of an inward angle,but thats ok.

 

Correction, the lower shock bracket is "between" the ladder bracket and the spring hanger, my bad. I think you should tilt the bottom of the shock outboard and fit the lower mount between the ladder bar and the spring hanger, rather than vertical. I'm sure someone will chime in with some broader knowledge on the subject.

 

Well while I wait for the UPS driver to drop off more welding wire I thought I better get started on my front brakes.Everything is here BUT wait...no drums..!!Ok..off we go hunting online and local Auto rip-off stores.HOLY SHEET...!!! Prices slam into me...upper 80.s to 103.00 dollars for 1948-52 F1 front brake drums..!!???!Come on...there has to be a CHEAPER way to do this.Hmmm..how to look for drums that are 11 inches by 2.?Google comes up with nothing....gotta have a year to search by but entering 1948 to 1952 hits the HIGH priced market.EBay isnt any better...there has to BE something I can use and NOT dish out the big bucks.I used to be a member on the FORD Truck website..lets head on over and see what we can find....BINGO...serach nets what I am looking for.The year 1994 Ford F150 pick-up truck has EXACTLY these drums but there for the rear.Well I dont think the drum will REALLY know if its being put on the rear or front.The size is perfect AND the have FINS TOO...AND there 5x5 1/2!! How cool is that.!!!???! Hmm...no one carries them locally that have the fins on them so I will have to order them online...I can wait...Cold weather has set in AGAIN in this GOD AWFUL lousy state..I HATE cold weather...Oh,what did I pay for them..? 35.00 dollars a piece.

 

Back at it again today.Weather is warmer somewhat but I cant stand sitting around and NOT doing anything.I did go get some more propane to fire up the heater.I started by making sure where to mount those lower shock mounts.There is only one place for them to go...between the ladder bar bracket and the rear end.I had to leave enough room so I could weld all the way around so I made sure they were exactly even on both sides.I just tacked them in for right now.They look good.I also rounded up my rear rubber brake line and the steel lines for the rear that run to the wheel cylinders.I installed everything just to make sure it will all fit...MAN,things is getting kinda cramped back there....LOL.

 

Ok..I NEED some answers if anyone is up to it.I have everything welded in except the upper shock mounts,well because I dont have the shocks yet..LOL.Now when I mocked them up this is what I have as far as height goes.Bottom hole of lower to upper is 17 inches,middle is about 16 1/2 and the upper hole measurement is about 15 1/4.Now what length shock should I be looking for.? Would air shocks be better to use...? The reason for the air shock question is maybe due to spring sag later on when everything is sitting in the frame.I need to get this done because this needs to be a roller SOON...!! Ok..another question....should I have the motor and trans mounted BEFORE I even sit the body down on the frame..?

 

Hmmm...no one has any ideas or suggestions huh..?

 

I'm so expert by far but I think I would set the engine/trans in as well as the body on and add supplemental weight to get a proper measurement, can be cases a of beer, keg, your buddy ,GF as long as you equal the parts yet to be installed.