Weight savings is the correct answer. Jacking the nose up high was for weight transfer, and therefore, traction. Willys was popular because they were far, far, lighter than say, a '40 Ford. I understand a '40 Willys only weighed about 2400 Lbs. That is light. It's also why you would see, for instance, a '40 Willys with a 392 hemi in it running A/GS, but a '40 Ford with that same 392 hemi in it might be in B- or C /GS, because back then most classes were defined by cubic in to weight ratio. Heavier car with the same engine- ran a lower class. Lot's of guys running the bigger cars, like tri five chevis, would figure to save weight by running a straight axle over an independant front suspension, which might be true if they used a lightweight tubular racing axle. But many just grabbed whatever truck or old car forged "I" beam axle, and as often as not, it weighed as much as the independant suspension.
The Jalopy Journal
