...Or how to screw up a nice Early Ford V8. I drug this home a month or so ago... It cleaned up nicely, but I wasn't digging the red 18's and the nose up stance... especially when I rolled the old Fordor drag car out for comparison... The Black Fordor needed an attitide adjustment. I cleaned up a set of 16" Kelseys... and painted them Tacoma Cream... and mounted them up with 5.50's and 7.50's... Next step was to pull the stock front suspension out, with the help of my 13 year old son... and then started cleaning up parts to put back in with the dropped axle. The wishbone was one of the nicest I have seen. A few minutes with a wirewheel and a DA and it looked like it was ready to go to the plating shop... I am not used to working with stuff this nice...as I am usually piecing three together to make one. Got more parts ready for paint... I traded for some NORS front shocks, so got those painted too... With all the parts painted, it was time to assemble... We bolted the wheels on out of the car, as it is easier to do the "tape measure alignment" without fenders and a frame in the way... The car had 40 hydraulic brakes already, so we didn't even have to break the lines loose... My son helped bolt things back together as well...
Here's the front end all done... and the result... That's a stock front crossmember, a 2-1/2" Mor-Drop 33-36 axle, 7 leaves in a reverse eye spring and 32 spindles (which lower the car about 1/2" more than 37-48 spindles) and 5.50-16's.
Then we moved onto the rear. I put a 7.50 on without doing anything to the rear suspension... But it say WAY too high, so out came the stock rear spring... and in went a reverse eye spring. That worked out just like I wanted... That's a stock rear crossmember, a 9 leaf reverse eye spring, 2-1/2" 41 Ford shackles and a 7.50-16. Here's the whole enchilada... Hope that helps someone working out the stance on a 32. I had done a lot of research before I dove in, and am happy with the results the first time around. I figured I would have to keep messing with number of leaves in the springs...but think I got it right the first time... What do you think? Neal
nice results I am making a list of your components used for my file ....all seem like quite a excellent combo... where did you get your information from ..dare I ask... and the expensive labor force you have is making it all look too ez.... ANY ROAD RIDE RESULTS .... PLEASE SAY IT WORKS JUST FINE .. W/O CHANGES
One question. I did not see it so sorry if you did already post it. When doing the " tape measure alignment " what measurments aer you using? What I mean is how did you set it up?
Hand waving in the air...I have questions... Which leaves did you remove from the front and rear springs? What is the advantage of using '41 rear shackles? I did not know that using stock '32 spindles would lower the front 1/2" more than the later spindles...please 'splain? And did you have to heat and bend the spindle steering arms to clear the wishbone?
The thrust bearings for the king pins are on top from '32-'36, rather than on the bottom, so the spindle fits tight to the bottom boss on the axle All that gives another half inch of drop.
Wow that looks great. Not that didn't look good before but it looks great now. I really like that cream color on the wires rather then the red too.
Neal, surely you are not happy with the results - look, I'll do you a favor and take it off your hands for ya. No, no need to thank me - really! Hahaha It looks brilliant - I am uber-jealous!
The Jalopy Journal
