single leaf gasser vs parallel leafs

delete

 

I think you're going to have to pick either "works better" or "looks cooler". You won't get both.

 

Parallel leafs work better when you start getting the nose up in the air.

 

Parallel will work the best for your application.

 

^^^I agree. ^^^

The transverse spring looks goofy on a raised car, in my opinion.
Gene

 

And they look better, and in my opinion look stronger on a gasser

 

Parallel leafs work better. That is why 99% of car makers used them. Transverse leaf is cheaper ( you pay for 1 spring instead of 2). That is why Ford used them.

 

^^^^ +1

 

How heavy is the car?, the cross leaf doesn't work as well as a parallel setup in a heavier car.

 

With the user name I would think it's a Nova,,,I believe the parallel springs would handle and drive better with the nose in the air. HRP

 

check-out how manufactures of frt clips do it. How thick is thick -walled tubing and your 1/2" thick mounting flange is too heavy and you will have to run from the top mounts on the firewall to the front of the lower rails. there have been several nova's built on this forum do a search to see how they did it, will save you some headaches

 

I ran 2x4x.125 wall tube when I built mine, but I don't think that 2" square tube would be a problem as long as you triangulate it to the upper factory firewall mounts.

 

This one is from the first instant funny car the Bill Thomas "NOVEL NOVA"

 

There a few more pics in my profile. I would have gladly done some measuring except that I sold it this past summer.

 

Dont know about the handleing side but like the single leaf look on mine http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q286/296moon/selling232.jpg

 

yeah one spring looks dumb and who would want 30lb's less on the nose.

 

Shackles in the rear are preferred if you haven’t mounted anything yet.
Shackles in front need to angle forward … the ones in the photo are bound up and wrong.

 

Easiest way to describe it here?
They should angle the opposite of the ones in the photo.
The ones in the photo are likely to flip up under the right conditions

Adding leaves will only change the shackle angle if they change the arch of the main leaf … more arch = shorter eye to eye dimension.

 

I hope you do not mind... Here is your photo crudely "photo shopped" into what I see as the proper shackle angle....

 

Yes, you got it..

 

If its all new stuff ?
Id go for just a bit past vertical …. You will be adding weight and springs will settle / flatten a bit

 

Yes, I was speaking of the Fully Loaded angle, new springs may be slightly less, as stated .

 

Here's a good shot of before and after weight loaded on spring and shackle

 

v8nova64

Are you Elvis38 on the other site?

 

Mine is pretty close to what SmokinBill has in his picture....When i initially set mine up I had more angle than what I liked when all the weight was on the front (I would stand on the front bumper and bounce the springs would just touch the bumpstops) this was the shackels at 45 deg...my front frame rails tilt down slightly...

What I did was take the springs out and a 1/2" of more arch put in them and it solved the problem (if you could call it one).... shoot for about 30 deg. and you will be golden with those small speedway style shackels....
Tom

 

I wouldn't go 45 degrees loaded. I'd go something past straight up, but maybe 10-15 degrees, so you have plenty of movement and the shackle wont flop over against the frame.
If you start straight up like Smokin Bill's Nova, and have stiff enough springs it will settle to about perfect. But if the springs are too soft then you need to even be a bit less than straight up to end up perfect. A BBC might also create a bit more weight, and settle more too, so if you can just weight the frontend with your engine, or enough static weight, then you can tack things together and see how it all sits.
You never did mention what wall thickness your 2" round tube is. Wall thickness, type of material, etc. will all determine if it's stout enough. If you're going to use typical Nova firewall braces also, then that factors in too. Might be easier to determine if 2" OD tube is enough if you could answer the questions, and maybe show how you're bracing it all to make the subframe.

 

If you mean the axle yes but 1/4" thick wall seamless

 

60 dgrees would be better in my opinion

 

30 lbs less for the spring but add the weight of two hairpins so your are even again.

We have guys with both types and both types get down the 1/4 mi. in the 10's

 

With a transverse spring, you can kick the front wheels out a couple of inches without the front springs sticking out past the bumper. Chris