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Need ideas 40 ford rolling side to side at 70

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by sdluck, Jan 8, 2014.

  1. sdluck
    Joined: Sep 19, 2006
    Posts: 3,186

    sdluck
    Member

    Went and worked on my Friends 40 ford 4 door 350 chevy, turbo 350,.Mustang II front end 8 " rear with leaf spring. Car is low tail up a little everything works good but cruising at freeway speed (75) plus it starts rolling side to side,not alot but we didn't want for it to keep going.We are thinking sway bars is needed, question front or rear,but maybe gas shocks would help.Anybody had this problem?
     
  2. Does it have some kind of shocks ?
    Are they good ?
    Are you sawing the wheel to keep it straight (sloppy hardware, bad alignment )
    Does it do anything weird at 65?
    Worse or stop at 80?
     
  3. sdluck
    Joined: Sep 19, 2006
    Posts: 3,186

    sdluck
    Member

    Shocks all the way around,I believe they are new,Front end parts and alignment done and recheck,ok at 65 mph
     
  4. New ? Well that used to mean something but now it only means that they haven't proven themselves yet.

    Did you do the bounce test on the shocks?
     

  5. lippy
    Joined: Sep 27, 2006
    Posts: 6,825

    lippy
    Member
    from Ks

    40 fords were never meant to go 70. :)
     
  6. Straightpipes
    Joined: Jan 25, 2006
    Posts: 1,084

    Straightpipes
    Member

    Did you say "spring"? Did they put parrellel springs in the rear? I'd look hard at shocks.
     
  7. sdluck
    Joined: Sep 19, 2006
    Posts: 3,186

    sdluck
    Member

    Yes ,parrellel springs in the rear
     
  8. sdluck
    Joined: Sep 19, 2006
    Posts: 3,186

    sdluck
    Member

    Yes,bounce test seems good.
     
  9. sdluck
    Joined: Sep 19, 2006
    Posts: 3,186

    sdluck
    Member

    Steering wheel is steady,I think it is in the rear.
     
  10. trollst
    Joined: Jan 27, 2012
    Posts: 2,108

    trollst
    Member

    I'd go with a stiffer rear shock, that's what shocks do...they stabilize body movement, sounds to me like you haven't got enough rear shock in it.
     
  11. Binding in rear spring shackles ??



    .
     
  12. saltflats
    Joined: Aug 14, 2007
    Posts: 12,594

    saltflats
    Member
    from Missouri

    So if you put a mustang 2 front suspension in it do you set it to that spec or to something that would match the wheelbase of the car you put it on?
     
  13. rd martin
    Joined: Nov 14, 2006
    Posts: 2,463

    rd martin
    Member
    from indiana

    i have put several mustang 2 ft ends in 40s, all heidts kits, which are the same as chassis eng. always used there aligment specs no problems. i have found there shocks on the weak or soft side. have changed over to gas onthem as much happier with car. i do remember driving one that was doing this that i did not install, and after adding ft. sway bar corrected problem. i would start with sway bar. as stated trying rocking each corner to see how soft shocks are. never liked one without a ft. sway bar.
     
  14. rd martin
    Joined: Nov 14, 2006
    Posts: 2,463

    rd martin
    Member
    from indiana

    also could try adding weight to trunk or adding a couple more people to rear seat and drive again to see if any change.
     
  15. gearheadbill
    Joined: Oct 11, 2002
    Posts: 1,318

    gearheadbill
    Member

    What about sway bars? They help.
     
  16. sdluck
    Joined: Sep 19, 2006
    Posts: 3,186

    sdluck
    Member

    Just talk to owner,it has coilover fronts and did not do this until we raised the front of the car up because it was bottoming out the trans pan.
     
  17. I'd do front and rear sway bars, with standard bushings. I did both ends on my heavy 47 convert with MII and parallel leaf rear and it road and handled great especially accelerating through cloverleafs....stayed planted nicely
     
  18. '41 Chev
    Joined: Feb 23, 2013
    Posts: 76

    '41 Chev
    Member

    IMHO, Roadsir has it right. Sway bars front and rear will make a hugh difference on a '40 (or any car!). Personally, I always use poly bushings. Why have to crush rubber bushings before the bars can become effective? The bars and 4 KYB Gas-A-Just shocks will really tighten up your '40 dramatically.

    "To each his own".
     
  19. rfraze
    Joined: May 23, 2012
    Posts: 2,008

    rfraze
    Member

    A friend had car that did that same thing, ABOVE a certain speed. Ended up being a rear end that warped out of alignment (was no longer straight) when brackets were welded on. Straightened the rear housing, car drove fine. Hope that helps someone.
     
    Last edited: Jan 9, 2014
  20. Toed out? Bent rear axle? (rear axle toed out) If you are going to add anti-roll bars, always put more roll stiffness in front first, then add rear if needed
     
  21. 1946caddy
    Joined: Dec 18, 2013
    Posts: 2,060

    1946caddy
    Member
    from washington

    If your traveling down the freeway when this is happening, unless your in a turn, I don't think sway bars are the answer. You didn't say what you worked on in the car but I would start by checking the tire pressure and make sure that the tires are compatible (can't mix radials and bias belt). If you have bias belt, this could be a problem as some people have problems at highway speeds with them.
    Since this wasn't a problem before raising the front end, your caster or chamber is probably out of specs and needs to be redone. Changing the ride height does affect both.
     
  22. Ok so start there^^^

    By raising the ride height with coil over adjustment, this changes the front geometry as well as the alignment and the coil over effectiveness
     
  23. sdluck
    Joined: Sep 19, 2006
    Posts: 3,186

    sdluck
    Member

    Thanks for all the replies,the frt end was realigned after raising,I will try to get it on a rack and recheck front end geometry,we will also look into sway bars starting with the front.
     
  24. 36tbird
    Joined: Feb 1, 2005
    Posts: 1,142

    36tbird
    Member

    My '40 sedan delivery was set up exactly like this one, MII and rear parallel springs. I put front and rear sway bars on it and I think two is over kill, made it as stiff as a NASCAR racer. I think too much roll stiffness contributed to me spinning it on a wet road one night in a curve, just no give and we went around. When I rebuild it I am going to just have the front bar or may loosen up the rear one a lot.

    I don't think it is a factor in what you are experiencing, but do you have power steering? Remember the problem of a Chevy pump putting out too much pressure for the Ford rack and making it over sensitive. That was the other problem I discovered on my '40.
     
  25. VintageJosh
    Joined: Dec 27, 2013
    Posts: 9

    VintageJosh
    Member
    from Mass

    I agree a swaybar in the front would help. I've installed one in my 39 and my father's 51 shoebox Ford which made a HUGE improvement in comfort on highways. What kind of tires you running out of curiosity?
     
  26. George/Maine
    Joined: Jan 6, 2011
    Posts: 949

    George/Maine
    Member

    I think if you rasised it up with the coilovers you changed the lower a arm and no longer level.I have Height Mii with no sway bar and coilover and its stiff.CE rear spring no saybar.I had problem with stock spindles only 4" to oil pan,I put bigger tires on to lift it up.Lift changes camber.
     
  27. harpo1313
    Joined: Jan 4, 2008
    Posts: 2,584

    harpo1313
    Member
    from wareham,ma

    Does the steering wheel roll back easily on turns by itself as it should?I know that if the crossmember isnt correctly installed the car will wander at speed and by lifting the front might make it more noticable.
     
  28. sdluck
    Joined: Sep 19, 2006
    Posts: 3,186

    sdluck
    Member

    Steering seem fine,rocking or swaying is very soft,but we don't push it to see if it gets worse.
     
  29. gimpyshotrods
    Joined: May 20, 2009
    Posts: 23,264

    gimpyshotrods
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Silly, I know, but did you check the tire pressure?
     
  30. GaryC.
    Joined: Mar 24, 2007
    Posts: 1,557

    GaryC.

    Are you using Panhard rods?
     

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