I love how so many guys say "just go buy this instead", yet on their own projects its "I dont have 2 nickles to rub together, so Ill make it work"
Hi Louis The stub axles, hubs and drums are liable to be useable for your 28 The axle you might be able to use, if you don't want the car low The spring is too wide for a 28 The wishbones are wrong for a 28, and with all the modifications that have been done too them, they will be difficult to get through our rego requirements. Depending on which state you are in, they probably need certifying by an engineer shocks and shock mounts are throw away items Sorry to rain on your parade mate, but basically you can use everything from the stubs out, but need another axle, spring, perches and wishbone Mark Saunders
Ironic isn't it ? If anyone wants to use that front end in a 28-31 model A chassis, there are some features of 35-47 frame that need to be added to and changed from the 28-31 chassis, and some modifications to the axle components that resemble those parts from a 28- 34 front end. It really Depends on "who's" doing the opine and their personal skill level filter of feasibility vs cost as to what they will say is better or cheaper or easier. No one as commented on the pictured wishbones here, they look like beam construction with some damn cool holes in them. Nor comments on the shocks, I'm not sure I've seen any that short before. Lots of guys are frequently looking for "what's the shortest shock?"
So, the bottom line, after all this discussion, is that you have two choices: 1) Use the front end as is on your Model A frame. It will shorten your WB by about 6 inches and put the radiator out in front of the axle centerline by about that same amount. or, 2) You can use certain components from this front end, like the spindles, backing plates, drums, tie rod, (and maybe the wishbones, depending on what they look like) and then add an earlier axle and proper spring and perches. That will get you your full 103.5 WB and put the radiator right over the axle centerline (where lots of us think it simply looks better). As you can see from the opinions, there is no right or wrong, just what you want it to end up as. Don
would it be possible for him to make mounts for a spring off the rods behind the axle then he could use everything but the spring
Sure, then he would have a suicide front end. That would be ok but finding a spring the right length is sometimes a little tough. The other problem with doing that is the frame horns on the model a frame get in the way sometimes when you suicide the front axle, but that can be overcome. Don
would you be kind enough to define a suicide front end for me Don ive never been game to ask before i have the exact same front and a 29 chassis but ill be attempting a quarter eliptical setup on mine louis.your in the right place for questions and answers. regards j
Option 3: Change front crossmember to one with a bit deeper drop & move it forward to correct wb issues. Its work but does a few beneficial things if you use it to your advantage. Moving the crossmember gives more clearance at the engine balancer and since this is spring in front it doesn't alter wb doing so. See how that worked ? if you need that clearance its a great thing. Spring in front setup will counteract some of the load from a heavy front end weight with an upwards force at the wishbone's framemounts. My thinking is That along with the wider spring give a better ride. Any spring in front set up will do that and you could use a narrow perch axle with custom spring to correct the turning radius issue the soon becomes apparent with the wide perch axles and split bones. The sacrifice to using that axle and spring (while saving some dough) is the turning radius caused by the wide bones. Pie cutting them and angle them is the price to pay for saving the $$$ and an acceptable turning radius. Then you have radiator placement options. No hood, stock hood, custom hood would dictate where and how that's going to go. The stock hood limits you somewhat. Custom grill, deeper grill, track nose gives you options with a stock hood.
It's nick named suicide because if something breaks the frame will hit the ground instead being caught by the frame. If the frame hits the ground you have no control of the car. If the frame should catch a grove or pot hole it's likely to flip the car ass over the front. Some guys build a catch for the axle that's sort of hidden by the radiator. Doan spencer put a Z in the frame to get as low as a suicide set up without any safety compromise. Spring behind or suicide is used to get the frame lower than the axle- the frame and axle can't occupy the same space
What radiator shell do you want to use, Model A, 32 or something else and also the ride height. That's what you need to fit your front end components around. In Aussie I can see a few issues with some parts in that front end. Just because you got it doesn't mean you gotta use it. Use what you can and change what ya cant. JW
So a few Aussie issues with two of the three options put forward above ) 1) adjusting the wheelbase by 6" will most likely cause the rod to be declared an Individually Constructed Vehicle (ICV) and that means 2014 design rules ......not a place you want to go 3) In some states you need original rails and two original crossmembers in their original locations. So moving the crossmember 6" forward can again make you an ICV So pick option 2) Use the brakes and stubs. Get the correct axle spring and perches Talk to your engineer/TAC about the wishbones LOTS of rules in Australia. Feel free to PM me as I know most of them (and wrote a few)
This is another reason why Australians should at least say in their location which state they live in because the rules and systems DO vary.
They do make a spring that can be used OVER that axle, Posies makes them. Then you just cut off the stock spring hanger on the wishbones.
This is my T on a model A frame (the frame horns were cut off when the frame was used for a farm wagon years ago) with a '48 front end. The A spring is narrower than the '48 so I cut the back center portion of the cross member out and welded in 3/16" plate to re-build the cross member so the channel was wide enough to fit the '48 spring, lots of welding and grinding to rebuild the radius so it looks factory stamped. I also cut the back part of the cross member off, because it looks better that way, I don't know if it would have hit the axle or not. In the last picture, the you can see the axle and panhard rod between the engine and the radiator, that's where the rear part of the stock A cross member would have been. The 'bones were split by pie cutting them just behind were the tube section was welded to the forged section, then heated, spread, and welded. This does make the wishbones and 1 or 2" narrower so the turning radius is a little better than if I had heated the spring perch and spread the 'bones, but I don't think it would make that much of a difference. The turning radius is great and tighter than my '65 Chevy truck. From the side, you can see the radiator sits farther forward in relationship to the wheels than a normal model A. But it doesn't look too bad because the frame has been stretched, Its been over 20 years since I stretched it, but I think it was around 6-8". I stretched the frame to fit the flathead six. The overall wheel base is the same as original (somewhat) because the frame stretch and axle behind the spring offset one-another. Personally I think the front end you scored is pretty cool especially if it was custom built from back in the day, the artillery wheels, cycle fender brackets, custom 'bones and frame shock mounts are all neat and different. If it were me, I'd run it just like it is, on a fenderless hot rod. If the shortened wheel base looks stupid, then stretch the frame, put a longer engine in it, like a big block and leave a couple inches between the firewall and block a "long snout" water pump, or fan spacer a couple inches between the fan and radiator, etc. You should be able to make up 6" easily without it looking wrong. Just space everything out until it looks cool. Kipp
I am a use what you have kind of guy, but would think hard about building a car around the look you will get with that setup. I would either go spring behind, Bones style, or come up with a spring over dropped axle.
Definitely not a '32 and not a good choice for an A for the reasons previously posted. Charlie Stephens
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