I just picked up a 47 ford Tudor sedan and was wondering if there are known back yard or DIY dual leaf conversions? Thanks,
Chassis Engineering and Posies-among others make parallel spring kits for these cars. I have a Posies setup and it works fine and is adjustable for ride height. Chassis Engineering is an excellent kit also that gives you the option of supplying your own springs to work in their brackets. Both kits install very easily and will make you car sit right and ride good. I am sure there are others available as well.
Nothing would keep you from fabrication, or adapting, spring brackets/hangers to the Ford chassis and sourcing some leaf springs of suitable length. Takes some research and elbow grease and scrounging used parts. On the other hand, Chassis Engineering (and other suppliers) offer a complete kit for this conversion for a few hundred dollars......... Your choice. Ray
Just keep in mind "installs easily" means drilling like 30 holes in super tough old steel with rough ball park measurements for like 2 of the holes. Unless you have some sort of magic drill and arms of steel it's going to take you longer then a weekend.
Seems an awfully harsh assessment. I have installed the CE kit on a '47 Ford without excess effort. Laying on a creeper while drilling overhead is not fun, granted, but a good quality, sharp drill bit helps a lot. Ray
I have seen in years past leafs, hangers and shackles from a Chrysler "A" body car used under the back of a post war Ford. You'd probably look as hard for them now as order a kit though.
I suppose my harsh assessment comes from two things. 1: being foolish enough to believe that bolt on and uses factory holes ment that at least some of the holes would be there or at the least directions with measurements that weren't lacking and vauge. 2: when I asked about this very thing nearly a year ago all the replies I got made it sound like a day or so of quick work to install one. I figured I could at least be a realistic voice if not the only one so this guy doesn't think his cars only going to be off the road for a weekend. The kit I got was solidly constructed, worked out well, has great ride height and other then way not enough instruction and weld on upper shock mounts I'm happy with it. You can find my photos and more ranting I'm sure in the first half of my on going build thread
I have the C.E. parallel rear suspension kit on my 40 , and that product is a totally class act ! I think someone could do the install in one day, it's that well done, and engineered to fit perfect. For upper shock mounts, I made a 3/4 x 2' tube cross member, bolted the C.E. upper shock mounts to it and also hung the drop down battery box on it. 4TTRUK
Ps; The kit came with 5/16" bolts for the spring hangers,...I drilled them to 3/8", and used grade 8 , NF threads with nylock nuts. Just my thing,......"More's better...." 4TTRUK
So whose kit did you find so hard to install? I used a CE kit on my 41. I did it way back in 92 and had no problems at all and did it as a one man job. I thought the instructions were pretty simple and easy to follow.
a while back there was a thread were a guy showed how he made his own parallel leaf setup in a `40 ford. i think he use AD chevy pickup front springs and hangers. it actually turned out nice. the same idea could be applied to the `41-`48 i'm sure. if i wasn't so lazy i'd look for it you could also buy the springs from CE and make your own brackets. i have used the CE kit in several `35-`40 cars , so on the car in my avatar i made copies of the CE brackets. saved a bunch of $$$
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