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Technical Ed Roth style front suspension

Discussion in 'Traditional Hot Rods' started by bigskybob, Jan 12, 2012.

  1. bigskybob
    Joined: Jan 9, 2007
    Posts: 39

    bigskybob
    Member

    I grew up with Ed Roth car models, now I'm buuilding my own real rods, I was just wondering if anyone built their rods with the coil front suspension like he used on the Mysterion. I did a search but not sure what to call it.

    [​IMG]

    Thanks for any help.
    Bob
     
  2. Little Wing
    Joined: Nov 25, 2005
    Posts: 7,515

    Little Wing
    Member
    from Northeast

    Looks like 66 chevy truck, flipped over and turned around
     
  3. tfeverfred
    Joined: Nov 11, 2006
    Posts: 15,788

    tfeverfred
    Member Emeritus

    I think Car Craft built a T-Bucket in the late 60's with that setup. I'm sure one of our more knowledgable members will chime in.

    Edit: Have I ever said Google is the shit? Here's a cool cutaway of the Car Craft T.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jan 12, 2012
  4. uhh 66 pickup is ifs
     
  5. I think he meant the rear truck arm setup....

    The car craft car is just a typical hairpin setup with coils instead of a buggy spring. You can see the panhard bar between the coil buckets in the drawing. I imagine the Roth car is set up similar.
     
  6. Little Wing
    Joined: Nov 25, 2005
    Posts: 7,515

    Little Wing
    Member
    from Northeast


    Rear suspension,,Think Buick or Olds had similar in the 50's
     
  7. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,339

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    Ala Kart with bags inside the coils and split bones is another similar deal.
     
  8. The Mysterion uses 4-bar linkage (I think it is the first car to do that or at least it predates the street rod community ubiquitous use by many years), a pan-hard bar and frame mounted center steer rack and pinion. The axle is a Mor-Drop type early style dropped (heated and hammered) '41+ Ford axle of a axle with cups welded on the accept coil springs. The I-beam has been covered with welded plates to make the axle look like a solid rectangle. About the only feature of his setup that wouldn't be practical today is the shocks that were mounted horizontally from the axle to the frame for looks, zero function.
     
  9. Atwater Mike
    Joined: May 31, 2002
    Posts: 11,619

    Atwater Mike
    Member

    Neil Emory made a four bar linkage for Norm Grabowski in 1955. It was a lengthened copy of the setup used at Indy and some dirt track cars in the '40s...
    Tommy Ivo followed the 4-bar setup on his T bucket in '57.
    Nothing 'new', just an adjustable centering method.

    Are you sure about the axle being a '40-'48 Ford Ibeam? Can't recall the axle, but thought it was an aftermarket fabricated tube.
    Agree on the shocks' angle!
     
  10. If the shock is not inside the coil spring, this type of suspension
    would require some positive attachment for the coils. Even a piece
    of flat stock just to remain the spring in the cup. A wishbone would
    be better than a panhard bar so there no side movement of the axle.
    For a rear suspension a true watts linkage would be even better
    to locate and eliminate any rear steer from the suspesion.

    John
     
  11. Your points are all well taken; I would NEVER recommend a Mysterion suspension on a real car! However for emotional, visual impact, it spun a lot of heads in its day. As a piece of art, it is right up there with the best of them. I am building a reproduction of the Mysterion and the horizontal shocks restrict the vertical movement of the axle adequately to prevent the springs from flying out. I doubt I will ever drive it fast enough to grab air anyway!!

    As far as the type of axle is concerned, contemporaneous interviews with Ed quote him as saying the front axle is a filled, dropped 40s Ford. I have found in my research that magazine article descriptions of the construction of the car are totally incorrect for the vast majority but I have to go with a quote attributed to Ed as being correct. There just isn't any really good info on the car otherwise. All the (very few, poor quality) photos I have collected of the car seem to confirm that axle type. Also if you just look at the dropped ends of the axle they show that non-uniform, hand built shape of the classic Mor-Drop.
     

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