GASSER MUST HAVES and cant haves?

A tube axle is definitely a weight saver over an I-beam axle.I have both in the shop right now,and it's a definite weight saver.

I just love the way a car looks with a tube axle under it.
It doesn't have to be jacked up to 4x4 height,but something about that axle under there just screams "racecar",and deep down inside,I think every one of us has a little part of us that wants our cars to be more like our favorite race cars.

Scott


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I'm kinda the opposite about axles. I've got a tube axle in one car, and dropped I beam in the other. If I could have found a dropped I beam for the Austin narrow enough, I'd have had I beam in both!
I like the I beam dropped axles, and even more so when they're drilled with lightening holes! To my eye they just look more traditional.

 

It's funny you said that,cause that's the only thing I hate about the tube axles;is that you can't drill them!
My A coupe has the stock,undropped I-beam axle,and I am going to punch that bitch full of holes....if I ever get the mock-up done,so I can finish all the welds and blow everything back apart to drill it..!

Scott


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My 37' had a stock I beam axle so I had a tube one made up with a bit of a drop and more castor and used 33' Willy's spindles - hubs and brakes

Since I put on the glass front end too I took out 3 leafs on each side to get the car to set level and raise up off the line

So I lost over 100 lbs with the axle change and 150 more with the glass front end, ready to run with out any weight 2300 lbs then put in 700 to make class at 9 lbs per inch

2 yrs later they went to 7 lbs and I took it all back out

G Don

 

Holy cow!
Did you ever do any testing with the car at 2300...?I bet that little Chevy would make that thing JUMP!
Its really deceiving.Tht car looks like it would weigh a lot,but you whittled it right down to nothing Don!

Scott


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Yep, that's the main thing I don't like about tube axles; no way to drill holes. I really like the Econoline axle in my Falcon after drilling holes. I just wish I'd made the spacing closer and done more holes!

 

That's really a light car for a '37 coupe Don!

 

It's kinda tricky to lay them out and get them just right,isn't it..?
After that first one is drilled,you're committed....

Scott


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A little bit. I measured it up a couple times to see what looked best, and didn't crowd into the end areas where it gets narrower. I finally ended up with 11 one inch holes, so one dead center, and the other 5 each direction on 2.5" centers I think?

 

They look big in pictures, but they're small when your by one in person.

MELTDOWN DRAGS
JULY 19-20 2014

 

That's slightly lighter than my little Austin sedan, which is 12' long and 50" wide! The 37 Chevy is around 15' long and 70" wide! And weighed about 2800 lbs dry in stock form!

 

Exactly right, along with losing the coil springs, all four control arms, and the sway bar. Unfortunately the 392 probably added 500 lbs to the front end.

 

Yep Scott I set a B/Gas record at Irwindale of 121.80 in 66' with the lighter weight, but had more wheel spin so ET's were about the same

Ivo made 5 runs on the rear 10 by 16" tires and sold them for 25 bucks ea, and I ran them for 4 yrs and they lasted for ever [ M & H made great tires ] for a couple of yrs there every serious drag car in the country ran them from Gassers to Fuelers

G Don

 

That thing was really moving Don.You guys must have been having the time of your lives back then!
And ol' Marv really did have his act together,didn't he?Ive heard from several guys that his tires pretty much single handedly changed drag racing in the '60's.Thats quite a legacy.
So,on an unrelated note....How cool was Ivo...?I always wanted to meet that guy!

Scott


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Never got to meet Ivo as he was out chasing parts when I picked up the tires, I guess you know that he was the first guy to tour the US making several pass's for cash then on the next strip

A real so-cal hot rodder with his cars looking like show cars, and started the whole making runs for cash thing

Since the N.H.R.A. banned fuel these guys still wanted to race and started this top ten thing

Drag News had the top 10 list and you had to beat one of those cars to get on the list, in a best 2 out of 3 and that was a big deal to be on that list in the early 60's

So the different strips would book guys from different parts of the country to bring in a big crowd like ' Bid Daddy & the Greek ' or ' Ivo & Art Malone ' and that is how the match racing thing took off

And the hot to go cars & drivers would just go around the states and run several nites a week smoking the hides on a load of nitro

Ah ya those were great times as those early fuelers were magic, smoking in the driver off the line with the weed sweeper exhaust pipes on a Sat nite

Then I would run my gasser on Sunday , and see more fuelers there too

Gassers & Fuelers the best of drag racing

G Don

 

Didn't know any Tri 5's had a swaybar?

 

Cop cars did.

 

Mine had an after-market someone installed at some point.

 

That is a pretty large crossmember up front there on the chevy, bigger than my economy designed J for sure. I picked up a rusty stock Henry J chassis to use as a template for a 2 x 3 square tube chassis build. That stock chassis was pretty freaking heavy compared to my t-bucket square tube chassis, it'll be interesting what the final weight will be.

 

That will sure help in setting up a jig and building the chassis Phil! Those Henry J's are pretty light frames already. Might not be much lighter as a tube chassis, but probably stronger!

 

I'm just finishing up my front frame on my '39. I'm using 2x4 C channel and a '53 F100 front axle/springs. I've got $75 in the whole front frame. Has anyone else used C channel before? I got it free and I'm broke so...

 

Phil. Here is another option( one less spring = less weight).

 

Be a good idea to box the channel.

 

I start with the first hole in the centre, I like 1" holes on 2" centres, I don't do holes bigger than 1" because you tend to get up into the web which in my opinion weakens the axle.
The axle on mine is original FX3 taxi but looks very like a heavy duty Willys axle.

 

Nice work Steve.That looks neat as a pin.


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Been watching this thread since it was a sparring match in the beginning.
Question - could a tube axle be drilled and have sleeves welded in the holes?
Where a safety harness bolt passes through a roll bar tube on my car, this was done (by a pro). A lot of trouble for sure and probably adds weight over an undrilled axle. But it would look tough IMO.

 

Ha, thought about that since it matches my T front suspension. You seem to replace that one spring with two hair pins (radius rods) and brackets though.
We have cars in our group of racers that have the front axle mounted both ways and they both work, no doubt about it.

 

A transverse spring on a light car works well. Heavier cars don't seem to work as well with them, and usually need coil over shocks to help them avoid body roll.

 

I personally wouldn't sleeve a tube as it would weaken it, also by the time you add the sleeves you probably make it slightly heavier !!!

 

a lot of theory, how heavy is the C channel? 3/16?