Features Let's see Model A's lowered without dropped axles

Those wheels are pretty unique. They fit the stock mechanical brake drums properly yet take a later cap. I did a lot od the chassis work / chop on the car and sold it to @elmitcheristo. He found the wheels, did some other stuff and dialed in the details and took it over the top. I ended up with it back before sending it over seas.

That pic of it hurts......kinda like "Why the hell did I sell that car againñ

 

ha, sorry joe

 

Brakes are overrated. I've owned a couple of cars without them. You just need nerves and a good sense of timing, and know how to shift down without splintering the transmission. The best method is by what some call double-clutching, which is the process of taking the transmission out of gear and revving the engine so it is at the same speed as the transmission. Then you can shift back into gear and accelerate, or decelerate. For that matter you actually only need a clutch to get started, and if you park on hill and push start it in gear and get it cranked, you don't even need that; and if you double shift you don't need to use the clutch, ever; just accelerate slightly, get off the gas and take it out of gear, rev the engine (see double clutching) and put it in the next gear, up or down. Early European race car drivers did this because there were no synchromesh transmissions. For slowing down, the trick is to use the ignition like a 'jake brake' and shift down, turn off ignition and use the engine as a brake. Care must be taken not to add fuel to the exhaust system by mashing on the accelerator pedal while it's off because when you turn the ignition back on, BOOM! At very low speeds, and in other situations, you can shift into reverse and use the clutch as a brake; extreme care here, because this can waste a transmission. A variation of this works on hills with the car in low, as it rolls back use the clutch to stop it, or rock it back up.
As far as torching springs, that's plain lazy, in my view and wastes a good spring, because it's an iffy deal at best, spring steel does not like to be heated and then air-cooled. It becomes brittle and can break like glass just when you're codding it through Dead Man's Curve. Oops! Wipe out. Why not just take the spring out and use some muscle? Get a piece of heavy iron (a short section of rail-road rail works, and don't whine about not being able to find any. If I can, anyone can. Use you ingenuity. Just don't torch the mainline.) and use a big hammer (there's a good how-to on the HAMB that uses a hydraulic jack and a fixture, just pay attention to the method for checking the amount you need to reverse it, as you do basically the same thing; and it's traditional. I bet somebody's grandpop, or great grandmonkey has stories about how he turned the family Tine Lizzie into a jalopy, or gow jop. Oh yeah, for T's see links to 'underslungs'. They were the cat's pajamas as per the argot of the day. Hammer and iron was how they did A-springs and later ones when men were men, and lions were lions. You can also take leaves out, just replace them with a spacer so the bolts will work. Me, I always figure there were enough Forty Fords and A Model piston rings to retrofit to juice brakes; and wheel and tire combinations do wonders. As to dropped axles, join a club, take a welding class, find a way to get back in the building when no one's there and do your own. You'll need a buddy to liberate a second torch to make enough heat, and prove you're a few steps of the pack by building your own jig from stuff you scrounge up, if you don't have cash. A lot of Hot Rods are built by wit and grit without a lick of plastic in sight. And, I could go on and on. But it's past my bed time, and the night nurse is a real bitch, here.

 

Despite the good story, driving with out brakes over here means that you get drivers license split and showed down you trought, a large cattle probe up you behind and toggle at will all the way to the courthouse and gets band from driving, for good. just don't do it.

Despite you being correct about the double clutching (works up and down), the ignition kill for shifting, and double shifting we call floating. And floating is only something truck drivers do.
But it works.

But driving in modern era-rush hour, with vintage cars and rods, with no front brakes, or no brakes at all is dangerous and will result in people getting killed. Maybe not you , maybe not now, but in will happend.

Sorry if I come of as an idiot? Maybe I am an idiot, but please don't do it!
No disrespect meant. ️

 

Denmark? That's where the three, original 'Pusher' movies were made, right? Talk about stressed! Great movies, by the way. My lead in was to get people's attention. I did not mean I was endorsing what I did when there were billions less of us on the roads. I am a firm believer in damn good brakes and irregardless of what I said, further along, and I hate quoting myself, I say "Me, I always figure there were enough Forty Fords and A Model piston rings to retrofit to juice brakes; and wheel and tire combinations do wonders." The reason I went through the catalog of 'how to stop without brakes' was to use it as a subjective warning, but also to guide someone through a 'what if' scenario. And, even though I have done it, and lived through it, I am a professional weirdo. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND ATTEMPTING TO DO THAT WITHOUT ADULT SUPERVISION (And, if they don't talk you out of it, they are not adults). And, HELL YES, better than excellent brakes are an absolute necessity in the modern age, in order to drive on our congested surface streets and on the freeways.

 

Just a reverse eye front spring w leaves removed. Rear is lowered now also buy haven't had it out of garage to snap a side profile picture

 

Yes. It is. Epic movies.

Thank you! Makes much more sense now. And I'm glad we see eye to eye on brakes!

It's just as important as going!

 

What size tires are tires are you running? Also, would you be able to count the leaves and which ones you removed? Your car is just how I want mine to sit. Thanks!
Kevin

 

Kevin,
I am running 7.50x16 rear and 6.00x16 front.
I am away this weekend but when I get home on Sunday I will take a look at my leaves and PM you.

 

32 axle with a reverse eye spring and a T spring...

 

Here is my 29 Sport Coupe with a 33 axle, 32 spindles, 32 spring perches and a Posies 2" drop spring. Everything else is stock Model A with the exception of chopped shock dogbones.

It has 16" 1935 Ford wire wheels and 4.50/4.75 Firestone Deluxe Champion blackwalls on the front. The wheel and tire next to the fender is the stock roller. Quite the drop... and it all bolted together!

 

Where is the link to the full story?

 

no link but I have a few pictures...mechanical brakes...32 perches and axle...A bones...reverse eye spring...


T spring over a Kiwi Quicky...


motivation...

 

Dudley & Nailhead, both of your cars are very nicely done. My compliments .

 

Very nice! What size Winfield ya got? Looks a little bigger than my "B".

 

it's a BB....does a good job with a Winfield 3/4 cam and a Snyder head...

 

Swap meet rear spring, reversed front main and 2 top leaves to the bottom of the pack. 600/650 17" rears 475/500 17" fronts.

 

Great car and info. Keep em coming.

 

7.50 rear and 6.00 fronts with a spring behind.

 

Fine29, that body is right on brother! Is that original paint? Here's a coupe project that's about 80% rust, but it's keeping me out of trouble for the winter.I've learned to "dust-weld" which is interesting ( like making a big metal doily) ( a what?) Been channeled 4 1/2" and now it's chopped 3", so it's 58" tall. Stock front axle with reverse eye spring ( plus a big fat flatmotor later) we be low-ridin'. Running board is now 9" off the ground. May have to put some magnesium plates under it????? View attachment 2852567

 

hey guys I am building a very basic - budget Banger, looking to find out which leaves I should remove from
front and rear springs, also looking for opinions about necessity to replace at the bottom of the spring pack , I am also using reversed eye main leaves , looking at using car in Nostalgia drag events and dirt track - dust up style events thanks in advance

 

I always leave the first leaf after the main leaf, you may have to shorten it a little and re radius the ends, if you have reversed the eyes on the main leaf.
After that you can remove every second leaf if you want depending on how much weight you have removed from the rest of the car...eg. fenders etc.
Yes you need to replace the removed leaves or place an equivalent spacer under the spring pack so that the retainer bars on the bottom of the U bolts can clamp the spring into the front X member.
What are you building, where are you in NZ?

 

Reversed eye front from loudpedals tech

 

hey there, thanks for that - appreciate your response I am building a very basic banger with original engine etc just trying to lower it a little. I have reversed eye springs, basic z in rear, 16 wires, (no tyres yet) have a halibrand to chuck in the rear at some point I have a 28 sedan shopped into pickup with a 4'chop (old hot rod) or a 30 open car front with ugly home made (not by me) rear section, to resemble roadster pickup Just trying to quickly put together a car with hope of making nostalgia drags - then dust up style events

Anyone else got an ideas or interesting helpful tips? cheers

 

Here's our 28 Roadster mocked up with 6.00 up front and 6.50 in the rear for tires. Front suspension is stock. We put our "hot rod" spring with reversed eye main leaf and 3 springs removed in the rear. It gave us a total of a 4" drop bolt in

 

This thing rules!

 

I agree !

 

Matt that's a cool looking roadster. What all are your plans?

 

The roadster is a shop build, the general plan right now is. Bobbed 32 rails, 59AB Flathead with an early McCulloch Super Charger, 39 Gear box, 39 Lincoln brakes all around on 35 wires. We've been collecting parts for the last few years for this build so we pretty much everything we right now except time lol. We sold the original chassis and drive train this past week.