Looking for dropped axle help- '39 Ford

Here is the info on my 41. I know it's not a 39 or 40, but the front end is identical excpet longer wishbones.

I used a stock axle dropped 2 1/2", reverse eyed stock spring (with all leafs) and 1" longer shackels. All in all I got a good 5-6" drop. I built the entire front end except brakes, and slid it under the car. Bolted up the brakes, off I go. It took about 2 hours or so to do the total swap.

The rear, I pulled a couple leafs and also put 1" longer shackles that stock. Brought it down 4-5"

I have a 39 standard just like yours, only a coupe, and I plan on doing this same formula to it.
Good luck!


Before (no engine in it)


after:

 

Someone asked about if I was a Hamber. Yes I am. I am Sid at Nostalgia Sid's www.droppedaxles.com I drop axles. The 37-41 axles I drop are stretch dropped and are the original width of stock axles. If the axles are not stretch dropped to original width there are problems with steering arm clearence and tire rub on wishbones when turning.

 

A little about Ford springs and shackles for those of you who haven't seen a shackle that didn't have rubber or plastic bushings.

From 09-27 Model T springs came with steel bushings and the shackles were, for the most part, forged body U-type with endplates, nuts and cotter pins.
From 28-31 Model A springs came with steel bushings and the shackles were forged body U-type with endplates, castle nuts and cotter pins.

Then came the change.

From 32-41 on passenger cars and 32-41 on pickups the FRONT and REAR springs came with stud and bushing assembly installed. The perches had stud and bushing assemblies installed.
Front or Rear Shackle Kits consisted of 4 stud and bushing assemblies, and 4 sideplates, plus castle nuts and cotter pins or locknuts.

The early style shackle stud and bushings assemblies were a shackle bolt encased in compressed rubber covered by a thin steel sleeve. They are a bitch to replace if not pressed or knocked in dead square into a bore with smooth walls and no burrs.

From 42-48 on passenger cars the front and rear springs came without bushings and studs. The spring eyes used rubber bushings and studs with end plates and locknuts.
The perch mounts had the early style stud and bushing assemblies which had to be pressed out and pressed in.
Front or Rear Shackle Kits consisted of 2 stud and bushing assemblies, 2 shackle bolts, 4 rubber bushings, 4 sideplates and castle nuts and cotter pins or locknuts.

The modern plastic bushing and welded u-shackle style assemblies save a ton of work and probably last as long too if the bushings are quality ones.

 

37-41 dropped axle, reversed eye spring and i took a leaf or 3 out i cant remember, it rides pretty decent, it has disc brakes on the front, the rims are 5" wide and have 560-15 tires on em. oh, i also have chassis engineering deep drop steering arms


JEFF

 

A 4" dropped axle and Posies spring only accounted for a total of a 3" drop. Did I read that correctly?

Also, what does the shock kit do? Transform your lever action shocks to gas type? Is there a similar kit for the rear?

Sid, not sure how you keep the stock width and drop an axle 4". I'm not seeing the physics of that one unless you stretch the steel. Does that change the strength? Why mess with an old axle when you can buy a new Magnum is basically my question here.

This post is great....cuz I'm gonna need to do this in a month or so.

 

Yes! The Posie reversed eye spring dropped the front end one inch. I know that is correct because I first installed only the Posie spring in the otherwise completely stock front end and the stock height was reduced by 1 in due only to the reversed spring eye. The magnum 4 in. dropped axle dropped the front end 2 inches more.

 

I have a 39' std sedan as well that im currently building.I did alot of looking around and reading and what I found out is Magnum is the only 4" drop axle that will allow to run non-split bones(so I have been told by some builders).I bought the Magnum axle and I have a pair of deep drop arms and then bought the front shock kit from Magnum as well (very nice by the way) then I got there mono leaf front spring trying to get this thing in the weeds.Some have said this combo will make the car to low but the mono leaf has spacers you can put in or take out to change the ride hieght.And I also bought there crossmember and trans kit with the split bones kit.
As for the rearend I can tell you that Weedeter makes a nice rear leaf kit that also comes with a shock kit as well and is all bolt in also.
I do not know how it will ride yet as im getting ready to pull my body off the frame and get to workin'...but she should sit low.

 

I have a Posies reversed eye spring with new shackles on my coupe with 195x65-15's on 6" rims. I now have 8" at the chin, which is fine with me. It will clear steep drives and local potholes with no problem.

 

Reading all this reminds me that it sure would be nice if everybody called there axles what they really are.
A “ four inch” drop axle should lower the car 4’’s. Frankly it gets extremely tiresome explaining it to people all the time.
All the axle makers do it and so do Sid and Joe and it’s bullshit faults advertising.
The first reply to this post was 100 percent correct . The Magnum with the long arms is the best set up on a 37 and newer wishbone.
Lowering with the spring only, just makes for decreased suspension travel.
Lowering with the stock axle is ok, but you can get a little lower with the new axle. 37 up axles just cant be dropped much. The metal starts stretching badly after 1 /1/2”. Iv pushed it to 2’’ but that’s the limit.

 

If you can find the article in Street Rodders (www.streetrodderweb.com) 2-3 years back a complete artricle on dropping the front end. "The Down Low" a no-weld, no torch, no-fuss way to drop a 37-39 Ford

 

Here's the link for the dorpping of the front and rear fellas

http://www.streetrodderweb.com/tech/0709sr_1939_ford_deluxe_sedan/index.html