Hi folks, Just running this by everyone here to see if I'm doing this right. I removed another leaf from the front spring on the Model T, that's total of 2 removed. One from the bottom and one from the top section. Now the engine is tilted a bit forward, and the front shocks are almost collapsed, so 1. I'm getting some shorter shocks to remedy the short shock problem, and I needed to raise the engine. here is what I did, let me know if I can go with this. I had a machinist make me a pair of Spacers 1.25 inches high to put under the hurst front mount. I went out and bought a pair of Grade 8 5/8" fine thread bolts, some washers, and hardened Nylon Nuts, I still have to drill the tip of the bolt to run a cotter pin thru there like the original bolts for safety. Here are some pics .
You should be OK with the spacers. But I would be concerned about the amount of drop you got by removing two spring leafs. Are your shackles resting at a 45 degree angle "/" under load? If the shackles are verticle you are going to need to revisit your spring pack.
Go with what Bib has to say. Also, you may wanna look into a "lowered" front spring, reversed eye or mono leaf to keep the strength you need but get the look yer after. Good luck.
Thanks Bib, Thanks Nailhead. here are a few pictures of the front so you can see where the spring perches lie. I added the spacers, and then drilled the top of the bolts and added a pin for safety. I then noticed as shown in these pictures that My SHORT Pete and Jakes chrome shocks were...too long, they were 1/2" from being compressed all the way at rest. I looked around and only found another set of shocks that were 1/2" shorter when compressed, and that wouldn't cut it. A big bump and it would either break the shocks or the top perches right off the frame. I flipped the top bars from left to right and was able to reverse the shocks an get them extended enough for good travel.. 1. Question. Can I have the shocks reversed like this with no ill effects?.. Also please feel free to make give any advise on what you see in the pictures. I have a Unisteer set up in the front and am still getting a small bit of bumpsteer, I'm going to add a SoCal steering stabilizer and see what it does. Already bought it, just have to install it. Thank for the help guys.
looks like the car sits outside under a tarp, prolly some sort of theft deterant. although if some asshole wants it bad enough, i dont think that lil cabel will stop them. thievs seem to be very determined now a days..
hehehe, yes your right premium, the lock and cable is to keep a compressor from easily walking away. All of this is behind a steel gate, then behind a wood gate, so it's out of sight but I figured why leave a perfectly good 19 gallon compressor on wheels to chance. And if I hear any noise, my barrel always peaks out before I do. The car is under a tarp, but there is an aluminum roof over all of it. At least until some city inspector wants to have it torn down for lack of other more important things to do.
Shackle angle looks good. But springs can settle a bit in use and it is something you should check from time to time. As for your shocks, I'll start with this quote from the Speedway Catalog: "BUILDERS TIP: SHOCK MOUNT TIPS The most common problem with shock mounts is that the upper and lower mounts are not parallel to each other. The poly bushings will tollerate some minor misalignment, however it causes the shocks to bind and mounts to break. The mounted length of a shock (the distance from top shock mount stud to lower mount stud with the car at the desired ride height) should allow for 2/3rds of the shock travel in compression and 1/3rd for extension. Shocks should be mounted as close to the tire as possible, it has more leverage to properly control the suspension. Many shock manufactures recommend that shocks be mounted at a slight angle (as viewed from the front or rear) to help resist body roll during cornering, however a vertically mounted shock controls suspension movement more effectively. An angle of 15 to 25 degrees is a good compromise." It looks like your upper shock mounts were flared a bit to clear a more vertically angled shock. And I am assuming that with the lower shock mount in it's original location and your ride at it's original height that is what you had. Lowering the car screwed up all those relationships. This is what I would do. I would restore the lower shock mount to it's original location. Then I would measure and note the distance between the shock mounting points. Speedway offers four different street rod shocks with the following ride height lengths; 9" (582-SM 300), 10.5" (582-SM 401), 12" (582-SM 500), and 13.5" (582-SM 600). One of these shocks should should work for you. Lived in Perrine for a while. Understand the cable and lock.
I know from my jeep building days that if you mount the shock upside down, they will develop a "dead spot" in the travel where the shock will have no valving at the the end of it's extension stroke. I flipped mine to clear things better and found out the hard way.
Hi there Bib, thanks for the comments. the pictures might not showit but the top and bottom shock mounts are in line, and now that I flipped and reversed the top link bars they are more vertical than before, but the shocks are almost all the way extended and in the coming weeks I'll be adding the correct length of shock and adding the SoCal steering stabilizer/dampner and also moving the steering collum a bit closer to me when I'm sitting in it. This ay I don't have to lean forward to grab the steering wheel. Any closer to the current steering wheel poition would make me bend my legs even more than they are. I'm 6'0" and lowering the floor helped a whole lot, the padding that will be made for the interior will be super thin, just enough to no get flatbutt while driving it for a few hours. So I'll get the right length shocks accoding to those shock sizes and numbers you suggested and I should notice a bit of difference in the shock absorbing capabilities. Can't wait to get this thing on the road safely again!. Believe me I drove this from Miami to Daytona for the Turkey Rod Run 2006.. In the rain for most of the 279 miles!! Talk about white knuckle!!! Thanks again for the advise. Slowly but surely on my way.. Now if I can find a South Florida Body/Metal guy to hang my doors!! Ozzie
I will definitely correct this problem in the coming weeks. I'd rather have the right shock length and correct the placement!. The shocks are way extended as they are now. Since the lower shock mount is a custom made piece on the top bars on the four link. I'll have those remade and correct their placement to get the shocks a bit more vertical. A bit of welding and grinding then paint, and I'm on the road again.
Is no one else concerned about the change in motor angle for the tail shaft to diff angle change(pinion angle)? Wont this cause binding in the Uni joints and possibly cause a catastrophic failure? I would think changing the diff angle to correspond with the change in motor angle would be wise. I believe the angle should be equal and opposite and approx 3*.
I am running a SoCal steering dampner on my 32. It does not do anything for bump steer but it took care of the occasional front wheel shimmy I was experiencing. Reguarding your shocks there is one possible solution that I failed to mention. Cut off the old shock mounts and fabricate new ones. Lots of options if you have to go way. For my current Model T sedan project I fabricated compination shock/headlight mounts out of some 1.5"x1" tubing. But you can use flat stock, round or oval tubing, whatever you can get your hands on and what ever will work for you.
Or use speedway F-1 type mounts, they look nice and with a little heat and a polish you can have them in the right spot.
Hi Doc and Druss32. There is definately enough clearance between the tunnel and the trans even for severe engine torque and the exhaust is outside the framerails on the outside, so for this particular application I'm good there. When I lifted the engine I changed the rear pinion angle with the rear four link. It was amazingly little. the engine sat lower than originally intended when I switched out a modified hurst mount for a non modified one. Thanks for the advise though, Will keep everyone up on any issues that arise. I am going to re-make the lower shock mounts to make the shocks line up a bit more vertical than they are now, and am thinking that I'll weld on a SoCal front panhard then aswell as the socal steering dampner. Ozzie
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