cruising the ads in Rod & custom, MAS has tube style front axles for cheap! anybody know if thier components are any good? I can't seem to find a link to thier site (if they even have one)
I have one on the spacetruck. 13,000 miles and holding up so far. I don't believe they have a web site, and their catalog is the same one from 1981.
The axle and wishbones are ok. The leaf and shackles are cheapo units that you would want to do something different with to make work better.
i was gonna ask the very same question.. but then again who cares if its any good!! the price is rite!
MAS is from the way back... they put together some of the first T-bucket kits, but they never got famous because they weren't in socal and never got any ink for it. Anyway, us local guys have been using their stuff for years, and a lot of good local builders got their start welding in their shop over the years. Yes, they sell their stuff too cheap. David
I always thought those MAS axles were for T-buckets only. You know, no brakes on the front and wire wheels from a motorcycle or something. I wouldn't use one.
I have been looking at them too. I fabbed my own and it was really quite easy once you have a set of spindles. Stil for a no brakes front end for a HA/GR i dont see anything wrong with them.
can they even be used for an HA/GR car? I thought we had to use "stock" straight axles...not aftermarket lightweight units...although I'd rather use the aftermarket lightweight stuff...
had a custom width unit in my anglia......pretty fast service......think i had it in a week....as for the catalog....time warp....even has the cool t shirts ......right on......brandon
The rules say "Stock width front axles and rear ends only." A strict interpretation would mean stock width not actual stock early axles. A stock Model A axle is about 50" kingpin to kingpin as I recall so a straight axle that wide should be fine. Or maybe even a little narrower but the intent, as is evident in the rules and many discussions here, is to avoid the narrowed pinched look of modern dragster axles. Several already built cars and many planned ones look to be using axles of various types, both early and modern, sprung and un-sprung, on both ends.
Some facts from an MAS ad: 48" center to center (kingpin) length. 1-3/4" diameter and 2" diameter axles available. .250" wall tubing. Available for '28-'48 Ford, '49-'54 Chevrolet & '60-'66 Econoline spindles. They have made and sold many hundreds, if not thousands of these axles.
I can't imagine that a 2" diameter X .250" wall tube wouldn't be adequate for anything up to 3000# with or without front brakes.
I used one for years with no problems. It was under a 371 Olds powered T bucket, built in the 70's. 1/4 wall is more than enough, mine had Chev spindles and brakes from a 58 chev. I did not use the MAS radious rods, I built my own four bar.
Pete Flaven from the alter boys uses one on the front of his 30 chevy coupe with a nailhead & he said hes happy with it. I'd go for it, price is right. I bought afew things off them & there Ok to deal with.I think its a small business so you have to be pateint. JimV
its a small place, almost as hard to find the building as it is to find info on them on the net... they ARE busy as hell, all the time. and yea, even the store is like a time capsule... some stuff sittin there for years, some brang new. lotta SBC shit, lotta chromed bolt on crapola and billet shit too, but they have a boatload of old used speed stuff, again mostly SBC but what the hell. its like christmas morning for a rodder in there
How does MAS weld on their spindle bosses or do they? Maybe they're forged as one piece. Please let me know.
I've never seen any old speed equipment laying around at their shop...is it on shelves somewhere that I'm not looking? I rarely ever buy any parts from them via their store, unless it's a last minute part that I have to have that day...but their "used" shelves usually have some pretty good scores if you recognize the parts (most of them aren't marked)...
Stock Crosley axle is how wide? The whole car is about 48".... Not that it's going to concern this low and slow non-racer, but I'll kibbitz anyway. I think that axle rule should probably be defined before people get on the wrong side of a decision.
How are their truck beds? Thinking of making a trailer after my coupe is done. I assume you can order a catalog if you call them up?
I am uisng one in my build of a 30 Ford tudor sedan nostalgic drag car...Axle etc. is okay, the axle boss is welded onto the axle. You will probably have to make new shackles as the ones I received were too long, spring crashed into top of axle, however; they were good to deal with as far as I am concerned...It appears Speedway sells a similar set up, appears almost identical. The Speedway set up is being used by a Goodguys, NE III drag racer who has been running their axle for 4/5 years now.... Greg Wallace, he has dominated NE III for the last 3 years now....
MAS has an ad in almost every main stream rod magazine every month. Should be no problem getting their phone number. I wouldn't be suprised if Speedway gets their 'lookalike' axles from MAS. The old speed equipment mentioned is actually what''s on the used shelf. It's not filled with desirable vintage speed parts. In earlier times MAS was huge, occupying an old new car dealership building on Hennepin Ave in Minneapolis and having a retail store in St. Paul too. I spend many hours in the St. Paul store sanding aluminum Maltese Crosses (a fad in the 70's) on a belt sander for a penny a piece.
I've often wondered of the link between MAS and Speedway, since some of the things sold by MAS have been shipped in Speedway boxes...
a lot of the stuff he sells in his catalog and store are the same as speedy bill sells. he'll order it from speedy bill at wholesale, then have it "drop shipped" to your door if he didnt have the item you ordered in stock.
if ever you get up that way... this is the place you're lookin for... one TINY lil sign on university ave, says "MAS racing" shaped like a hand pointing the way to here. . .
Lotsa folks drum on MAS for not having a website and shipping out dated catalogs. Yet we consider OURSELVES to be old school traditional rodders. Sheesh! What a cool business... Doing it his own way for a LOTTA years not giving a damn if you like his method or not. Selling a reasonably good product at a rock bottom price. Working out of a small shop with an even smaller sign above the door... Fuck!!! This guy is living the dream. I'd like to meet him and shake his hand..
And hidden in the back is a cool round tube t bucket frame that was never put into production....................
The Jalopy Journal
