Hot Rods Model A camber change

After racing my speedster I feel I need to have less positive camber. More like 0' or a bit negative. I think I just need to bend the axle in the middle or between the wishbones which are split with tie rod ends. Problem is how to do somewhat accurately.....Any suggestions or sources of people that can do this?

 

I think thye are bent out at the ends, if bent inside it'll affect both sides. Check with bigtruck alignment shops, they do it all the time.

 

I will try some truck shops. If I bent it in the middle it would affect both ends tho, right?

 

I'm old enough (81 in a couple months) to remember when the good line up shops had the equipment to adjust Ford and other straight axles, and they were bent between the spring perch and the kingpin boss..
Big massive lever type specialized tools that were used in combination with chaining the axle down to the heavy steel beams of the line up rack, and using a heavy duty hydraulic bottle jack to supply the force to bend the axle.
If you check with some old guys up your way, they may know of a shop that's been in business in the same location for at least 50-60 years they may still have that equipment stashed in the corner somewhere. I'm sure I could find it down here in GA, but you're a bit too far up the road

 

with the axle off the car, the ends can be bent in a large press using wooden blocks. i've done this a couple of times,it's easy,but time consuming because you have to keep putting the spindles back on to use an angle finder, then take them off to bend some more! some one put pictures of this on the h.a.m.b. a few years ago,but i can't find them.

 

Yes it'd affect both sides. Thing is the left and right will want different camber to account for the crown.
Like everything else, its more complicated than it should be.

 

When you do this cold wouldn’t the spring perch hole spread open as opposed to the I beam bending? I’ve never done it but for someone who has, what did the perch hole measure before and after?

 

With the equipment built for this purpose all of the holding down and piushing up is done outboard of the spring perch, no force exerted there.

 

First version of an axle dripping jig I built I accidentally increased the camber on the first axle I dropped and had to correct it. It wouldn't be hard to make a jig that holds the axle on one side by the kingpin boss with a jack underneath the perch bolt boss. Heat the area between the 2 and jack it up to a stop set at the right camber. Let it cool and do the other side. If its a little off tweak it again. Easy

Hardest part will be taking it off the car and putting it back on. I have pictures of one of my axle jigs in my albums. It was crude but made easy work of axle bending

 

Look for a truck alignment shop that has the tooling to correct camber on twin I-beam Fords.
Both Bee Line and Hunter Engineering make it. It comes with a smaller beam, clevises and ram. It's bent cold, NO heat required. Depending on your tie down and push positions you can bend one side negative, one side positive, or simply hold one side steady and bend the other. I've done literally 100's. Of course the shop may have to blow the dust off, and get "the old guy" to do it.

 

here's photos of how it's done. pics were taken from the h.a.m.b. a few years ago. it's done cold.

 

The Bear alignment stuff I remember was used with the axle still in place on the car, cold.

 

by the way, i had to use a 60 ton press for this, my h.f. 12 ton press wouldn't touch it!

 

I contacted an old school alignment shop near me in West Bend WI. "Vrana Body and Frame" They actually are looking forward to working with me on it. I like the enthusiasm! Any way they will do it on a frame machine cold with the axle in place. They have an "old guy" that has done it before.

 

As a follow up I thought I would show pictures of how the shop adjusted the camber on my caqr. Pretty simple with the right tools and done on the car. Not obvious in the picture is the small hydraulic cylinder by the mechanics right hand. Hooked to an air/hydraulic pump, it pushes up against the outer end of the axle. The bending takes place between the strap over the axle and the cylinder. Pretty simple however with all the holes I drilled in the axle it collapsed in places....Looking for new axle now.

 

A whole lot simpler with the right equipment. I've done a few parallel leaf rigs using the log chains and bottle jack on the front end rack that had a massive cross beam between the swivel plates.

 

Well if you want to do it old school , heat them up and lay pipe wrench with an extension pipe on them to get where you want to end up. My Dad and a fellow racing buddy did that on their dirt track modifieds and won races and championships.

 

Does the dude have a cell phone to his ear while adjusting your camber! I'd of thought he would want to pay complete attention when dicking around with someones front suspension...

 

Looks too big for a phone.

 

I wish you were a little closer I'd pay you to come do my truck. not having any luck finding a shop that will bend the beams they all say "it's too big of a liability"

 

Well, they're clueless! Any truck alignment shop makes camber adjustments this way. Try a commercial truck tire center (I was Goodyear). Most have racks and trained personnel. Where are you located?

 

Another reason NOT to drill your axle full of holes.

 

We bend them all the time, it's no big deal if you know what your doing.

And you do it in the car/truck and you bend them cold. It's not rocket science but it is an art.

 

I'm curious to know what that vertical shiny steel looking tube is near his right hand.
What was that used for???

 

Looks like it could be a front mounted panhard rod that's been disconnected at one end to get that lump of equipment in.

I'm a bit shocked or surprised that and old boy who knew what he was doing didn't figure that with the axle being drilled it probably wouldn't take the forces applied in that manner overly well.

Chris

 

Getting directions from Alexa.

 

If not a disconnected panard, bar it looks like it is bolted through the axle and down to the floor to lift and take the weight off of the wheel.

 

It's a panard bar. That machine has a floating style center that slides up under the axle with hydraulics to lift the suspension.

Chris the holes shouldn't be much of a problem, the width of the toolings main contact holding points are pretty wide. The actual pushing is done under the radius arm bolt. In this case pushing negative camber into it.

I would bet a good 1/2 degree of flex in that axle. That tool looks like it only works one way, down.

 

Interesting thread.
I was doing the exact thing about the time this thread was started. I did it in a 50 ton press with the method shown in the Rustythumb's post pictures.
I got the -1 degree I was looking for but it tweaked the perch holes pretty good as some have already suggested. I've since had the perch holes bore out and re-sleeved to repair it.
Looking forward to fitting it now.

 

Earlier in the thread it was mentioned and shown that the bending should be done between the spring perch hole and the kingpin. The dude with the phone to his ear is definitely not bending it there. Is it possible he doesn't have the "tool" close enough to the wheel, so that the bending is closer to the end of the axle?