Rear C Notch Needed in Deuce Hi-Boy Frame?

Trying to decide if I need to C notch the rear of a frame I'm building from a set of ASC rails for a hi-boy roadster. I like the stance of the Phil Cool 1978 AMBR deuce. This car will run about 30" diameter slicks on the rear (possibly pie crust) and sit high in the rear.

I'm getting ready to weld in boxing plates and figured after that I'll mock it up with body, rear end, wheels & tires, etc. to see if I need to notch the frame. I don't want to if its not needed. Its extra work and I like the look of the frame without it, however it would be easier to do it now.

What do you think, go ahead and do it or wait and see?

Thanks, Dan

 

Presume this would be for axle clearance...how stiff will your springs be? If you're using an arched "A" transverse spring, it should be stiff enough to keep the axle housing from hitting.....But other who have done this more recently than me may have better answers...

 

Bottom line is that it is easier to do now. I used a JW rails and a '36 rear spring and a flattened '40 crossmember. Glad i used a C notch. What a pain in the ass if I had not used the C notch.

If you don't C notch, be sure to only tack weld in case you need a fix.

 

I've got a '40 Ford rear spring I was thinking about using with a leaf or two removed.

 

Don't think the Phil Cool roadster had a notch,just saying if your building a look-a-like .

 

What crossmember and spring are you going to use?

 

I used a T rear spring and crossmember, with two grown men in the car it bottoms out a bit on big bumps. Still glad I didn't notch it, but if it were any closer...

 

Do the 'C' notch, but DON'T just take half the cross section of the frame out at its arch!(done lots of Deuce frames, and still do)
A HAMB member had a build thread and impressed me. (in the 'Kickup with C' area)

He C'd the frame, and boxed it...but the boxing plate was 1/4" thick, and instead of following just the upper frame rail profile, he added to the arc, making the boxing plate 1.5" higher than the frame profile. (extra 1/4" profile went from 6" ahead of and behind the 'C', just a gradual graceful arc above the cross section of the frame, welded in and faired with the 11 gauge boxing plates)
It was inside the fender well, only visible from under the car...but wise to do, at the weakest longitudinal point on the chassis!

 

Rolling Bones do it that way also.

 

Atwater Mike - Sounds like the best way to go if I have to do this.

zombiesnyc - I'm using a '40 rear spring and will build a crossmember with square tubing.


I guess I'm just being lazy and hoping to avoid some extra work so I could move this project along. You guys really think I need a notch for a roadster that sits like I'm wanting?

 

as described above,




can be found here http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=497401

 

Those 2 pics of Cools' car definately sits lower in the rear than mine with fenders. Mine is too close without the notch,IMO, but it's not on the road yet.

 

Trust me having Not C notched never sat low enough just not able to get it there with out it...DO IT !!!

 

cadillacoffin - Thanks for the pictures, that makes it very clear.

 

My '29 on Deuce rails doesn't have a notch, but it kisses the bumpstop harder and more often than I would like. If I blow it apart again, I think a notch is definitely on my list.

 

I used a 40 rear crossmember flattened, and notched mine. Used the boxing plate kit that fits inside the rails sold here in the classifieds from Wolf's metal fabrications.

 

big duece - thanks for the pictures, nice work. I've got some boxing plates I got in a package deal - frame rails, plates & front crossmember. I think the plates are ASC, I narrowed them for step boxing. Now I just need to hunt through my scrap metal and find a piece to make the C notch.

 

IMHO,
It is better to have the notch and not need it than not have it and NEED IT.



My 32 3W frame is notched ( above ) and the rear axle gets up into the notch area ... and my coupe is not all that LOW.





My coupe would hit IF the frame was not notched.

 

Nice spring set up,we done a 37 chevy some time ago simular to yours

 

We C-notch F&R every deuce frame we build. On some of them depending on how they sit I use a short bullet shaped rubber bumper from HELP products tucked up in the notch. Helps take that teeth rattling shock away if it should ever bottom out!

 

Thanks guys. Now I know what I need to work on this weekend.

 

Nobodys cars sat better than Barry Lobecks, He buildt my chassis 15 yrs ago using a C-Notch, I always valued his opinion, and it has worked out well