The Roofus Special

[Sam_Fear]

Yep - your work blows me away. As for the big frame rail, maybe you could continue the top curve up toward the cab so it didn't even look like a frame rail (look at the bad pic to see what I mean). Maybe it just needs something to break up the big surface, like something that bumps out right there - just some thoughts.

EDIT: not sure my thin red line showed up very well....

 

[Flipper_1938]

Yep - your work blows me away. As for the big frame rail, maybe you could continue the top curve up toward the cab so it didn't even look like a frame rail (look at the bad pic to see what I mean). Maybe it just needs something to break up the big surface, like something that bumps out right there - just some thoughts.

EDIT: not sure my thin red line showed up very well....

Thanks for the input, I'll kick that idea around.

My latest "solution" is to run the exhaust throu the frame in that area. I'd run one exhaust pipe out of each side of the car....through the frame rail. Rear manifold would go out the left hand side. Front one would go under the engine and out the right hand side. What do you think about that?

 

[Sam_Fear]

That definitely will look good on the left side, but will all the extra pipe going to the right side look worse than the problem your trying to fix? If you already planned on left and right pipes, then you might as well run it through the frame.

I'll even suggest you could put a bump on top and bottom around the exhaust hole so it looks like the frame circles it.

 

[Flipper_1938]

Nothing about this "car" is set in stone.

Still trying to nail down the design for the center part of the front frame/leaf spring crossmember.

I currently have two Ford style front leaf spring packs in my stash. One is what I think is a stock model A spring pack. The other was sold to me as a Posies spring pack from a 34 ford (it does have reversed eyes on the main leaf).

Anybody have any guesses as to how close the spring rates might be between the two? ...and what the rates might be?

Anybody have a guess as to how much the spring pack will compress from free state to being on the ground with a 575 lb motor behind the spring?

I am going to use the transverse spring to hold up the IFS set-up and don't really know where to put the spring crossmember.

 

[Flipper_1938]

Actually started installing the boxing plates. I really want these things tied to the inner tubes. I am making plug welds to secure the plates near the inner horizontal edges of the tubes.

Drilled holes two inches apart and ground away the paint

Clamped

Welded

 

[Flipper_1938]

The alxe I "remembered" being a model A....isn't. I think it is a 1940 unit

I think the spring will be better for this application anyways. The wider spring will put the load out farther on the a-arms.

Now I need to figure out what the crossmember needs to look like. Anybody have any guesses as to how much this spring will compress in this car? ...jag engine with a bunch of set-back vs. stock 40 ford ....I don't have a clue.

Spring will be on top of the lower arms ...I couldn't mock that up.

 

[Flipper_1938]

I'm having trouble deciding on a front crossmember. I'm not sure what would be best.

First idea was a ford style channel that encases the spring.

Second is a t-bucket style that runs a crossmember behind the spring with a perch ober the top of the spring.



Any input?

 

[Sam_Fear]

I generally like the spring out front better. Good idea on the plug welds - those side plates are where most of your vertical stiffness will be.

 

[hotrod preacher]

i realize i've missed a month's worth of stuff on this build,
-glad to hear/see that your dad is doin OK --i'm sure that was an unsettling experience

i think that the crossmember would look more "factory" if it was model A style but you know what they say about opinions.....

just curious, i saw the plug welds near the inner edges of the rails
i'm guess you have already or plan to weld at the outer edges too.....[

keep up the good work, love to see the innovation and fabrication[cl[cl

 

[Flipper_1938]

just curious, i saw the plug welds near the inner edges of the rails
i'm guess you have already or plan to weld at the outer edges too.....[

Yeah, they will be welded at the top and bottom edges too. I am going to add boxing plates top and bottom too. I will leave a wide gap and tie all three pieces together at each weld (side top and inner tube)

 

[Rat_Rods_Forever]

Just mt .02 cents, wouldn't you want to mount the rest of the suspension first before mounting the spring? That way you have an idea what it will look like and how it will function. Just a thought. If your going for stock looking the Model A cross member will look great! If your going custom, do the T bucket mount. also what will the grill be like, will you see the mount?

I really enjoy this build and its inspired me to build a rat rod and now looking for all my parts to build!

Great work!

 

[Flipper_1938]

Just mt .02 cents, wouldn't you want to mount the rest of the suspension first before mounting the spring? That way you have an idea what it will look like and how it will function. Just a thought. If your going for stock looking the Model A cross member will look great! If your going custom, do the T bucket mount. also what will the grill be like, will you see the mount?

I really enjoy this build and its inspired me to build a rat rod and now looking for all my parts to build!

Great work!

Radiator will be behind the spring and mount so it would be exposed if I go with a flat faced radiator shell like the Rally. I'm still kicking around the idea of a swoopier nose. If I go that route, the spring will still be visible through the grill opening.

Since I want the spring to be visually important, I think I will have to go with a more t-bucketish style spring mount.

...back to the shop for the next round.

 

[Flipper_1938]

Today, I feeling like putting the crossmember under the spring and securing it with just two BEEFY u-bolts.

I've seen pics of similar set ups on cars in the past. They didn't exactly give me a warm and fuzzy feeling from a safety point of view.

Has anybody seen one actually fail when the front of the car is held up by the u-bolts?

 

[clamor]

I don't know about cars, but lots of trucks are SOA (spring over axle) and basically held up by the u-bolts.

I wheeled the crap outta my '93 Jeep wrangler that way.
Good spring plate & solid u-bolts & you should be fine. Just make sure the u-bolt material is appropriate.

I can't remember what it was on, but I saw someone get semi u-bolt material & use it on something...those things are majorly thick.

 

[Flipper_1938]

I don't know about cars, but lots of trucks are SOA (spring over axle) and basically held up by the u-bolts.

I wheeled the crap outta my '93 Jeep wrangler that way.
Good spring plate & solid u-bolts & you should be fine. Just make sure the u-bolt material is appropriate.

I can't remember what it was on, but I saw someone get semi u-bolt material & use it on something...those things are majorly thick.

Yeah, I think I was wigging out over nothing. Lots of cars are held up by the u-bolts.

 

[Sam_Fear]

I've seen the springs snap near U-bolts, but never seen the U-bolts snap. Not saying it doesn't happen, just sayin' that's what I've seen.

 

[englishrob]

I've seen U bolts break on big trucks but only 1 at a time never seen 2 go.
if the vehicle is inspected regularly should be no problems

 

[Flipper_1938]

I was planning on setting it up right at the scrub line for that "stupid low" look. Nothing was going to hang below the frame rails. The car was going to be flat bottomed to be driveable down low. ...then last night I saw this car on Northwest Vintage Speedsters.

It has a really nice shape. I especially like the downward slope of the hood.

The car sits higher than I thought I wanted mine to sit. ...But it looks SO RIGHT! It looks like they dropped the motor down to have a lower hood line.

I think I may raise my car about 3-4 inches and lower the motor by the same amount.

 

[Flipper_1938]

I played with the front end some more. I thought I wanted a t-bucket type spring perch to mount the front srping and a seperate crossmember down low to mount the rack and pinion. I was planning on making a splash apron below the the spring crossmember to hide the rack.

The piece pictured was 2x4. It seeme too bulky so I grabbed a piece of 2x3 and trimmed it to fit between the frame rails. I didn't bother taking pics. It just looked wrong. The straight line going across the front of the car did not play well with the swoop shapes.

 

[Flipper_1938]

So I scrounged around the various junk piles and pulled out a 4x4 transfercase crossmember out of a WW2 era Dodge ambulance (everybody has one of those right?). It kinda looked like a model T rear spring perch, but was way bigger. I cut a piece out of the middle and tried it on for size.

It is going to span between the lower a-arms and the spring will be mounted above the crossmember.

Here it is mocked up, centered under the spring.