1927 Roadster

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Cool machining I find fascinating[P[P

Here's some more;
As seen previously, a shim needed to be made to back up the brake drums.

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Dale started with a drop in the lathe.

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Next he clamped it to the table on the mill and located center.

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By now he has the coordinates memorized after doing the axles and drums.

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Last, he chucked it back up in the lathe and parted off the shims.

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And they are a perfect fit.

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It felt good to get the RR axle with the 5 on 4.75 wheels up under the frame with all its beefed up reinforcements I'd been working on in the background.

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This is one of those deals where going through the extra work to use the Rolls rear is really going to pay off. Nobody will have a clue what it is! Clean that puppy up real good and paint it and most people will think it’s some kind of aftermarket race axle.

Great job! Enjoying this build![cl Dare to be different for sure!
 
I agree. The extra work is worth it. Be aware, those radius rods aren't very strong. Meant to be used with an enclosed driveshaft.
 
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This is one of those deals where going through the extra work to use the Rolls rear is really going to pay off. Nobody will have a clue what it is! Clean that puppy up real good and paint it and most people will think it’s some kind of aftermarket race axle.

Great job! Enjoying this build![cl Dare to be different for sure!

Thanks Bama, Unfortunately, It'll be mostly covered by the turtle deck. I will spend some time cleaning and painting though.

U agree. The extra work is worth it. Be aware, those radius rods aren't very strong. Meant to be used with an enclosed driveshaft.

Thanks for the heads up Bob, that was going to be one of my next questions seeing how I don't have much experience with anything older than about 1960. In addition, I don't like the idea of the tie rod ends for pivot joints and was thinking I'd swap in some heim joints. But now you got me thinking some DOM tubing might also be a good idea? Are the ends that bolt to the axle strong?
 
They tend to break where the back casting/forging is pressed and welded into the oval tube. Using '35 Ford radius rods on roadsters is more common. I have seen various reinforcements used. I did use a pair on my grey '27 Lakes roadster with no reinforcements. But I drive like the little old man that I am. Same with the tie rod ends. Okay in my humble opinion if you drive normally. Hard driving means harder parts,
 
Thanks again Bob, I read various threads on the subject over on the Hamb last night. Then thought about it for 12 hours on my drive to AZ today. Upon arrival my wife asked me how my day was. I didn't have the heart to tell her....
 
For what ever my opinion might be worth, I would go with the Rolls rear end.
You already have it (it looks really cool) and you have made the modifications it needs so you can use the other associated parts you want with it. Its pretty much ready to go, might as well use it up instead of it being just another cool looking yard ornament. It can be returned to being a cool yard ornament if it breaks (and you have the story of what dumb thing you were doing when it broke, for extra points):p :D

Under normal driving conditions, the rear should hold up OK. If it turns out to be too weak under pressure, at least it would have been cool until it broke. When you know something is on the weak side, you tend to drive it with more "respect" then if its strength is unknown, or it is assumed to be strong. If we think what we have is tough stuff, we tend to not be too concerned about how we drive our rides, and they likely get driven with a bit more spirit. It may be a long time before its weakness shows up, if ever. Enjoy the cool rear end while it lasts, then in the old hot rod tradition, after it breaks, you put something tougher in its place.
 
Since the RR rear diff is quite a bit larger than the 8" Ford, the transverse leaf spring will need to be mounted further from the axle to clear the diff. Fortunately, Speedway has longer hangers available.
However, using the longer hangers with the spring perch location on the frame would push the axle forward. So I built a frame extension for the spring perch that will compensate for the longer hangers. Next, I could have cut the original part of the frame out but decided to leave it for strength. Then I added a pocket of sorts in the original frame just in case it's needed to clear the differential. Last, I welded the perch plate back on the frame extension only to discover its holes don't really line up well with the cool little forged spring clamps I have. So, I cut the plate off the frame and found a piece of 1/2" material to use to make a new one and called it a day.

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Thanks guys, I really enjoy fabricating stuff.
So, after welding the spring pad to the frame only to discover the holes were out of wack, I spent some time double checking everything. First I found that the holes in the cool forged spring clamps are tapered. Then while going through the parts from when I took it apart, I found a 1" spacer that was between the spring and the frame. then I remembered a conversation with the previous owner about lifting the back another 2 inches. Next, I dug up picture of the car to see if it looked low in the back and it did. Last I went through all my measurements to confirm both the finished axle location and punkin clearance to the spring.

Here's a picture of the car sitting low in the back with a hemi in it.

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Here's the new mounting plate and tapered bushings Dale whipped up for me.
Note the holes are tapped to eliminate through bolts and nuts. Also, this is all sitting on top of the new 3" spacer I made.

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All welded up to the frame with some additional gussets.

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