quarter eliptic front???

[hotrod preacher]

so being new here I may be asking a silly question, but was wondering if anybody was running a quarter eliptic front spring set-up. I saw a zipper body roadster a while back (they use qtr eliptics) and thought i'd try to do something similar w/my 52 ford truck using the original front axle and some serious fab work! The plan is to use the cab/doors and shorten the bed but leave off the fenders & front cap...

 

[Tripper]

so being new here I may be asking a silly question, but was wondering if anybody was running a quarter eliptic front spring set-up.

Preacher,
I believe a couple of people are & I'm sure they'll chime in later! Good luck if that's the way u're headed & be sure to share some pictures if u do!!!

BoB

 

[harleyboy]

Preacher, You've got it as bad as the rest of us. Posting at 7:14 Sunday morning. I checked in this morning before I left for church. Harleyboy

 

[ouh506]

Home made,$8 each.

 

[hotrod preacher]

Preacher, You've got it as bad as the rest of us. Posting at 7:14 Sunday morning. I checked in this morning before I left for church. Harleyboy

BUSTED!!! Well I can't deny it can I? I guess that proves what i preach--you can't REALLY get away with anything!!!!!!

 

[hotrod preacher]

Home made,$8 each.

that really helps, thanks the pics look to show a tube front axle, rear mount tie rod, and possibly single (per side) upper adjustable control arms maybe!?

 

[earthman]

 

[bob w]

Fairly long spring that runs down the frame a ways for a better ride. No shackle' the spring and locater bar are the same length so it acts as a 4-bar.

 

[bob w]

Detail of spring and bar mount to front axle.

 

[donsrods]

I'm thinking about a quarter eliptic setup on my next project. Here are a couple I like.

Don

 

[hotrod preacher]

I'm thinking about a quarter eliptic setup on my next project. Here are a couple I like.

Don

hey Don, thanks for the input, that cream & red Zipper car is saved on my computer - love the look of those done up "old school"

 

[chopper tom]

Detail of spring and bar mount to front axle.

bob ,have you got to drive that yet ?How well does it work and drive ??

 

[bob w]

Tom, It's my son's '27 roadster. He puts a couple thousand miles a summer on it. Probably has about 10,000 miles so far. It took about three tries to get the shocks positioned to prevent wheel bounce. It actually rides better with new bias tires than old radials. We've never driven it real fast, about 70mph (that's the speed limit anyway). I had never seen a set up like this before I did it. Later I found out that some English sportscars used it in the rear. So, it's a proven design, assuming you don't mind English engineering.

 

[donsrods]

My Son Dan is using quarter eliptics from Posies on the rear of his '29. He decided to use a fourbar setup with it. Makes for a clean setup and should ride really well.

One question I just thought of on using these on the front...........do you get any side movement of the axle? On a regular cross spring setup the spring sort of acts as a panhard bar, but on a quarter eliptic setup it seems like there might be a tendency for the axle to be able to move from side to side. Dan used a panhard bar on the rear of his car, but I have never seen a bar on the front using quarter eliptics.

Here is how Dan set his up.

Don

 

[bob w]

Donsrods, If you look at posting #8 on page 1 of this Thread, you will see a nylon "rubbing block" I put on the front of my son's '27. This was done after a few years of driving. I wanted to see if there was any/much side to side movement, especially because this car has pretty long springs. I set it up with about 1/16" of clearance and there are very few rub marks on it. I expected more.
Bob

 

[donsrods]

That's good to hear Bob. It just sort of had me wondering, being that the axle is stuck way out on two springs with nothing to limit side movement. I see lots of rods done this way, so I guess it isn't a problem. If I do it I will probably go with Posies setup. Dan only used parts of it for the rear of his car and made the rest, but the Posies stuff was nice.

Don

 

[Unkl Ian]

Common parallel leaf suspensions don't need a Panhard Bar.
Making the spring significantly shorter shouldn't change this.

 

[Unkl Ian]

Another example:
http://rides.webshots.com/album/549337443YKVcIx


The upper link is loaded in tension under braking,so it doesn't have to be massive.
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2147604370036898833ZRETzb?vhost=rides

 

[Unkl Ian]

Dan Webb's "Submarine":

I originally thought the Aluminum arms in the middle were for a sway bar.
Since there is another pair,mounted differently on back,I suspect they are Friction Shocks.

 

[Unkl Ian]