What can I do with this front axle?

[Bearcamp]

This rod was not built by me but I'm now the owner and sorta puzzled about what to do with it. Sure there's ways to completely rip it down but I have a bugdet to put into it and would like to use what I have. The whole problem seems to be the ugly 2x4 tube steel covering up the grill and the way the air bags are mounted. So here's some pic and I hope you people can give me some ideas what to do. I thought about cutting it off right where it levels out in front of the grill and installing a cross member under the grill but still need shock mounts.

 

[dirtybird819]

I'd push the front axle out in front of the frame rail ditch the bags and hope the suicide spring will cover up most of that ugly 2x4 crossmember.

or remove the 2x4 and taper the frame rail down to 2.5 and put round tube in there. Just make new bag mounts relocated where you like.

just my 2 cents. Good luck

 

[bob w]

If you're not able, or don't want to rebuild the front, then you could disguise it. First paint it flat or satin black so it doesn't stand out. Have the wrench chorme plated or put a chrome nerf bar on the front to capture the eye. Mount a Moon-type spun aluminum gas tank on top of the air spring mounts.You can come up with ideas of your own that are probably better. Good luck with it.

 

[Jimmy Wallbanger]

just a thought

1st i hope the welds on those jam nuts hold haha i always thought that was a scary idea. cheap and easy would be to cut that xmember right in front of the grill and reverse it so youre looking at the bags instead of the 2x4. i would rather move the cross member back and make some cool suicide perches for the bags . once again 1" square tube scares me. may make it a true"suicide front end" i made a set of those for a ranger split ibeam but the threaded tube went inside the tubing over an inch and i webbed the center with plate

 

[HOT40ROD]

There are a couple of issue I see and would change before I would drive.

First is the radius rods and steering links. I would get rid of the square tubeing and replace it with round and thread the ends and use a jam nut to lock the ends. I have issue with the suspension and steering being put together with nuts welded on the ends. If the welds fail it can cause a real issues.

Second is the batwings. I would weld another piece on the back side of the e and and the batwiing. There is a lot flexing in that area and being from the racing world I like to make sure things are going to stay under the car.

Also get rid of the air bags and go with a spring. we will be a lot happier with the ride.

As for placement of the axle do what you like.

 

[Bearcamp]

I believe after all the sugestions I;m thinking about going with either the transverse spring and add a 2" tube with shocks or adding the 2" round tube and going with coil overs. I believe either way the bags will go. The only problem I see that I might have is the axle is for paralell springs. Believe I know what I want but just have to figure out how to go about it.

 

[rainman]

New hairpins, shove the front out, and since you have so much beef in the frame up front! You could go with eliptical springs! If you're not a welder get someone with some experience on this type work, examine whats already been welded! All this shouldn't be real hard or expensive, especially if you can create you're own springs! Hope these ideas help, BTW I'm not a big fan of bags!!

 

[wildcat]

dump the bags for sure, be cool if the Z in the frame was back at the firewall..lotta work though..

 

[mufasa]

yur right about the axle but it is a cheap drop axle and you can mount a single spring across this axle just use the original spring mounts and make brackets for the new spring. Round tubing is much strongeer than square. So geth the torch out and go to work.