1/4 ellipticals ?
- Thread starter Gr8lite
- Start date
Hotrod46
Member
Gr8lite
The Posie's springs are good, but they're expensive IMO. With a little fab work, you can build something just as good and use that money somewhere else.
I used common trailer springs on the front of my car. They were cheap, but needed some work to make them look good. I rounded the ends of the leaves just for looks. The spring eyes were also a little smaller in the ID than the OD of common shackle bushings. I had to turn the bushings down a little to get them to fit. The springs are working well, even though they have only 3 leaves each. My car carrries about 960 lbs on the frontend.
If I was doing it again, I would probably use something like a 32 Ford spring. It's long enough to make 2 springs, has thinner leaves (but more of them) and already has rounded ends on the leaves. Just more expensive than the trailer springs.
I mounted my springs under the frame rails. This just seemed a little stronger than hanging them off the side of the rails. If you do mount them on the side, make sure you build the brackets heavy enough to resist the twisting forces on the spring. Not much room for gussets or other bracing on the side of a typical 3" or 4" frame rail, but not impossible either.
Mike
The Posie's springs are good, but they're expensive IMO. With a little fab work, you can build something just as good and use that money somewhere else.
I used common trailer springs on the front of my car. They were cheap, but needed some work to make them look good. I rounded the ends of the leaves just for looks. The spring eyes were also a little smaller in the ID than the OD of common shackle bushings. I had to turn the bushings down a little to get them to fit. The springs are working well, even though they have only 3 leaves each. My car carrries about 960 lbs on the frontend.
If I was doing it again, I would probably use something like a 32 Ford spring. It's long enough to make 2 springs, has thinner leaves (but more of them) and already has rounded ends on the leaves. Just more expensive than the trailer springs.
I mounted my springs under the frame rails. This just seemed a little stronger than hanging them off the side of the rails. If you do mount them on the side, make sure you build the brackets heavy enough to resist the twisting forces on the spring. Not much room for gussets or other bracing on the side of a typical 3" or 4" frame rail, but not impossible either.
Mike
Screaming Metal
Active Member
Hotrod46 said:Gr8lite
The Posie's springs are good, but they're expensive IMO. With a little fab work, you can build something just as good and use that money somewhere else.
I used common trailer springs on the front of my car. They were cheap, but needed some work to make them look good. I rounded the ends of the leaves just for looks. The spring eyes were also a little smaller in the ID than the OD of common shackle bushings. I had to turn the bushings down a little to get them to fit. The springs are working well, even though they have only 3 leaves each. My car carrries about 960 lbs on the frontend.
If I was doing it again, I would probably use something like a 32 Ford spring. It's long enough to make 2 springs, has thinner leaves (but more of them) and already has rounded ends on the leaves. Just more expensive than the trailer springs.
I mounted my springs under the frame rails. This just seemed a little stronger than hanging them off the side of the rails. If you do mount them on the side, make sure you build the brackets heavy enough to resist the twisting forces on the spring. Not much room for gussets or other bracing on the side of a typical 3" or 4" frame rail, but not impossible either.
Mike
Hey man....great fab work.......I love seeing great quality fab work on these machines.
Hey Ted and Ron.....I was thinking of doing the same thing, but on the rear.....you know where the rear kickup goes....at the bottom have the brackets there. I'd seen this back in popular hotrodding about 25 years ago, I believe.
How do you guys think it'd ride? I was gonna do like a combo wishbone/tractionbar setup, spring under the rear and the shock mounts staggered on the rear of the tubes..........Any input??????:lol:
Ted Brown
Member
Well that spring type of setup, will be great (IF) the springs are long enough and not trailer spring material, they do not give a good ride no matter what you do to them, may as well start with a stock, but wide/long spring, like out of a later ford say 40-48, and an easy ride spring if you know what that is, the leaves are all tapered down way thin at the outer ends, I would just cut that spring right in the middle, and go from there, You can drill holes in spring stock, if you set your drill press to a super slow speed, and don't forget to use a good cutting oil...I was thinking of doing a setup like this myself, only without using any shackles at the front axle, and then use a top 4 bar style, rod, spaced about like radius rods.. clear as mud I know hehe .. Just ride safe :lol:
"I used common trailer springs on the front of my car. The spring eyes were also a little smaller in the ID than the OD of common shackle bushings. I had to turn the bushings down a little to get them to fit. The springs are working well, even though they have only 3 leaves each. My car carrries about 960 lbs on the frontend."
If you don't tell the spring it was for a trailer it won't know the difference and they work fine.
I know that the CNC Plasma will make quick work of those brackets.
Looks great and as 46 says it works out fine.
If you don't tell the spring it was for a trailer it won't know the difference and they work fine.
I know that the CNC Plasma will make quick work of those brackets.
Looks great and as 46 says it works out fine.
Hotrod46
Member
RPM said:
Yeah, a properly heat treated spring doesn't have any idea what it's being used for. Automotive springs are finished better (tapered, rounded, ect.), but the steel is the same.
Ted Brown said:
Ted, Miller did something similar to that on his Indy cars back in the 30's. Only he used 2 springs (top and bottom) on each side for the 4-bar links (no tubes). Must have worked well enough for the then current speeds (100+).
All I can say is that the 1/4 ellipticals I'm running are working as well as I could want. Stable at high speed(which I won't admit what that was on a public forum:lol
, good articulation over bumps, and with a decent ride (for a straight axle car that only weighs a ton:lol. The shock setup I have could be more effective, but I'm working on improving that.Mike
oldtman
New Member
I put 1/4 eleptical's on the rear of my model t speedster. I have no idea what they were from.. FREE at the end of the day at a swap meet. they look like 1/2 of a t rear spring but were more curved. I got some side sway at the 4 th of july parade. I have the pieces cut for a rear panard bar. they were the easiest way to get an 8 in drop at the rear
fluidfloyd
Active Member
Hotrod46,
Glad you posted your front suspension pictures. I really enjoyed meeting you at the Bucket Bash in Mountain Home last month. The front quarter elliptical setup was well thought out and I was impressed. I'm sure these pictures will be a great help to many on this site. Hope to see you next year.
EX JUNK,
Your setup is also an outstanding design and very worthy of study by anyone considering this style of front suspensions. Maybe you'll be at the Bucket Bash next year. Thanks for your many pictures that you have posted. Everyone should be inspired by both of these cars!
George
Glad you posted your front suspension pictures. I really enjoyed meeting you at the Bucket Bash in Mountain Home last month. The front quarter elliptical setup was well thought out and I was impressed. I'm sure these pictures will be a great help to many on this site. Hope to see you next year.
EX JUNK,
Your setup is also an outstanding design and very worthy of study by anyone considering this style of front suspensions. Maybe you'll be at the Bucket Bash next year. Thanks for your many pictures that you have posted. Everyone should be inspired by both of these cars!
George
Ted Brown
Member
George, about that setup, can you see the only problem He has with that? by using a panard bar, the springs are trying to keep all things straight in line and the panard bar is trying to pull everything to the side, if it moves up and down that is... Right? a very clean job of mounting everything, very clean... :lol:
Francis Blake
Active Member
I really wanted to go 1/4 elipticals but a friend at work offered me a new chrome axel with spring behind for $150. takes ford spindles, so I guess thats the way i'll go.:lol:
