model a rear crossmember

[mikeyboist]

Hello all, I am not having good search results in locating a model a rear crossmember for my build, but have found a couple places that make a new reproduction crossmember but they want between 3-4 hundred. So basically my question to you all is if I could possibly find specs and have a steel shop bend one for me. Is this a possibility cost wise and is there anywhere I can find the specs on the crossmember?

Mike

 

[Youngster]

I haven't seen the Posie crossmember but I have seen the So-Cal. It is a weldment containing 3 pieces. I would wait for a stocker to come up. I don't have one on hand now but usually can find them at swap meets or on ebay. I just checked ebay and there aren't any listed at the moment.

Not many shops if any could handle shaping a lenght of channel to the Model A specs. The shop rate would probably kill the deal anyway.

Ron

 

[Rick]

I haven't seen the Posie crossmember but I have seen the So-Cal. It is a weldment containing 3 pieces. I would wait for a stocker to come up. I don't have one on hand now but usually can find them at swap meets or on ebay. I just checked ebay and there aren't any listed at the moment.

Not many shops if any could handle shaping a lenght of channel to the Model A specs. The shop rate would probably kill the deal anyway.

Ron

Question Ron wouldn't a weldment be stronger than a stamping/formend piece?Just asking

 

[Youngster]

Not in this case. Ford used an alloyed steel in the chassis parts. Vandium steel was a concoction Henry himself came up with early in the Model T production. He wanted analloy that had a high memory to it, sort of a spring steel if you will.

Fast forward to today. The weldment crossmembers are made from CRS (cold rolled steel), soft mallable steel. The only way to make up for the loss of memory is to add thickness to the base material. The aftermarket cross members I've seen are 3/16" as oppossed to the original .120 Ford used. Another deveation from the stock unit is the omission of the 3/4" lip on the leading and trailing edges. This also weakens the aftermarket pieces buy allowing it to twist.

This dosen't mean that these cross members can't be used. It just means you have to add extra crossmembers and gusset the corners to add ridgetity.

Ron

 

[Rick]

Not in this case. Ford used an alloyed steel in the chassis parts. Vandium steel was a concoction Henry himself came up with early in the Model T production. He wanted analloy that had a high memory to it, sort of a spring steel if you will.

Fast forward to today. The weldment crossmembers are made from CRS (cold rolled steel), soft mallable steel. The only way to make up for the loss of memory is to add thickness to the base material. The aftermarket cross members I've seen are 3/16" as oppossed to the original .120 Ford used. Another deveation from the stock unit is the omission of the 3/4" lip on the leading and trailing edges. This also weakens the aftermarket pieces buy allowing it to twist.

This dosen't mean that these cross members can't be used. It just means you have to add extra crossmembers and gusset the corners to add ridgetity.

Ron

Gotcha Ron thanks for the reply.

 

[mikeyboist]

Thanks for the info youngster. Ill have to keep my search for an original, so cal speed shop is way to expensive anyway I can't believe they want 400 for a crossmember and from what you have said sounds like you have to put a few more bucks into it to make it right. Pretty sure the posie crossmember was listed for like 309 which is still pretty expensive. Do you know of any other forum websites besides hamb that are good for having classified ads?

 

[Old Rotor Flap]

I was looking at ebay for some model a 28-29 headlights and stumbled across a model a crossmember somewhere there. I didn't get the ebay number. Do a search on ebay.

I just love 28-29 headlights, much more than T's or 30-31's or 32's.

 

[chaz75]

try killbillit.com