Tube axle on a T bucket

[GAB]

David,

Yep, that is the one. CRS on my part on the terminology though.

 

[Neshkoro]

Hers are some pictures.

 

[40ford]

Did you build your axle using the Bird Automotive plans from the late 60's early 70's? It shows building the front axle and using '49-'53 Ford spindles and it had the tie rod behind the axle. IIRC they used the '49-'53 steering and rear end also.
Ron A.

 

[oldtman]

GAB I like your fixture. I scrounged some mid 70's Ford F 100-150 front spindles with axle ends and was thinking of building a couple new straight tube axle for a couple of Rat trucks my son and I are gathering parts for. Big disc brakes and 5 x 5 1/2 wheel pattern and using the pickup rear ends.. Maybe RPM might start building them instead.

 

[Neshkoro]

I was searching around a junk yard and found this 1952 Ford. It looked like something I could use. The rest is history.
My latest t bucket is 25 years old. The first one I built was about 15 years before that. The first one was from a series of Car Craft articles.

 

[T-Odd]

Can't believe I missed this thread but I would really like to see some pics taken from the front of the vehicle.

The Volksrodders have toyed with the idea of building a straight axle using old VW kingpin spindles, and it would be very similar to your setup.

 

[Youngster]

Can you give us any info on that set up T-odd??

Ron

 

[40ford]

Neshkoro, The Bird Automotive T bucket plans show building the front axle with '49-'53 Ford car spindles. Build axle with spindles parallel to ground and proper amount of chamber will be built in. Tilt tops of spindles back 6 degrees for proper caster.
I tried to post the sketches showing it but could not get it to work. I emailed it to Rick to see if he could post it.
Ron A.

 

[Rick]

This is the best i can do.

 

[Hot Rod Todd]

Way back when I started on my first (ultimately unsuccessful) bucket, I was told that:

if you used an old I beam, you either split the bones or you made up some wishbone radius rods. Because the axle would twist you see. Or you could use a 4 bar setup, but that was an unnecessary luxury. .

If you used a tube axle, you had to use a 4 bar setup as the tube didnt twist.

well thats what we were told back in the 70s.

Is that theory still accepted as correct?

Cheers
Todd

 

[EX JUNK]

From what I know,Todd, that is still correct. However, with the short suspension travel on these T's there is little twist incurred so many, if not most, guys run radius rods on a tube axle. I, for one, much prefer the action of a four bar on my tube axle.

So what it boils down to is that you can use whichever system you prefer.

Jim

 

[Neshkoro]

Well, I checked the caster and toe in. The camber is set from how I welded the spindle bosses to the axle tube. No adjustment there. I used a Starrett magnetic protractor to check the caster angle and the caster looks like about 6 degrees tilted back at the top.
The toe-in is about 1/8" (narrower in the front of the tires than in the back). All parts in the front end are new as of last year; king pins, bushings, rod ends, etc.

I've been kind of busy the past couple of months so there has been no time for fun with the car. Maybe in the near future.

 

[Youngster]

I would like to aquire a set of the Bird instructions. If someone has them please contact me.

Ron