Front shock mounts
- Thread starter 396 BB
- Start date
You ask what will keep the lower assy. from sliding . 
This part here & the fact that the top & bottom of the hairpin is at an angle from each other. Once the clevis are in place the hair becomes connected solid. The lower shock mount won't be able to move in either direction with out bending the hairpin .
This part here & the fact that the top & bottom of the hairpin is at an angle from each other. Once the clevis are in place the hair becomes connected solid. The lower shock mount won't be able to move in either direction with out bending the hairpin .
I could weld in the brace between the hairpin @ when it is all said @ done I probably will. But I was trying to make a bolt on solution with parts that can be bought are with parts that are easily made .I can weld. But just not pretty. These guys have given me many ideas. Winter is setting in @ I'm going to try a few of them.
choppedtop
Well-Known Member
Just curious, what spindles are those? Ford, Chev,etc? I have a set of Speedway Ford steering arms that would move the tie rod under the frame and you could use your original light/shock mounts, just like you had planned. You could have them for the shipping.
Lee
Lee
Screaming Metal
Active Member
I like your attitude! Heres what I'd try....
Measure the OD on your hairpins. Get some tubing with that inside diameter, 3/16 to 1/4"wall. For each hairpin, cut 2- pieces about 4" wide x the dimension between the hairpin tubes - 1/2". That tubing you just bought, cut off 2 pieces 4" long. Now, split the 2 pieces length ways so you'll have 2 pieces that you can weld on the ends of those plates.
These plates will sandwich the hairpins. About 1" down from the top and bottom, drill 1 plate for a 3/8's bolt and tap it. The other plate, clearence holes.
Then in the center, drill a thru hole thru BOTH plates so you can have a stud to fasten the shock to it.....
On the 3/8's, for looks, I'd use some 3/8's flathead allen screws so it'd look nice and flat.
Hackerbilt
Active Member
Thats an interesting and clean way to solve the potential problem of the bracket sliding around!
Gonna keep that in mind for myself if I decide to stick with the hairpins I have now.
I'd really like some effective shocks and I also have little room.
I'm also toying with the idea to use a 39 axle and split hairpins I have in the shed.
I do like the old stuff! loL
Screaming Metal
Active Member
I like your attitude! Heres what I'd try....
Measure the OD on your hairpins. Get some tubing with that inside diameter, 3/16 to 1/4"wall. For each hairpin, cut 2- pieces about 4" wide x the dimension between the hairpin tubes - 1/2". That tubing you just bought, cut off 2 pieces 4" long. Now, split the 2 pieces length ways so you'll have 2 pieces that you can weld on the ends of those plates.
These plates will sandwich the hairpins. About 1" down from the top and bottom, drill 1 plate for a 3/8's bolt and tap it. The other plate, clearence holes.
Then in the center, drill a thru hole thru BOTH plates so you can have a stud to fasten the shock to it.....
On the 3/8's, for looks, I'd use some 3/8's flathead allen screws so it'd look nice and flat.
You can buy all this stuff @/from Tractor Supply/Fastenal....when you measure your tubing at the store, be sure and debur the holes at the end of the tubing
1. Keep from lacerating your finger.
2. Makes for accurate measurements.
IF, I mean IF, you have the tools, get as close as you can then ream it to size. On thing nice about this setup, is if your tubing is just a touch loose, say, 1/16, you can squeeze side to side on the 1/2 round tubes before you weld it on. The tighter it fits the better. Will save you from having to weld to the hairpins and screw up your paint or chrome. dress them up real nice, paint them nice....
BB396, you could get one of the shops to burn out the sillouette of a rat, add your tubing to and bottom and have a nice conversation piece....plus being functional.
Measure the OD on your hairpins. Get some tubing with that inside diameter, 3/16 to 1/4"wall. For each hairpin, cut 2- pieces about 4" wide x the dimension between the hairpin tubes - 1/2". That tubing you just bought, cut off 2 pieces 4" long. Now, split the 2 pieces length ways so you'll have 2 pieces that you can weld on the ends of those plates.
These plates will sandwich the hairpins. About 1" down from the top and bottom, drill 1 plate for a 3/8's bolt and tap it. The other plate, clearence holes.
Then in the center, drill a thru hole thru BOTH plates so you can have a stud to fasten the shock to it.....
On the 3/8's, for looks, I'd use some 3/8's flathead allen screws so it'd look nice and flat.
You can buy all this stuff @/from Tractor Supply/Fastenal....when you measure your tubing at the store, be sure and debur the holes at the end of the tubing
1. Keep from lacerating your finger.
2. Makes for accurate measurements.
IF, I mean IF, you have the tools, get as close as you can then ream it to size. On thing nice about this setup, is if your tubing is just a touch loose, say, 1/16, you can squeeze side to side on the 1/2 round tubes before you weld it on. The tighter it fits the better. Will save you from having to weld to the hairpins and screw up your paint or chrome. dress them up real nice, paint them nice....
BB396, you could get one of the shops to burn out the sillouette of a rat, add your tubing to and bottom and have a nice conversation piece....plus being functional.
Screaming Metal
Active Member
oh, before you clamp these on, add some silicon seal where they clamp up, to keep the rust at bay. If it can't get oxygen, it can't oxidize....
On that tubing, I always shoot for about metal-to-metal crush to about .001 loose on the hairpins. That, along with the clamping force involved will hold tight and won't totally screw up the paint or the chrome when clamped up. Plus, the silicon helps with protecting and clamping also....
On that tubing, I always shoot for about metal-to-metal crush to about .001 loose on the hairpins. That, along with the clamping force involved will hold tight and won't totally screw up the paint or the chrome when clamped up. Plus, the silicon helps with protecting and clamping also....
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Screaming Metal you have some great ideas. All of you do. But what I don't understand is that all the parts I bought in order to have shocks all came from the same source. But yet nothing fits with out having to modify or buy additional parts. I think it's time to pull out the chalk board. Buy a bigger hammer. And fire up the Millermatic .
Screaming Metal
Active Member
Yea BB, I feel for ya, I understand....Part #s change, improvement in design/update, old vs new parts, a mfg. flaw, diff. manufactures'diff. dimensions, short vs long....any # of these things happen, even choosing the wrong part, not knowing happens.
You should aways have that BIG Hammer waiting in the wing!
My favorite tool for the stubbornness is my 5lb maul or my 5lb drilling hammer. After I beat the crap outta something I walk away and one of my guys will walk past me, I tell them I've had my Anger Management Class for today....
Beating on finely crafted expensive nice shiney freshly machined threaded parts IS my speciality....
I always say, gonna screw up, do it right....hahaha
I love those nice shiney spindle threads especially....
You should aways have that BIG Hammer waiting in the wing!
My favorite tool for the stubbornness is my 5lb maul or my 5lb drilling hammer. After I beat the crap outta something I walk away and one of my guys will walk past me, I tell them I've had my Anger Management Class for today....
Beating on finely crafted expensive nice shiney freshly machined threaded parts IS my speciality....
I always say, gonna screw up, do it right....hahaha
I love those nice shiney spindle threads especially....
lincolnuT
Well-Known Member
I still say you should make some bushings to drop the tie rod below the frame & inside of the trailing arms......my first post way back when.........I will try to get a couple of photos that show how they will work on a bucket here in town today or tomorrow...........the KISS principle here......
Mike
Mike
Mike . I started out with a top mount steer. The bushing would of been about 7 inch's long. So to shorten that up some I went to a bottom or lower tie rod arms. That moved the tie rod down under the frame.Bolted them on & the tie rod hit dead center of the shackle shock stud. Now to get under the bottom of the shock it will only take a 5/8 bushing . But now that puts the tie rod rubbing on the bottom of the hairpin. I did try under mount steer . It just didn't work for me..
Screaming Metal
Active Member
BB, I feel your pain, and I deal with this typa crap on a daily basis. I deal with ALOT of diff. systems. Take Blowers for instance. BDS, and all the other places have spent litterly years standardizing stuff where one will work with another. Its call co-operation....and some folks don't want to standardize, they want you just to get their stuff. Like some of the computer and phones, some things will work on these, some won't. Perfect example....Apple and ITunes....
Anyway, blower drives can be a major pain in the ass, and to work around this, you have to sometimes take a little off here, a tad off there to make things fit as it should.
Bad part about the rod that goes across there, as you turn your wheels it moves that rod moves in the horizonal plain front to back. You really have to plan these cars out or stuff like that will eat your lunch.
Thats the reason why I went with rack and pinion. Its a little more pain setting it up right and getting it mounted, etc. But I only have a short rod per side going to the steering arms on my spindles.
Anyway, blower drives can be a major pain in the ass, and to work around this, you have to sometimes take a little off here, a tad off there to make things fit as it should.
Bad part about the rod that goes across there, as you turn your wheels it moves that rod moves in the horizonal plain front to back. You really have to plan these cars out or stuff like that will eat your lunch.
Thats the reason why I went with rack and pinion. Its a little more pain setting it up right and getting it mounted, etc. But I only have a short rod per side going to the steering arms on my spindles.
I have always been the type to fix whatever is wrong--- and if not able to---fix it so no one can with the big hammer or the torch!
Screaming Metal
Active Member
So Your The One that put that BIG Honkin' Assed Lower Blower Pulley on that old Hemi Motor that I couldn't get off!!!!
Gotta love those shot-filled dead blow hammers....Finally, had to put Bertha on it, My WAAAAY old #10 lead hammer....not too hard, not too soft, just right. Then the crank snout, hub, and the blower pulley ALL came off
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Screaming Metal
Active Member
Just seen that pic today for the first time....I must be going mad or something. Anyway, yes, outta the way, should be plenty strong if its alum., cast steel and not some really cheap cast iron from China. Bolt should be fine, large enough, look closely to see if that stud is machined on the part or if its a stud just screwed in. If you look inside the hole, if its a screw in you should see a parting line or a recess if they didn't screw it all the way on because of the inside dia.
If it screws in be sure and loctite it. Got it looking Good!
fluidfloyd
Active Member
I just want to add one thought to tie rod touching the hairpins. Even though everything moves up and down you have to make sure the contact takes place with the wheels pointed absolutely straight as there will be a rise and fall of the tie rod as the wheels turn in either direction. The steering arms will swing on an arc and cause some vertical movement. In my opinion I would think you want zero contact with that tie rod. Just something to think about. Stay safe!
George
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