non-suicide frame plans?

[GizmoJoe]

"A room full of engineers and designers built the Titanic!"
oooo that's a good one.

Now I'm trying to get measurements of a dropped crossmember.
I see they aren't that expensive in the states but to get them here adds too much to the cost so I'll whip one up if I can get some numbers.
If I can't.. I'll fake it.

 

[Youngster]

Re: Okay then, This message is for the "Man"!!!

We here in the states enjoy a freehand in building our toys. Giz, on the other hand is dealing with many guidlines and restrictons. Basicly there are tryin to legislate the hobby out of existance up there. My hats off to anyone who loves this great hobby enough to take on the establisment.

Ron

 

[mr27t]

Hey gizmoe

I'm doing mine with a '46 Ford straight axle and split wishbones. I am welding fat lady arm pit flaps to the bottom side of my wishbones at the front just behind the axle pins to mount my spring hangers below the wishbone. SpeedwayMotors shackles will give me another 1 - 1 1/2 drop at the eyelets and using a SpeedwayMotors Mono-leaf spring with reversed eye's, I should be able to keep my chassis at 6" above the dirt (botom of frame rail) with my chassis spring perch 1/2" above my front cross member/tube.

I am still in the middle of setting it all up but it looks as thought it will work and keep my vehicle on the down low.

I will head outside and grab some pic's for ya's all ta see.

Mr27t

 

[GizmoJoe]

Ok.. you have GOT to show me "fat lady arm pit flaps"...

And if anyone posts a picture of the real thing I'll hunt ya down and beat your keyboard.

 

[mr27t]

I was gonna do just that...

post ya's some pic's of fat lady arm pits but I could not find any on the internet in such a short time, LOL!!!

I dont have them done yet but here goes.

Okay, looking at the axle end of the split wishbone, Weld a 3/16" plate along the bottom lenght of the wishbone just behind where the axle fits into the wishbone. This is where you will mount your spring hanger onto below the arm. You can dress it up and it looks good.

I saw a pic of it here someplace. I'll try to find it!

Mr27t

 

[mr27t]

Okay, Rron has the idea, but build the shackle hanger down lower on the arm

http://www.tbucketeers.com/forum/f7/spring-shackle-4379/

 

[mr27t]

similar to this,


Sorry pic didnt work

 

[GizmoJoe]

Ok, thanks. That explains it. I get the picture now.
I thought you musta been smokin some whacky tabacky for a bit there.

That's a link that I had referred to at one point, somewhere.
I looked at that and thought GREAT! Then I found out that would be a no-go here.

We just went to a 2 year inspection cycle so once you get something on the road, and if you can keep under the radar, some guys will alter something and run for 2 years, put it back to a passable state for inspection and then alter again.
Sounds like fun?
Not to me either.

We aren't as bad off as some of the folks in the UK yet but I'm sure it will happen.

I zeed the frame and will get a reverse-eyed spring.
And no.. the frame was NOT finished when the attached pic was taken.

 

[mr27t]

how about an inverted spring

I was thinking if you could invert your front spring pack and install it upside down. It's just an idea but I think it would work. The spring would function just as it would as if it were mounted normaly, the only difference would be that it would be upside down. You would need to disassemble the spring stack and re-assemble the stack in an upside down configuration with the smaller leaves of the stack assembled on the inside of the main springs arch instead of outside of the main springs arch.

I'm just thinking outside of the box.

Mr27t

 

[mr27t]

I hope this makes the idea clearer

I was not able to edit the attachment so.....

 

[GizmoJoe]

I'll let the guys who can speak with technical experience give their opinions but I'm thinking there a few issues with this idea.
You'd be pushing down on the spring and since the spring wouldn't stretch (which is a good thing normally) it would pull inward on the shackles ripping everything apart.
Maybe I'm wrong.
Heck.. been wrong before. Plenty.
Dang.. the more I think of it I'm usually wrong.
I think I'll go crawl into a cave now.

 

[GizmoJoe]

Ok folks.. you can't see this very well in these pictures but I have a frame.

I zeed it to get it lowered more and stepped the front of the rails to 2" for spring clearance.
The cross member is tacked in place. I expect it will have to be re-designed anyway and, of course, the angle to be changed when the final stance is set.

The zee was plug welded before welding up the sides and ends.
I have a few more pictures in my profile.
This may not be up to the standards of some of you but it is strong.

I'll be busy with work for the next few weeks and after cold weather starts I'm not sure how much work will get done. I don't have a garage. I use my brother's place that has a wood stove and no insulation so I'm not expecting much.

Thanks a bunch to all of you who made comments. I really appreciate it.

Giz

 

[Youngster]

Mr27, giz is right, the shackles won't let this function. With out an arch in the spring you could set the axle solid to the frame and get the same result. Sorry but it is what it is.

Giz, great work my friend!! Don't ever appologize for your work. If you did your best and are happy with it ... phifffft ... what else can i say.

Ron

 

[GizmoJoe]

Thanks Ron!

At this point I'm very pleased, thanks to your plans.
We'll see how it goes once I start hookin' stuff to it.

Giz