Another Build Thread - My '32

[J. Robinson]

To finish off the torsion arms, they need mounts that hold them in place, but allows them to pivot while carrying the weight of the front end of the car. The splined sleeves measure just under 1 5/8 inch outside diameter. As it turns out, common 1 1/2 inch pipe is right at 1 5/8 inch inside diameter. I cut two pieces at the correct length to slip over the splined sleeves and leave the snap-ring groove exposed (in this case 1 3/4 inches long).

The next hurdle is to make the anchors that will hold the rear of the torsion bars in place. When I built my coupe I built the frame for it and I mounted the torsion bars before I built the X-member. In this case I'm using a '32 frame I bought from Clarke Hot Rods. It has a stock style '32 X-member and it interferes with the torsion bars. I can't shorten the bars, so I had to clearance the boxing plate where it bends up onto the X-member. I did this with a 1 5/8 inch hole saw.

I fabricated the anchor plates from some 1/4 x 4 inch flat stock. I cut them and ground the corners so they would just slip into the frame channel. After marking the location of the clearanced area of the frame on the plates, I hole-sawed through them with 1 3/8 inch hole saw. In the picture, you can see the plates mocked up in the frame with the torsion bars also mocked up in place and the rear anchors placed to check for fit. Once again everything goes back on the table to trim and index the plates for trimming and welding. Also notice the washer welded over the backside of the anchor so the torsion bar can't slip through.