Thread: The timesaver coupe

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Originally Posted by BIG-JIM

While out at the car show the other day Amber noticed the tire on the driver side rear was wobbling a bit. Hmmm sure enough she was right. So is it the wheel or the axle? Jacked her up today and swapped wheels side to side and sure enough same side still wobbles. Must be the axle. Now I'm no expert but I wouldn't think that my 2300 pound hot rod could bend a 31 spline ford 9" axle without doing some serious damage to the rim. Used rear? Was it always like that? I'm not getting any vibration out of it so I'm gonna let it be for now. Maybe replace the axle over the winter. On a side note I couldn't take it any more. While the wife wasn't looking I backed it out of the garage and up the driveway I went only to meet her at the top of the driveway (arms folded) "Get out of my car!" Yeah okay! Looked both ways and hit the vertical pedal on the right and I was off like a prom dress!! I took it around the block and was back in front of my house and came to a dead stop. She wanted me to pull it in the yard but instead I just stomped on it. She squatted and the front end got a little light and I was off like a shot again. Woooo that was fun!! I handed her the keys and said "It needs more caster" and just walked away whistling.

I had a similar problem with the axles on my car, that came from John's 9 inch Factory. The axles and rear housing were supplied by the Oze Rod Shop, where I bought my roller. The rear axles faces both had at least .015 inch of runout and of course the runout on the brake disc was much larger. I could tell from looking at the end of the axles that they had been rusty old axles from a salvage yard, sand blasted, shortened and resplined. No offer from Oze to replace the axles.

I junked those axles and bought some Currie cut to fit axles from Speedway. The came with newer SET20 bearings that eliminate the inner seal and use the gear lube for lubricant, rather than being a sealed bearing.

From your pictures, you have rear springs that are of the old variety, with small spacing between the coils. Newer models, like those sold by Ride Tech are not wound so tight and have less chance of binding up. On a car like yours, the spring rate should be quite low in the rear, perhaps as low as 150 lbs/inch. Ride tech has a spring rate calculator.

http://www.ridetech.com/tech/spring-rate-calculator/

I haven't posted in a little while so here is a small update. I installed the spreader bar end caps. I found and replaced a dry rotted vacuum plug/cap on the carburetor. Then installed 4 new bolts on the license plate because the camera was falling off. Now I'm working on changing over from center bolt valve covers to perimeter style finned aluminum valve covers. Don't ask me why but one valve cover was missing the baffle so I reverse engineered it and made one out of a pineapple juice can. It came out pretty good but who will see it inside the valve cover anyway.

Very nice! On your wobbly wheel, that is pretty crazy that you don't feel any pulsating in the brakes on a hard stop. You'd think that the drum would be contacting the shoes odd and make them chatter. It definitely has something not right there. Pretty crazy it doesn't shake driving either.

Those pieces add a nice touch..

Are there plans to return to working on the 34?

Originally Posted by 34_40

Those pieces add a nice touch..

Are there plans to return to working on the 34?

Yup pretty soon. Just having a blast with the 32. I have to get my ass in gear. Life is just real crazy right now. Another month or so we should be completely stress free. Then I can get back at it.

Originally Posted by 40FordDeluxe

Very nice! On your wobbly wheel, that is pretty crazy that you don't feel any pulsating in the brakes on a hard stop. You'd think that the drum would be contacting the shoes odd and make them chatter. It definitely has something not right there. Pretty crazy it doesn't shake driving either.

I know it's strange as hell. No vibration, no pulsating, and I can't even feel the wobble. Low speed or high speed it feels the same. Kinda the reason I haven't done anything yet.

Many times the visable run out is wheel or tire related-you can't verify anything until you verify---that the device the wheel/tire is mounted on is straight and true-use a front hub and check for any run out-------lots easier than turning ring/pinion/spider/transmission gears while trying to dial indicate something

Originally Posted by jerry clayton

Many times the visable run out is wheel or tire related-you can't verify anything until you verify---that the device the wheel/tire is mounted on is straight and true-use a front hub and check for any run out-------lots easier than turning ring/pinion/spider/transmission gears while trying to dial indicate something

Jerry, did you watch the video? I find it really strange that Jim took the tire and wheel off the wobbly side and swapped it with the non wobbly side(RH). Now with the RH tire on the wobbly side, it still wobbles. That pretty much rules out the wheel and tires. Still not a bad idea to verify though.

Vidios only show tire-------

I wrote about basic way to verify every step and being able to identify cause/reason---------d you see any problem with the method I described?I have seen multiple times where the stack of run out diminsions can either increase or diminish end results

His wobble is pretty severe, but -------------you can't use a video of tire wobble to get any results on a bent axle-------you need the runout measured with a dial indicator reading of the axle, tire rim edge, brake router------

Originally Posted by jerry clayton

Vidios only show tire-------

I wrote about basic way to verify every step and being able to identify cause/reason---------d you see any problem with the method I described?I have seen multiple times where the stack of run out diminsions can either increase or diminish end results

His wobble is pretty severe, but -------------you can't use a video of tire wobble to get any results on a bent axle-------you need the runout measured with a dial indicator reading of the axle, tire rim edge, brake router------

Thanks Jerry for the input. I have a lathe so I'm well versed in the use of an indicator to check for run-out and will do so once I have some down time. For now with the nice sunny days it's drive drive drive! As long as there is no vibration or pulsation I'm gonna drive the wheels off it. Come winter time I will check it and replace if needed. I have pretty much ruled out the wheel and tire though.

You did good Jim, and lucky it showed----but my post is more for the basics of doing some things for others that aren't too aware of how many factors are involved-----

I use the hub I have for my engine balancer for checking wheels before they even have tires mounted on them----and I have found large percentages of them have run out but usually within the manufactures stated specs--------if you mount them ---------

The transformation is nearly complete. The valve covers are on and I shined up the tires. I also gave it an oil change (It needed it real bad). I think the only thing left to do is to install the stainless hood handles and catches then we can stick a fork in it and call it done! The plan is to hit some car shows this weekend. Definitely Lebanon Valley dragway for some nostalgia drags and swap meet.

Puuuur-teee

Looking great big Jim!

We went to Lebanon Valley dragway the other day and at the swap meet we picked up an original 32 ford headlight bar complete with nice headlights and her Bob Drake stainless V spreader bar (new in the box) all for a mere $180. So we get home and I look up a 32 ford headlight bar and headlights on ebay and they are going for around $300 ($100 for the bar and $200 for the lights). Then I looked up what Drake gets for the V bar and I almost crapped myself...$140!! So $440 worth of stuff for $180 not too bad. Then I picked up 2 sets of valve covers (Chevy script and olds rocket) couple dings in the chevy valve covers but the olds rockets are near perfect. Should do well on those too. Not bad for a small swap meet. It helps pay for my addiction...I mean hobby.