Another build thread? Yep, my track-style T

[J. Robinson]

The rear radius rods are in place, but the rear end brackets need to be strap-gusseted to the housing. This is done for two reasons...

First, and most importantly, the strap gussets make it nearly impossible for the brackets to break off. I have seen that happen; it usually occurrs under hard acceleration. The results are a destroyed rear end housing, a bent or broken drive shaft, and a severely damaged floor. Potentially, it could kill you either by causing a sudden loss of control or by beating you with a flailing, broken drive shaft.

Secondly, the straps require welding all the way around the housing which, if done correctly, equalizes the heat draw around the housing and minimizes warpage.

I began by cutting two pieces of 1/8 x 2 flat stock 9" long. I bent them almost in a right angle, 2 1/2" from one end. Then I used a vise and hammer to shape the long end in a sort of semi-circle so they looked somewhat like a question mark (see pic).

Next, I clamped and tack-welded the bottom (straight) ends to the back sides of the rear end brackets. I then used a combination of C-clamps, hammer, and tack-welds to persuade the curved portions into place around the housing and onto the top of the rear end brackets. I will weld the brackets and strap-gussets all the way around later when I have the rear end out of the car and can rotate it easily. For now, there are enough tack-welds to keep everything where it belongs while I hang the springs and panhard bar.

[Itoldyouso]

I love this picture. Car has a nice stance and proportions. You've really come a long way in a short amount of time.

Don

[maddddog]

I'm not here, I am actually back on page 4 but I just had to post a big thank you. You make it look easy. Thanks for going into so much detail.

I have the skill and fabrication tools to do my own fabrication, but having never built a frame, suspension components, etc. before, and with so many options when fabricating it is very valuable to see just how far I have to go (or not go in some cases). I know me, I can make things much harder than they need to be.

Back to page 4, I'll catch up in a day or two.

Thanks

[techinspector1]

Man oh man, I just went through all 9 pages and I must say I'm impressed. You, Brian and Don do some real nice seat-of-the-pants fabricating.

[bluestang67]

I'm seeing new design kits for marketing . Some very solid work from all the builders .

[J. Robinson]

Greetings boys & girls. I'm back,.. finally. We had the usual end-of-the-year chaos at school and then the wife and I took off for a 4-day mini-vacation. Before ya know it, three weeks have passed since my last installment. I have some more travelling to do and a big list of "honey do's" to complete while school is out, so bear with me, my installments may be somewhat sporadic for a while. OK, enough excuses! On with the roadster construction.

The next phase of making this thing a true rolling chassis is to install the rear springs. I debated for a while about what to use. I have another pair of the coils I used up front, but they are way too stiff for the rear. I considered torsion bars (I love torsion bars and have used them in the front of my last three hotrods), but couldn't find any soft enough for use in the rear end. Finally, I was reading the Brian Rupnow thread on chassis construction (If you haven't read it yet, do so. It's excellent!) and he said he really wasn't knowledgeable enough of quarter-elliptic springs to explain how they are installed. That's it! I've done a few of these and my roadster is a perfect candidate, so...

The first picture is of the parts I bought at the local ACE Hardware. These are semi-elliptic boat trailer springs, spring retainer plates, shackles, and some 9/16" bolts 3" long with self-locking nuts. The whole pile of parts was about $60.

The second pic shows one of the retainer plates sitting in position on one of the springs so it can be marked. The other spring in the pic has already been marked where it will be cut.

The third pic compares the original semi-elliptic spring with the one that's already been "modified" into a quarter-elliptic on the chop saw. Notice the end I kept intact is the end with the strap around it.

In picture four I have made sure the frame is level and centered between the rear wheels. Then I mocked the springs in place on wood blocks. The retainer plate will become the spring perch. I positioned the spring so the plate is against the frame rail and the eye of the spring is just forward of the axle housing.

In picture five I have fabricated some gussets from 1/4" plate steel. When I was satisfied with the fit of everything, I tacked it in place and then used a measuring tape and protractor to match the perch on the opposite frame rail.

[Itoldyouso]

Boy am I glad to see you back at it...........I was going into withdrawl.


!/4 ellipitic are perfect for this application, and I'm surprised more people don't use them. (I'm sure more will after you show them how). They are simple, effective, and act as their own lower control arm. Smart idea JR.

Let's see, I have a few of these trailer springs stashed from my boat employment days........may have to steal your idea on the next car.


Don

[J. Robinson]

After I got both sides tacked in place and assured that they were the same, I welded them solidly in place on the top sides. I will finish the welds on the bottom sides when I blow the car apart for finishing and painting. The first pic shows the welded perch. I lucked out that one of the gussets on each side (the rearmost ones) lined up with the vertical members in the frame rails.

The second pic is of the leftover piece of one of the main leaves that was cut off the springs. I measured up 3" from the center of the eye and cut it off. These will become the shackle brackets on the rear end.

In the third picture, I have bolted the springs in place (using the two remaining retainer plates and some 3/8" bolts), assembled the shackles and spring eyes, and welded the eyes to the rear axle housing. I took care here with a protractor to make sure that both shackles were in the same position and measured from the radius rod brackets to make sure the spring eyes are in the same location on the rear end housing.

Pic four shows the springs in place and supporting the rear of the frame. Pic five is one of the springs (the right side) viewed from the side. With the body and turtle deck in place, they will be almost invisible.

All I lack in the rear suspension now is the panhard bar and rear shock absorbers...

[J. Robinson]

Thanks for the kind words, Don.

I guess I should have explained that, since I am using hairpin style radius rods, I needed to use shackles at the rear of the springs and that will also necessitate the use of a panhard bar. You are right, though. If I had used the quarter-elliptic springs as either the top links or bottom links in a four-bar setup, I could have eliminated the shackles and the panhard bar. I almost need to do another rear end just to illustrate the method...

Hey, when your T-bucket roadster is done, are you going to put the '27 back together?

[Itoldyouso]

Sorry I posted in the middle of your posting....I thought you were done.


Yeah, I am going to redo the '27. It is behind the '39 after the T is running. It won't be a tough redo, but there are some changes I want to make, like lowering the engine a couple inches in the front and doing some different color combo. I'm really anxious to get back on the '39 though. Dan has all the hard work done already, pretty much, so I just have to finish it up. As a matter of fact, while I was priming and painting parts for the T last week, I also painted a few suspension pieces for the Dodge. I had left over primer and paint already mixed, and didn't want to waste it. Made me sort of antsy to get back on the Dodge, seeing them painted. But the last thing I need right now are two side by side builds. No faster way to get none of them running.

Don


PS: Just looked over your rear suspension again..........love it.

[Rickomatic]

You make that rear end work look way too simple. I guess that is why it looks so good. Nice work. I look forward to more posts and pics.

[J. Robinson]

With the springs installed it is time to dampen the "bounce factor". Mounting the shocks worked out to be really simple on this application. The shocks I used here are gas-charged mid-70's Camaro front shocks. (I originally had these on the back of my coupe, but changed them because I thought they were too stiff. As it turned out, it was the springs, not the shocks, that were too stiff, so these were left over.)

I began by exchanging the bottom radius rod bolts for longer ones. From the application described above, the bottoms of the shocks already have the mounting tubes cut off flush with the rubber grommets and the I.D. drilled out to accept a 1/2" diameter bolt. I slipped a 9/16" nut on the long bolt as a spacer, a washer on either side of the shock, and then a 1/2" nut. (The nuts used in these pics are just standard nuts. They will be replaced with self-locking nuts during final assembly).

I fabricated the top mounting brackets from 2 1/2" x 1/4" wall angle. Whenever possible, I like to use angle-iron for small brackets. If positioned correctly, it becomes self-gusseting. When fabricating parts like these, remember that they are the same but opposite so they will fit opposite sides. I used the shocks, loosely bolted, to help me position the upper brackets. After tacking them in place and assuring that both sides were the same, I removed the shocks, welded the brackets solid, and then put the shocks back in place.

[J. Robinson]

With the springs and shocks mounted, all this rear end needs is something to keep it centered. Like I did on the front end, I chose to use a panhard bar. I began by fabricating the bracket for the rear axle housing. I rough-cut this piece with a torch and then spent some time with the grinder to finish it. Again, I am using 2 1/2" x 1/4" wall angle. The shape I cut is self-gusseting so that I don't need to make two separate pieces and weld them together. Notice, also, that it is bent slightly near the top so I could offset it slightly toward the rear. I did it this way partly so that it would not hit the top of the rear axle housing and also so it would align more closely to where I needed to put the opposite end bracket on the frame.

The frame mounted bracket is also made from the same angle iron stock. It is welded to the little vertical member in the frame rail and self-gusseted to the top rail.

[J. Robinson]

To fabricate the link (or bar), I centered the frame and measured the distance between the holes. It measured 21 inches. I then threaded the lock nuts and bungs (These are made from coupling nuts modified on a lathe; described in an earlier posting) onto the rod ends and laid them on the floor with the holes 21 inches apart. Without moving the rod ends, I measured the distance between the shoulders on the bungs (17 7/8"). I cut a piece of 3/4" O.D. tubing, cross drilled the ends, and welded the bungs into the tubing (this process was also described in an earlier posting). After grinding the plug-welds smooth and cleaning up the threads with a 1/2-20 tap, I installed the rod ends and bolted the bar in place. The rear suspension is finished...

[Itoldyouso]

You've got yourself a roller, Bud. Hard to believe you started this build just in April. Love that you are doing such different suspension too.


Don