Thread: One Way To Build A Hot Rod Lincoln

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Originally Posted by Ken Thurm

That looks really nice, some times I think I should take up knitting

Ha! You????????? Personally I am just going to take up sitting in my chair and talking to myself.

And Bob, I have no doubt your Wife knows you are simply perfect in all respects!

Don

I was working on my front end the other day, bolting things on to mock up the ride height of the front end. I got to the leaf spring and put it on, here is this nice stainless front end and this black ugly spring in the middle. I did some research and I decided to make my own springs out of stainless. I bought a piece of 17 4 stainless 4" wide and 12' long by 1/4". I took it over and had it sheared into 1 3/4" for the front spring and 2 1/4"for the rear. This has the properties very close to spring steel after heat treating. So tomorrow I'm heading over to the guy that makes my springs and he will bend them up so I can drop them off at the heat treater, then polish them.
Before I decided to do this I E mailed Eaton spring in Michigan, I think, and asked them if they would make them for me. There response was, no one can make springs out of stainless . So then I called my spring guy and he told me he had made some for the front end of a Indian motorcycle a few years back without any trouble. He gave me the phone number of a friend of his in northern Ca. who also makes springs. He told me that he makes coil springs out of stainless all the time. He gave me the heat treating numbers to shoot for. So we will see what happens.
Ken

That will really set all the other stainless frame members off nicely Ken. I've never heard anyone making their own springs before, so this is cool to see happen on your build.

Very nice build... I have been watching this build for a while now...Keep up the nice work..

Great idea Ken...Then when someone tells you that you can't do it that way, it becomes a necessity!!!!

I'm telling you, Ken, you are not going to be happy with plain old black tires on this car. I see some stainless steel tires coming out of your shop any day now!!!!!!!!!

You continue to amaze me.

Don

Ken - While I know that you are a DIY'er, here are some leaf spring manufacturers that might be equipped to do your SS springs and save your time for more fun things like polishing that chassis :http://www.thomasnet.com/products/le...7770402-1.html

I see where this is going...by next winter we'll be learning how how a 1 piece 12cyl stainless steel engine block with ardun heads can be made with a bastard file and a recycled napkin holder!
You mean plain, old ordinary chromeplated-beyond-my-means springs won't match well against the stainless? Who could ever tell? I mean, anybody that dares to look will have permanent eye damage from the reflection not to mention spacial disorientation from all the mirroring that will be going on. They won't even know you got springs on it!

Just having fun Ken and watching for what you do next. Amazing.

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

I'm telling you, Ken, you are not going to be happy with plain old black tires on this car. I see some stainless steel tires coming out of your shop any day now!!!!!!!!!

You continue to amaze me.

Don

The lunar rover tires were "9 inches (23 cm) wide tire made of zinc coated woven 0.033 inches (0.84 mm) diameter steel strands attached to the rim and discs of formed aluminum." (quote from wikipedia) I'm sure Ken could do the same thing out of stainless steel. Burn-outs would be even cooler with sparks instead of smoke.

Steve - I agree, it looked terrible against the other parts. I think I have miss led you on the springs. I'm just the gofer in this, I got the material to take to the spring shop so he can put the arch in them. Then I will take them to the heat treater. I talked to the spring guy this morning and ask if I could take photo's of the process so I can post it here he said sure. So next Tuesday he will do his part.

no limits - Thanks, I'm glad you like it.


Dave - Absolutely, if he would of said, we have tried that before and couldn't get it to work or we couldn't find the right material. That was the wrong thing to tell me, I'm so hard headed, (sometimes it's not a good thing).


Don - I am seriously considering making the wheels out of stainless, along with the hubs, caliper mounts, calipers, and rotor hats.


IC2 - Thanks for sending me this, I think I have the right people.


ojh - Thanks, I just don't like the difference in looks with chrome next to the stainless, I think it needs to be one or the other. If it's shinny enough people won't see any mistakes

Mark in Memphis - That would be cool!!!!!

Put some titaium and/or magnesion parts in those wheels for REAL IMPRESSIVE burnouts

O.K. Ken I found a stainless steel wallet today and thought now who do I know who could use one of these!
Seriously it's here:
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=748450

here yah go....

Originally Posted by stovens

here yah go....

For the man who has everything!

Don

Ken i'm very interested to see how this works out

Originally Posted by Ken Thurm

I was working on my front end the other day, bolting things on to mock up the ride height of the front end. I got to the leaf spring and put it on, here is this nice stainless front end and this black ugly spring in the middle. I did some research and I decided to make my own springs out of stainless. I bought a piece of 17 4 stainless 4" wide and 12' long by 1/4". I took it over and had it sheared into 1 3/4" for the front spring and 2 1/4"for the rear. This has the properties very close to spring steel after heat treating. So tomorrow I'm heading over to the guy that makes my springs and he will bend them up so I can drop them off at the heat treater, then polish them.
Before I decided to do this I E mailed Eaton spring in Michigan, I think, and asked them if they would make them for me. There response was, no one can make springs out of stainless . So then I called my spring guy and he told me he had made some for the front end of a Indian motorcycle a few years back without any trouble. He gave me the phone number of a friend of his in northern Ca. who also makes springs. He told me that he makes coil springs out of stainless all the time. He gave me the heat treating numbers to shoot for. So we will see what happens.
Ken