Splittin Dem Bones

348tripower · May 05, 2006, 05:48:18 AM

Opinions needed here! I want to change the split on my 37 Ford and widen it out to the frame rails. I need to get the right hand exhaust pipe higher. It is routed under the wish bone at this time. I have seen some of these pie cut, bent and welded back together. I have also seen some that were just bent. What would you guys do?
Don

Okiedokie · May 05, 2006, 08:34:19 AM

Do what ever it takes to NOT split them to the frame rails. You need them as close to center as possible to function well. Joe

GPster · May 05, 2006, 09:11:36 AM

I saw a set that had been "C"d like they do on rear frame rails for lowering clearance (only up-side down). Or if you could find some junk '48 bones you could take the "S" bends from each side and make a oval tubing drop. GPster

Okiedokie · May 05, 2006, 09:52:40 AM

Don, is the 348 in the 37? When I had Ibeam in my 40 with SBC, I used manifilds instead of headers and "s'd" the head pipes over the wishbones. Joe

348tripower · May 05, 2006, 11:46:30 AM

Quote from: "Joe Gaddy"Don, is the 348 in the 37? When I had Ibeam in my 40 with SBC, I used manifilds instead of headers and "s'd" the head pipes over the wishbones. Joe

No, the 348 was in a 29 5 window that I sold. My buddy has a 40 with the bones split to the frame rails and I have ridden in it and it drives fine. What are the supposed pitfalls to doing this?

Okiedokie · May 05, 2006, 02:39:58 PM

Ibeam was not designed to absorb the torsional twist created by wide split wishbones, plus the framerails have been known to crack at the point of attachment. Now I don't intend to present myself as an expert, just a hobbiest that has had some experience with beam axles. Years ago I bought a 40 coupe with wishbones split to the frame sides and switched it to a dropped Superbell with a Chassis Engeering split wishbone kit that only splits them a slight amount for trans clearance. Nite and day difference in the way it drove, rode, and handeled. Maybe if you only intend to drive it to local cruise nites you could be ok with it. As far as I am concerned, I want mine to go cross country trouble free comfortably. Just my opinions. Joe

1FATGMC · May 05, 2006, 03:58:12 PM

Quote from: "Joe Gaddy"Ibeam was not designed to absorb the torsional twist created by wide split wishbones, plus the framerails have been known to crack at the point of attachment. Now I don't intend to present myself as an expert, just a hobbiest that has had some experience with beam axles. Years ago I bought a 40 coupe with wishbones split to the frame sides and switched it to a dropped Superbell with a Chassis Engeering split wishbone kit that only splits them a slight amount for trans clearance. Nite and day difference in the way it drove, rode, and handeled. Maybe if you only intend to drive it to local cruise nites you could be ok with it. As far as I am concerned, I want mine to go cross country trouble free comfortably. Just my opinions. Joe

Did you have a panhard bar on both ways? I always thought that an I-Beam would twist better than round axle. I thought it was recommended that you run a 4-link setup with the round axle.

But I have no personal experience with this, so I'd like to know in case I ever get to the '39 Ford pickup.

c ya, Sum

Okiedokie · May 05, 2006, 06:01:58 PM

You are correct Sum. A tube will not twist at all and requires the four bar. As I understand it the ibeam will twist to some degree, just not to the degree required by the spread of force to its outside. No, the set up that came on the 40 did not include a panhard, the Superbell setup did. I think that splitting wishbones to frame sides would never be the way to build a car, however like many things, that is not to say you can't. I just don't see why you would by choice. I do know that both 40's I have had with Superbell Ibeams, C.E. split kits, Posies Springs, panhard bars and good shocks [KYB for me] have performed well. In fact at one time the occasion arose for the local MII guru [this was in the late 80's] to drive my sedan and he asked me if I had done the MII installation. He could not believe it was an Ibeam. Joe

Dave · May 05, 2006, 06:46:41 PM

Quote from: "348tripower"
Quote from: "Joe Gaddy"Don, is the 348 in the 37? When I had Ibeam in my 40 with SBC, I used manifilds instead of headers and "s'd" the head pipes over the wishbones. Joe

No, the 348 was in a 29 5 window that I sold. My buddy has a 40 with the bones split to the frame rails and I have ridden in it and it drives fine. What are the supposed pitfalls to doing this?

None just the kinda longer brackets to get the caster right. (on some cars)I ran the old 29 for years with the bones split outside the rails and it rode like a caddy. Of course thats with an I beam I wouldnt use or try it with a tube axle.
Illl argue the point with anyone cause it will work just fine.......
(as long as its an I beam axle)
Dave

donsrods · May 07, 2006, 11:07:52 PM

Like most other things related to building a hot rod, there is "perfect world" and then there is "real world."

In the perfect scenario, YES a one piece wishbone functions better, but in the real scenario, sometimes we have to, or just plain want to, have split bones.

I have probably run 10 sets of split bones over the years, and tubular radius rods too, and they work just fine. And yes, I beam axles flex better than tube axles, but there a a whole lot of T buckets running around out there with tube axles and split radius rods, and for the most part, if engineered well, they work great.

Tell a company like Total Performance that tube axles don't work in this application, and Mickey will probably be able to show you thousands and thousands of examples to prove that as being wrong.

JMO,

Don