Dropped axles and the men who love them.............

[Root]

I have been thrashing around , looking in all my catalogs, trying to figure out what would be the best/most economical setup for my 35-40 Ford frame. I know that there are pros and cons for all setups.
I want a 4"-6" dropped axle, retaining a 37 Ford set of bones. and a new Vega box.

What would be the best setup in your opinion? I know some axles are cast some are forged etc etc.

[Dave]

I have been thrashing around , looking in all my catalogs, trying to figure out what would be the best/most economical setup for my 35-40 Ford frame. I know that there are pros and cons for all setups.
I want a 4"-6" dropped axle, retaining a 37 Ford set of bones. and a new Vega box.

What would be the best setup in your opinion? I know some axles are cast some are forged etc etc.

Super bell 4 inch dropped i beam.............flaming river box.
Dave

[Root]

I have been thrashing around , looking in all my catalogs, trying to figure out what would be the best/most economical setup for my 35-40 Ford frame. I know that there are pros and cons for all setups.
I want a 4"-6" dropped axle, retaining a 37 Ford set of bones. and a new Vega box.

What would be the best setup in your opinion? I know some axles are cast some are forged etc etc.

Super bell 4 inch dropped i beam.............flaming river box.


Dave

What leaf springs??

[av8]

What leaf springs??

What you DON'T want is a front spring with reversed eyes, or you give up the safety leaf. A good spring shop like Betts (in the West) will make you a new spring pack with normal eyes and a safety leaf and set the arch to give you the equivalent drop of a reversed-eye spring. Check your Yellow Pages for a spring manufacturer near you.

[348tripower]

Keep the stock axle and put in a Durnat Mono Leaf!

What leaf springs??

What you DON'T want is a front spring with reversed eyes, or you give up the safety leaf. A good spring shop like Betts (in the West) will make you a new spring pack with normal eyes and a safety leaf and set the arch to give you the equivalent drop of a reversed-eye spring. Check your Yellow Pages for a spring manufacturer near you.

[Root]

Keep the stock axle and put in a Durnat Mono Leaf!

What leaf springs??

What you DON'T want is a front spring with reversed eyes, or you give up the safety leaf. A good spring shop like Betts (in the West) will make you a new spring pack with normal eyes and a safety leaf and set the arch to give you the equivalent drop of a reversed-eye spring. Check your Yellow Pages for a spring manufacturer near you.

I don't really know much about mono leafs, I have heard they are mushy.

Mike, any reccomendations on finding the amount of arch you would need?
I would hate to build a set of springs wrong.

[Root]

How much drop are the "Indadirt" setups?

[Anonymous]

Root:
City Spring in OKC can make a spring for you as AV8 suggested.  They have the data for just about every car ever made.  The guys will keep arching or de-arching until it's just the way you want it.

[av8]

Mike, any reccomendations on finding the amount of arch you would need? I would hate to build a set of springs wrong.

The spring builder should have that info. Betts (in Oakland, they have several shops on the West Coast) built one for my '46 Ford a dozen years ago, and that's when I was cautioned about reverse eyes on a spring-in-front frontend. The fellow at Betts said that the reversed eyes dropped the front about 1-1/2 inches and he would adjust the arch an equivalent amount with normal eyes and retain the safety leaf.  I had the spring the following day, about $275 including UPS from Oakland to Santa Rosa (70 miles).

You should be able to find a spring shop closer than Oakland. As a backup, here's the phone number I have for them. 510-352-0117.

[Dave]

I have been thrashing around , looking in all my catalogs, trying to figure out what would be the best/most economical setup for my 35-40 Ford frame. I know that there are pros and cons for all setups.
I want a 4"-6" dropped axle, retaining a 37 Ford set of bones. and a new Vega box.

What would be the best setup in your opinion? I know some axles are cast some are forged etc etc.

Super bell 4 inch dropped i beam.............flaming river box.


Dave

What leaf springs??

Ive got a multi leaf chrome spring in the 32 but i dunno who's it is. Ill be seeing michael from srby at the nats ill ask him. My 32 is low! and its a reversed eye main leaf also. Ive never had a problem with em. I ran the nonoleaf in my 30 model a and other than the fact you could tune the ride height with the shims they give you i didnt see a real ride difference
Dave

[Root]

Root:
City Spring in OKC can make a spring for you as AV8 suggested.  They have the data for just about every car ever made.  The guys will keep arching or de-arching until it's just the way you want it.

Actually City Spring(Fleet Services Now) has made me some in the past. They never mentioned any books though. They just want to know how much arch at what centers and how many leaves. That's why I was thinking of using a production type of a spring, like a Posies etc.

So what do ya'll think about the new Magnum 5" drop?

[Dave]

Root:
City Spring in OKC can make a spring for you as AV8 suggested.  They have the data for just about every car ever made.  The guys will keep arching or de-arching until it's just the way you want it.

Actually City Spring(Fleet Services Now) has made me some in the past. They never mentioned any books though. They just want to know how much arch at what centers and how many leaves. That's why I was thinking of using a production type of a spring, like a Posies etc.

So what do ya'll think about the new Magnum 5" drop?

Il will sure be low. My brother 348 tripower did get his 37 way low with just the durant monoleaf spring. If you really want a dropped axle i wouldnt go 5 inch its too low for your car. Do not use a tube axle either with split bones. I like the super bell cause its a little lighter than the magnum and tht gives it a little more give so the ride is better. I had a 29 a with a more drop in it and it rode like a caddy. Far as im concerned the dropped i beams ride just fine its the rear that takes some doing to get a good ride.
Dave

[Root]

Root:
City Spring in OKC can make a spring for you as AV8 suggested.  They have the data for just about every car ever made.  The guys will keep arching or de-arching until it's just the way you want it.

Actually City Spring(Fleet Services Now) has made me some in the past. They never mentioned any books though. They just want to know how much arch at what centers and how many leaves. That's why I was thinking of using a production type of a spring, like a Posies etc.

So what do ya'll think about the new Magnum 5" drop?

Il will sure be low. My brother 348 tripower did get his 37 way low with just the durant monoleaf spring. If you really want a dropped axle i wouldnt go 5 inch its too low for your car. Do not use a tube axle either with split bones. I like the super bell cause its a little lighter than the magnum and tht gives it a little more give so the ride is better. I had a 29 a with a more drop in it and it rode like a caddy. Far as im concerned the dropped i beams ride just fine its the rear that takes some doing to get a good ride.
Dave

OK,now I am really confused. Isn't the Magnum made by Superbell? Or am I wrong? I thought I was wrong once but I was mistaken..........

[Root]

No one has anything new to add? Awww, cmon....these boards are how I help visualize the "pipe dream". (TM)  

[GPster]

OK if you're looking for more ideas. Make yourself a pair of longer schackles ad put s track-bar on it.  Someone here has a pair on early Chrysler Imperial 14" wheels. Put a whole bunch of holes in the shackle bars and you can adjust it to the height you want. Then when yo get it there you acn figure out how to do it right and what hits that you'd rather not have to live with. GPster