MII Strut Failure HELP!!!!!!!!!

rooster · July 30, 2005, 08:53:10 PM

We started checking the car over for the road trip to Joplin and found problems with the
struts , the drivers side is completely tore off and the pass side about half way tore off!
The Mustang II front-end we have is original Ford fabed to the 37 Ford frame. Apparently
we have been driving the car like this far awhile! Didn't notice anything wrong!

I did a search and found that IM not be myself. What causes this?

I have read somewhere that guys run without them, but that don't sound to cool to me.

At this moment IM thinking 1/4" angle plate fabed to except the strut, then tightened to
the new plate, then that welded to the frame. I don't know if this should be relocated to
avoid what's going on. Would also like to know if when locating a position for the new
bracket should the weight of car be on the ground?

Input wanted!!!!!!
We are not going nowhere!!!

enjenjo · July 30, 2005, 09:56:12 PM

Several things going on here. First, it looks like it was in the wrong position, the vehicle should be at ride height. Second, it looks like the material it's made of is too light, it should be at least 1/4" material, 3/8" is better. Actually the factory piece is 3/8", and, at least on Mustangs, were connected to a light crossmember to keep it from bending. Third, you sholud have a gusset at right angles to the strut mount, so it doesn't bend, but forces the bushing to flex.

The sure cure for that is a tubular strut, with a pivot type bushing. It takes all the bending load off the strut mount. I'll see if I can get a picture of one I have here in the morning

Mac · July 30, 2005, 11:55:43 PM

Here's the tubular strut from Speedway:

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/xq/aspx/display_id.2110/qx/Product.htm

..and it looks like this:

rooster · July 31, 2005, 10:03:15 AM

Quote from: "enjenjo"Several things going on here. First, it looks like it was in the wrong position, the vehicle should be at ride height. Second, it looks like the material it's made of is too light, it should be at least 1/4" material, 3/8" is better. Actually the factory piece is 3/8", and, at least on Mustangs, were connected to a light crossmember to keep it from bending. Third, you sholud have a gusset at right angles to the strut mount, so it doesn't bend, but forces the bushing to flex.

The sure cure for that is a tubular strut, with a pivot type bushing. It takes all the bending load off the strut mount. I'll see if I can get a picture of one I have here in the morning

They may be in the wrong position! When I took the photo's the car had to be jacked up to do it, doing that moved the strut around abit. The material does seem light that the bracket is made of. All the damage thats happened to the struts brackets orrured within about 2000 miles estimation.
Charlie Chops built some kind of bullet proof bracket for his 40. I guess its still holding up. I would rather build than go to the aftermarket if possible. With the Nationals being next weekend I could have one of my buddies pick something up there for me if thats the way to go.

The picture that MAC posted doesn't have a hinge! So I guess thats not the one your talking about? I'll have to take a look around the sons hotrod book a see whats out there and the expense involved.

enjenjo · July 31, 2005, 10:24:18 AM

The one Mac posted is the one like I am recommending. Speedway"s bushing leaves something to be desired.

rooster · July 31, 2005, 03:30:35 PM

Quote from: "enjenjo"The one Mac posted is the one like I am recommending. Speedway"s bushing leaves something to be desired.

Charlie a buddy of mine brought these he had left over, dont know what kind they are. they have some long brackets on them, the brackets don't look like anything special, they are tubular,. he also had some stock brackets for a MII stock strut, they look 1/4". What do you think?

phat rat · July 31, 2005, 04:40:23 PM

Charlie Chops can't answer as he's on his way to B'ville

enjenjo · July 31, 2005, 04:44:18 PM

Those Tubular struts look good, I have used them in the past too. Trim the bracket to fit your frame, and weld them in place. A line drawn through the lower control arm bolt, should pass through the pivot bolt on the tubular strut.

rooster · July 31, 2005, 11:09:13 PM

Quote from: "enjenjo"Those Tubular struts look good, I have used them in the past too. Trim the bracket to fit your frame, and weld them in place. A line drawn through the lower control arm bolt, should pass through the pivot bolt on the tubular strut.

I think this is how the bracket would go, with the weight of car resting on the bottem arms, the brackets cut down to line up with the pivot bolt in the lower arm, then grind to fit some angle to fit right, then welded to the bottem of the frame and the side of frame. The 2 bolts that hold the strut arm in place will then to be redrilled to 1/2" also.

We spent most of the day cleaning the garage out to get it in and get the frontend off and cutting all the old stuff off.

enjenjo · July 31, 2005, 11:42:11 PM

That looks pretty good right there.

Crosley.In.AZ · July 31, 2005, 11:43:33 PM

I've used a chunk of all thread material to line up the strut pivot points with the control arm bolt in the cross member.

If they ain't in alignment , you are in trouble

rooster · July 31, 2005, 11:48:42 PM

It might have to be something more like this (pict), I wish someone could come up with a picture of one of these things installed or I could just get a bracket to fit 37 ford frame. I might drive down to hotrod shop and see if there doing any now. Thanks for the help.

Pep · August 01, 2005, 01:19:27 AM

I would heat and bend the bar and mount the bracket right under the chassis

enjenjo · August 01, 2005, 01:55:13 AM

Quote from: "Pep"I would heat and bend the bar and mount the bracket right under the chassis

If you relocate the pivot point, you make it bind, and defeat the whole purpose of that type strut rod, which is to take all the bind out of the system. The bracket angles as you have it in the last picture is the strongest mounting possible, because you are on a corner, the strongest part of the frame, and you are welding around the corner, which would have 5 welds working at right angles to each other. If the frame is boxed, there should be no problem with frame flex.

Pep · August 01, 2005, 02:02:53 AM

Well I'm not so sure about the binding aspect Frank. If the centre hole in the bracket is large enough to accommodate the vertical movement of the control arm, then binding will never happen. The purpose of this radius rod ( as opposed to a strut rod ) is to hold the control arm under braking conditions. I don't think its as sophisticated as most of us believe.