Adjusting Triangulated Four Bars

[loiselle]

I have a 1930 Ford Model A closed cab pickup.  In the rear it has a 9" Ford rear end, coil over shocks, and triangulated four bars.  I know the shocks control up and down motion.  I need to know how to adjust the triangulated four bars to adjust front/rear and left/right of the rear end.  Help?

   :?:

[Dave]

I have a 1930 Ford Model A closed cab pickup.  In the rear it has a 9" Ford rear end, coil over shocks, and triangulated four bars.  I know the shocks control up and down motion.  I need to know how to adjust the triangulated four bars to adjust front/rear and left/right of the rear end.  Help?

   :?:

If its a new jig welded frame and all new parts on thr rearend you can just set the top and bottom bars the same by laying them on the floor and put em in then set the pinion angle by turnung the adjusters nthe same for both sides. If its in and off it gets more complicated. Measure from some points on the frame to see if the axle is straight and also wheel center front to rear and front of frame to front axle both side to make sure its straight. also a trianulated measurement from the frame to the rearend hepls also just make sure youve got a good point to measure from for both sides..  Ill can tell you it prolly wont come out perfect. My 32 is off a little and you never know it.
Dave

[loiselle]

The triangulated four bars are already installed.  I think the rear end is off about an inch.  If I understand it correctly I should be able to entend the upper bar on the right side a little and shorten the upper bar on the left to pull it over.  Right?

[Dave]

The triangulated four bars are already installed.  I think the rear end is off about an inch.  If I understand it correctly I should be able to entend the upper bar on the right side a little and shorten the upper bar on the left to pull it over.  Right?

Yes that should work but you will need to do both upper and lower bars. Take a measurement from the front axle if you can and try squaring it to that.
Dave

[enjenjo]

Disconnect one of the upper bars, adjust the lower bars until it's square, adjust the upper bar untill it's centered, and then connect the second upper bar by adjusting it until the bolt will slide right in. This has to be done at ride height.

[SKR8PN]

Disconnect one of the upper bars, adjust the lower bars until it's square, adjust the upper bar untill it's centered, and then connect the second upper bar by adjusting it until the bolt will slide right in. This has to be done at ride height.

Ya.......what he said Frank described what you need to do, to a "T"....

[enjenjo]

Back about 20 years ago, a fella I know had a car built by a major race car shop. A prostreet Camaro with a 671 blown 400 in it. He had owned it a coupe years, but didn't drive it much, and when I asked why, he told me it wouldn't handle, when he jamped on it, it always turned sideways. I took a look at it, and the rear end was not square to the chassis. I squared it, and centered it, using a tape measure, a string, and a carpenters square. It would then launch straight, but the left wheel opening had to be moved to center the tire. The rear had been off by nearly 2"

A while later, he had it in to get the front end aligned, and he told the alignment guy how I set up the rear. He couldn't believe it because when he checked it, it was within 2 one hundredths of an inch of being perfect.

[jaybee]

'left wheel opening had to be moved to center the tire. The rear had been off by nearly 2".'

Guess it works better to square the chassis than to build the whole car around a crooked chassis.