Thread: Removing my hair pins - need guidance please

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Faith, no need to limit answers to only guys with '32's..........your suspension system is not unique to only that year. Same system can be on a T bucket, Model A, etc. I know you think '32's are special, but in this regard, they are not. Anyway, here are the answers to your questions:

1) Yes, you must jack up the car and put jackstands under the front portion of the frame on both sides. You want the axle to have zero weight on it. In addition, put blocks under the front and rear of the front tires so that they will not want to walk out from their position.

2) That will also answer number two. The spring will keep everything in place laterally, but you need to keep the tires from rolling fore and aft.

3) You don't measure the threads, you measure the overall length from reference points like the holes in the front and rear, and record each side. Theoretically, they should be identical, but you never know, as the guy who installed the brackets might have been off on one side and compensated for it by screwing one hairpin out further. This is also assuming your car is in perfect alignment right now.

4) Yeah, post the front pictures, but I pulled up an old photo of yours, and it looks to me like your hairpins simply unbolt from the batwings with two horizontal bolts in the front, and one tie rod nut in the rear on the frame bracket. Once you have all the weight off, remove these bolts and the hairpin will simply drop out of it's position. The tie rod end might take a little tapping to get it out of the tapered hole, just don't beat on the bare threads, use a pickle fork or tap on the loosened nut lightly.

5) Installation is the reverse of all of this, after you have remeasured and put them back to the same length as they are now. You might have some thread issues as the chroming process fattens up the threads, but a saavy chromer will steer you on how to keep that from happening. Use Neversieze on all the threads when you put it all back together (auto parts store stuff)

This is a very straightforward job, and you can easily do it in a few hours at most. And just to be safe, have a competent alignment shop (that knows old rods) realign the front end.

Here is the picture I downloaded of your front end, but just to be sure, post a side shot of the batwing area.

Don