Thread: Sunday Red: A 1932 Roadster Build Log Started in 2022

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Originally Posted by rspears

You've not asked, but had I bought the roadster chassis myself I would not have gone with the IFS. The dropped I-beam is the traditional hot rod look, and with the show chrome option it's a stunner. Easy to set up, and they track straight and true with no bump steer.

Thank you for the help Roger. I will stick with the GM brakes.

That's an interesting comment on the IFS. I like the thought of it because - in theory - it should be a smoother ride overall. Is the bump steer that bad with it? Or are you mentioning this more from an aesthetic perspective? On paper the iFS should be the better option but I might have to reconsider that now.

Originally Posted by JimBeam

That's an interesting comment on the IFS. I like the thought of it because - in theory - it should be a smoother ride overall. Is the bump steer that bad with it? Or are you mentioning this more from an aesthetic perspective? On paper the iFS should be the better option but I might have to reconsider that now.

I mentioned bump steer because that's one of the major criticisms you see when someone is talking about the I beam axle front end. It was a bigger problem back when guys used "same side steering", where the pitman arm sits ~parallel with the front axle and the drag link runs up to a steering arm on the driver's side wheel. When they adapted the "crossed steering geometry", where the pitman arm sits more parallel to the frame and the drag link connects to the steering arm on the passenger side bump steer pretty much disappeared.
If you go fenderless you'll hear the quiet snide remarks like "....yeah but ya' just don't run IFS on a hiboy (or lowboy or hot rod). It just looks wrong, ya' know?" Not that anyone else's opinion matters, but the traditional "hot rod" from this era has a dropped I-beam axle of one kind or another and a leaf spring. Personally I like the "look" of hairpins over 4-bar for the caster & alignment. The 4-bar does tend to keep the front axle moving straight up & down (parallelogram action) which I believe was more needed for the tube axles which can't flex like the I-beam and can work harden and fail over time, especially with a softer spring.
Again, just my opinions and like belly buttons, everyone has an opinion but only yours really matters. I've only done two cars, both just for my own pleasure and the joy of fabrication, so I'm by no means an expert on anything here.

Originally Posted by rspears

I mentioned bump steer because that's one of the major criticisms you see when someone is talking about the I beam axle front end. It was a bigger problem back when guys used "same side steering", where the pitman arm sits ~parallel with the front axle and the drag link runs up to a steering arm on the driver's side wheel. When they adapted the "crossed steering geometry", where the pitman arm sits more parallel to the frame and the drag link connects to the steering arm on the passenger side bump steer pretty much disappeared.
If you go fenderless you'll hear the quiet snide remarks like "....yeah but ya' just don't run IFS on a hiboy (or lowboy or hot rod). It just looks wrong, ya' know?" Not that anyone else's opinion matters, but the traditional "hot rod" from this era has a dropped I-beam axle of one kind or another and a leaf spring. Personally I like the "look" of hairpins over 4-bar for the caster & alignment. The 4-bar does tend to keep the front axle moving straight up & down (parallelogram action) which I believe was more needed for the tube axles which can't flex like the I-beam and can work harden and fail over time, especially with a softer spring.
Again, just my opinions and like belly buttons, everyone has an opinion but only yours really matters. I've only done two cars, both just for my own pleasure and the joy of fabrication, so I'm by no means an expert on anything here.

Well you're more of an expert than I am and that's good enough for me to learn from you

If the snide comments are all I have to worry about then I'm completely OK with that. I want a car that will be functional and fun to drive and I think IFS achieves that for me. I'll proceed with the P&J plan.

Originally Posted by JimBeam

If the snide comments are all I have to worry about then I'm completely OK with that. I want a car that will be functional and fun to drive and I think IFS achieves that for me. I'll proceed with the P&J plan.

Sounds good! Just FYI, P&J offers both IFS and traditional, with lots of options on the traditional. If you don't have their hard copy catalog & price list you should order one! It's got a ton of good info.