I was wondering if this would do well under my 66 Ford F100. Please let me know any pros and cons of this system.
http://classictrucks.com/tech/0503cl_watts/
I hope the link works.
Thanks!
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I was wondering if this would do well under my 66 Ford F100. Please let me know any pros and cons of this system.
http://classictrucks.com/tech/0503cl_watts/
I hope the link works.
Thanks!
I used to collect old Rovers,,and they had Watts linkage,,and De-Dion Tube independant rear suspension on them.
I could leave Porche's behind on almost any bend in the road.
The ride control and handling were superb,but this kind of a set up may be a bit overkill for your application.
I wouldn't go with that particular setup there, all that prettyness is just... prettyness and costs more money. I would like a plain kit or something. So what would you use on my truck if you were me? The rear end don't lock up worth crap either and I'd like to help that out some with some kinda traction system. Also I was thinking about this setup for my 48 coupe...?
Have you looked into the four link setup???
also,,what power plant is in the truck,,,and is the rear end stock??
A Watts linkage does stabilize the rear end very well under the truck. As far as traction control, start hitting the swap meets and junk yards for a posi unit, or if you really get lucky maybe a Detroit locker.
Did you follow this discussion about Panhad Bars?
---> http://www.clubhotrod.com/forums/sho...highlight=Watt
At the end they are talking about Watt Links.
Lowered trucks and air bagged 1s benifit the most from this if u lower ur ride u need a adjustable panhard if u have air bags and ur ride hieght is diff everytime u cruse u have to have 1 or it will rub the wheel wells,plus it just looks too cool!!!!!!!!This is a 64-66 chevy truck here and this unit is the totally polished one!!!
Shawn,
Short answer . . . Watts link is overkill for your application, and it won't do much for traction. It just locates the rear axle. Since you don't have radical suspension travel, a Panhard bar will do fine.
Thanks for the info guys. Henry I guess your right I am glad I asked here first. Well I wanna put lockers in it. I hear it will be hard to change that myself so may have someone do it for me because my luck of actually finding someone here wanting to help me out and know what they are doing is VERY VERY slim. I may go on NC Slicks site and ask there. I do plan to lower the truck quite a bit though. Also how much time does it take to put in a panhard bar?
Oh to answer your question, my rear end is a stock Ford 9". The truck has a built 302 in it and I plan to build it up more since it already has a huge cam in it (not a plain little edelbrock performer series kind, it's pretty huge but not sure of the size because it was put it 2 owners before me and last one didn't know). I just want this thing to handle real well, hook up and drive nice. I am not looking for a drag truck here really even though it will see track time when I am bored and wanna have fun but it's my everyday driver. Right now I need all new shocks though first because the fronts are wasted and when I turn I am all over the road and it spins the tires when I don't even try or try to pull out of a sharp turn to get in traffic or such without trying to spin the tires.
Thanks again! Oh and I bought me a new big 3 core radiator today. I posted about my engine getting way too hot but not sure where the threads at but anyways I got a quote from www.radiators.com and they said 300 and I went to this old run down looking shop and really cool guys there gave me a brand new one for 160 with 3 core, for my engine, etc. He said it was for engines with a ton of HP, etc that heat up more than a plain small block ford. It's twice the size of my little one now so should work great, only thing is the outlets are on opposite sides... no biggie though. :D
Ok,,,you sound like your heading for plain stock or close to it,,,,so i would now suggest a set of ladder bars,,,and maybe a panhard bar,,,,and definatley more weight in the rear end.
.Actually, you already did . . . some time ago. There's a whole other thread on rear-end locating devices that you were involved in. :LOL: :LOL:Quote:
Henry I guess your right I am glad I asked here first.
Depends on how much room you have around the frame and whether you're going to buy a kit or fab it up yourself.Quote:
Also how much time does it take to put in a panhard bar?
With a 4-bar end w/ bushing, a Heim joint, some DOM tubing and some 3/16" steel plate, someone with rudimentary fabrication skills could make and install one (first time) in a day. A top fabricator could probably make and fit one in a couple of hours or less.
Make it as long as possible, and as close to level as possible.
The Deuce Factory has a universal kit (29" long) for $88.00.
Ok thanks a lot! I will look for that kit that you mentioned. I don't really know how a panhard bar looks or how it is hooked up, etc so that will be my only problem making one from scratch. Other than that I know how to weld, have tools to cut metal, etc.
here's a link showing a panhard and antiroll bar setup for a Model "A"
http://www.streetrodparts.tv/Install...ar-Panhard.htm
Or just type "panhard bar" in Google and you'll find 39,000 pages(!).
Thunderbuckets link shows a panhard mounted to the differential. I think it's not a good idea.
I constructed my panhards from the frame on the right until the middle of the left side axle. As long and as level as possible.
Frank,
Almost all street rod Panhards are built per TCI's illustration. I realize that doesn't make it right, but with limited the limited travel on most street rod suspensions, it works pretty well. It also avoids the problem of welding a bracket on the axle tube and possibly warping it.
FMX---Forget the Watts link. On a truck like yours, it won't do a damn thing for you. It costs a lot, requires twice as many parts as a Panhard rod, and requires a great deal more fabricating skills. Take a look at the attached picture---a panhard rod is pivotted at the drivers side framerail and attached to the passenger side axle tube.---yes, if you have a ford rearend, you can make a bracket which bolts to the front snout of the rearend, using existing bolts, and avoid welding on the axle tube.---either way will work fine. Watts Locator Links are for road handling on high end sportscars. They are a waste of money on a truck. The reason you need any kind of locator mechanism is that on a car or truck with coil springs, the body can move from side to side as the springs bend, and your inner wheelwells will get chewed up by your tires, or vice-versa. If your vehicle has leaf springs, it doesn't need a locator mechanism, because leaf springs won't bend sideways.----don't confuse these locator mechanisms with "sway bars"---thats something else again.
Ok well then Brian, you summed it up, I have leaf springs. No need then huh? I totally forgot to ask that, that was one of my questions since I was wondering how the heck a leaf set up would move side to side..... Now what about something for traction? I asked this before but I think the only answer I really got was 4 link and maybe ladder bars. Should I put ladder bar setup on it? If so then how hard is this to achieve? I am sketchy about welding on my axle tube because I have a friend of mine had his warped on his really nice 56 hardtop Chevy and needed a new rear end. I am thinking though, if I have to weld here then weld about an inch at a time in one section and I'll be fine. I can just weld an inch on one bracket on one side, go to the other bracket, weld and inch, go back weld the other side an inch, etc. Even if it takes forever then it's worth it. I am not sure about adding weight though, not sure what to put back there. I don't have money to add a fuel tank back there, I have my batter up front and it's fine. That is all I can think of. I wanna put a tonnel (sp?) cover on it but that is not adding weight. I am not sure.... maybe add 50 subwoofers? hahaha just messing.
To sum it up, in a half ton there isn't a hell of a lot that you can do, period. You don't need to add anything to your rear-end or springs. Simply put, half tons have lousy traction no matter what you do, because of lack of weight over the rear axle. On my 56 pickup that I built in 1975, I put a 390 Thunderbird engine in it, with a c6 automatic and 12" wide tires.----it was as useless as tits on a chicken. I ended up cutting a 40" length of railroad track and welding it between the framerails, just back of the rearend.----still shitty traction, but I could do the most amazing "smoke-show" that you ever dreamed of, whenever I wanted.
Lol, well that sucks for me. I think drag trucks look so sweet but that is the only problem is traction with these things.
I remember a guy years ago who had a Rod Truck,,and he had a 40 gallon plastic resevoir in the backin brackets,,he would fill it to the top before getting serious about going for it,,,and then emptied it when he wasn't.
It worked for him ok.
Heh, 40 gallons is huge. I guess it would work though... like having a HUUUUUUGE bomb in the back of your truck. I don't think cops would try to pull me over if I had that in the back. I will try to figure something out then. I think when I go to rewire the truck I will put that bed cover (tonel, tonnel sp?) cover on it and then put the battery back there in the center and a mini tool box that you can't see unless you open the top on the bed. I would like to put a small box like that in there to put tools in it just in case.
It's spelled tonneau.
Thanks!