Thread: Installing a triangulated 4 bar. Need help

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Thanks for the response guy's. It has been really helpful. Richard, I agree with you that I am going to have to remove the cross member and install the bars as they should be and then re-engineer the cross member for installation. I just hated to do it before I got more opinions.

Dave, I also agree with you that the bars seem awfully long. I bought them several years ago for a 31 Model A coupe that I had. I can't afford to not use them. These bars are very well made, better than the last two sets I have installed. I am hesitant about shortening them because I don't know how they were designed for the geometry of the suspension. I saw a set (installed on a frame) on a web site yesterday that looked just like mine did, but they looked to be about equal lengths on top and bottom. Tops were at 45 deg and both top and bottom were parallel to the ground. I noticed that the ad said that the frame must be boxed. It would help get the 45 deg angle if my frame was not boxed. It would also give me about another 2 inches to obtain the 45 deg angle.

Looks as though I will have to take about 4" off the top bars in order to get the correct angle. If I take 3.4" from the top bar and 5.8" from the bottom bar, that would shorten them 20% and I still have to mount them high, or around mid-way up the center section. I notice in the picture that mooneyeye777 sent on the first replay that the uppers are mounted extremely high on the center section and are not by any means parallel with each other. Looks as though they were designed to mount that way. I didn't know how well it would work if the two bars were not on the same horizontal plane.

I will get out there tomorrow and cut the crossmember (rivits) out. I have to say, there is a great bunch of guy's on this forum to take their time to help people out.

BTW, if anyone is coming to the NSRA Street Rod Nationals in Louisville in August I would like to hook up. I live about 20 minutes from the fair grounds where it is held. I could probably be helpful in finding lodging also. Nothing like having a friend close by with tools, welders and other equipment to do anything that needs to be done.

Ed