Thread: split tube axle

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Don

One of the "biggies", Fat Man, tried marketing that design a few years ago with a resounding thud. By shortening the length of each axle the camber issue only increases. It also move the roll center and not for the better. Think of the rear end of an early VW and that's what you have with that design. Now, if you were to take the Ford Twin 'I' Beam design, that can be made to work reasonably well.

It's too bad that it doesn't work well as it is interesting looking

The only way to avoid the extreme camber changes is to extend the swing arm as long as possible to attach to the opposite frame rail as used in the Ford twin I-beam or to lower the pivot point below the axle centreline as used in later (early 70's) Mercedes Benz. Shortening the axle and attaching to the near-side frame rail will result in a raised roll centre, extreme camber change and possible 'tuck-under.' Also remember the early Corvair.

there is going to be 3" of up travel and 2" of down travel. This is being determined by the length of travel allowed with my schocks. Do you still think I have a problem? Thank you for everyones input.

Originally Posted by modelb

there is going to be 3" of up travel and 2" of down travel. This is being determined by the length of travel allowed with my schocks. Do you still think I have a problem? Thank you for everyones input.

Travel isn't the problem, it's the short axle segments. I guess I prefer something that's been a proven design like this TCI IFS rather then a design that's been a problem shown below
Sorry it wont load so double click on the link
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i8...d/DSC_0028.jpg

Originally Posted by IC2

Now, if you were to take the Ford Twin 'I' Beam design, that can be made to work reasonably well.

Didn't Leonard Lopez of Dominator Street Rods build a twin beam front suspension similar to the Ford twin 'I' beam? It was called the Dominator Front End and used to be in the Flaming River ads in the monthly magazines but I couldn't find it on their web site. Maybe the reason it wasn't there is because of lack of sales, might have looked good on a show car that never gets driven but didn't work very well on a daily driver.

Mike

The Twin I Beam setup doesn't work all that well either! Ever seen one backing up? the wheels lean in on top like they are gonna fall over. If you back up and hit the brakes hard they'll hardly get going ahead again. If the shocks get a bit weak they will "jack" the front end one way or the other on big bumps, sometimes 2 feet before you catch it. I much prefer the older trucks with a single I beam under them.
Sidney Allard used the same setup in the '50's on his race cars, and he put the inboard pivots as low as possible. That way all the camber change is the same way, in more on top, and more predictable. Still didn't work though, even with a monster sway bar forcing the wheels to move more or less together. Just not a good setup for handling.

It might work if your frame was 8 feet wide.....

Old Ford frames are too narrow, making the links too short as
everyone said above. Even on the twin I beam setup, the links
are too short.

And dont forget that the Ford pickups with twin I beams usually
ate shocks and tires.

mike in tucson