Thread: Suicide Axle Set Up.......

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These are poor quality pics, but here is a suicide front end i'll be welding into place today. The jig holds the front axle at ride height, the frame is at ride height above the work fixture. There is a sweep in the frame as well, about 3 1/2" at the front spring crossmember. The front axle is stock - no need to 'drop' it, the front end cannot safely go any lower.
The frame ends have yet to be trimmed and finished.

The point is that with the 'suicide' style front end you don't need a dropped axle - it is either/or

It is really hard for me to tell from the pictures of that other silver car how the guy did the front end. A company by the name of Cenpen makes an airbag setup that was originally designed to put directly over the top of a straight axled car. My Son bought one and modified it to work suicide, as he wanted the car to lay frame. Here are some pictures of that car, when it existed. (He changed his mind and took a sawzall to the whole thing, scrapped it all, and started over with a more traditional traverse front spring setup and frame. ) But this might give you some ideas.

Don

You are both giving me some great help here. I'm sure I'll have more questions once I get started.

OJH,

I see what you mean now. I may just use the straight axle that came with the 36 now. The track width is wider than the Model A's, which is what I was wanting anyway so I could match up wider tires at the rear without narrowing the rear to much.

Don,

What did your son not like about the original set up? Did just decide he wanted to go a more traditional route? That looks great!

I've concidered instead of making my own cantilevers, using a split wishbone, pivoting off the frame somehow, all in conjuction with the radius rods. The only purpose the wishbones would serve would be as cantilevers. Question....the split wishbones like the vendors sell.....is the front forged /welded to mild steel? I'm just wondering what options I would have bending and welding on the material these are made of.

I'm also digging for Cenpen now. Thanks again!

David