- This topic has 5 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 1 month ago by
.
-
Posts
-
I recently looked at a Ford based MG and I noticed that the rear wheels were at least 3” too far to the rear . This car used the Ford leaf springs which were cut near the center and mounted to the frame of the car. I realize that this the way the kit manufacturer designed the rear suspension but I wondered if the builder may have cut the springs too long or if this is something that could be corrected with an adjustment or by repositioning something.I have noticed that some Ford based cars seem to have the correct rear axle spacing while others do not. I also know that some kits use the Chevette rear axle even with the Ford engine. Perhaps some one has ran into this before and can shine some light on this .I looked at James Cochran’s car in the photo gallery and the rear axle position looks to be correct so it must not be a design problem.
Larry,
My driveshaft appears to be modified to fit. It appears that the rear axle can be brought forward, but the driveshaft would have to be modified possibly. I do not have much wiggle room. I am not very familiar with leaf springs, but I thought it was odd to have cut the Pinto springs in half, but it seems to work. I haul a trailer and never had any problems, but I do keep the tongue weight low. I wonder if the car you looked at was trying to use a driveshaft that was either not modified or from another donor that was a bit too long. I am fairly sure my driveshaft has been shortened on my car.
My big complaint on my car is the shifter is back too far and I have to hold my elbow up to shift. Hey, maybe my car is wacky and my engine is so far back to fit a driveshaft that was too short to start with.
. Now you got me to thinkin’ 
James
James, The car is an automatic so the shifter was mounted on the floor and seemed to be in a suitable location. I failed to look at the drive shaft but my guess is that it had been shortened . I checked some previous posts on this subject but cannot get it clear in my mind as to just how the springs are located on the chassis.Perhaps there is a hole in the frame for the spring centerbolt to fit in and if this is correct the location of the hole would determine the position of the rear axle.Thanks for your info,I guess I’m spending too much time thinking about something that I may never really need to know but I just couldn’t get it clear in my head.
Larry
Well I think I have got it figured out. I looked in the download manuals section at the place where it tells how to cut the springs and it give the instructions to make the cuts and install the rear end. Now I am wondering if the springs are longer on one end and if that is the case and the builder used the wrong end of the spring ,it would change the location of the axle either forward or backward. That would explain why some cars have the correct spacing while others do not.The bracket to which the spring attaches does not allow for adjustment.Now maybe I can sleep tonight.
Larry,
Excellent point. Now I know what happened to the long half of my donor car springs
I can adjust my springs in the forward direction, by only 1.5 inches before the springs start curving downward. The frame end of my springs are clamped with four bolts and a connecting plate bridging the spring body. It all seems very light weight, but does work. My driveshaft could only adjust by an inch, but that would leave me without any travel distance. The driveshaft is very short as it is. I have a 73 Mark IV, and that driveshaft seems as long as the entire TD
.Hope you got a good nights sleep
After years of autocrossing when the cut down leaf springs broke, I took a piece of tubing and created a new crossmember and mounted coil over shocks and created a 3-link suspension with a panhard rod. This setup is sweet.
Bill Ascheman
Fiberfab Ford
Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
Autocross & Hillclimb
"Drive Happy"
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.