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Flipper,

Nice idea!

If the boxing plates below the tube weren't parallel, but splayed outwards as they approached the plate it would be rather spiffy looking and perhaps even better structurally (but negligably so?). But it might be a PITA to cut those splayed filler plates to fit, rather than just tracing the edge of the bent plate to define the lower edge.

There will probably be a smaller one under the frame side bracket. I might have to trim it a little to get past the x-brace.

I hope to get a chance to work on it over the long weekend. It would be great to get the motor mounted and the car slid forward on the table so that the front suspension area could overhang the table .....maybe start installing front suspension?

The small tube gusset wasn't cutting it. I needed to do something more substantial, but not super heavy. I also decided the mounts needed upper biscuits.

I wanted a flange to go around the buscuit, but didn't have the right size tube...so I made my own. ...from cop car kick panels.

I started by making a strip of flat stock.


wrapped around a piece of roll bar tube


it worked!


Now that I had a better idea what I was making, I cleaned up the end




time for sheetmetal gussets






the top bolt hole was the hard part to figure out. I sleeved it and then cut the sleeve down.





I welded the circles first (welds under the big gusset)


and added speed holes


socket fits great on the top bolt


with a rubber


Now the other side.

The passenger side mount is shorter due to the engine offset (more foot room for me). I had to cram things closer to get it all to fit. hammer time!










Now to give it something to bolt to






trimmed to sit on the X-brace




test fit






did the same thing for the other side


I now have a mounted motor!

Now to test out my idea for using the Ford leafspring. I have no idea what sort of spring rate this car actually needs.

I bolted it to the crossmember and let the ends rest on the control arms




too high and this thing was solid as [PooPoo]! The weight of the jag and my fat ass on the crossmember didn't hardly budge it!

pull out a bunch of leaves


better


but still not much movement. you think the rust has any thing to do with that? ...duh!



I cleaned up the leaves and greased everything up (and pulled one more leaf). ...lots better!




I added some of the removed leaves to the bottom of the pack to raise the pack (lower the car)






close enough until the car gets more weight. I'm sure I will have to fine tune it some more.

After bouncing the car on the front spring, it sure was hard to not set it on the ground and bounce it on both ends.

Before I get too carried away, I need to flip it over and weld the bottom sides of a lot of the joints.

It is hard to resist, isn't it? I started to as I finished the front and rear suspension "again" and then thought better of it, remembering Hempy and my last go round where the rear collapsed as I had only tacked it in place!

Congrats on getting one step closer!! It'll be rolling around before you know it!

Cheers!

KS

Please accept this pure support post

Somebody on another site questioned my test of the spring rate. Do y'all have any input on the subject?

That's kind of the same TFAR (that feels about right) method I used to set my initial setup. I'm sure I'll have to change it once the car is fully loaded and corner weights determined, but you have to start someplace and that's a good a method to determine that point as I could figure.

Are there better ways? Probably, but this is locost and when using such a collage of parts as we do, "proper method" isn't always a priority!

Just watch it as you get it rolling and see what it needs. 1st drive.. go easy and build up to limits. I know
I'm preaching to the choir, but some believe common sense stops at the keyboard and because they do it differently its wrong.

just be safe and use common sense and you know if you were right or need to change it.

Cheers!

KS

You have leaves which are dead simple to add/subtract as you have proven yourself - have a beer and stop worrying until the cars actually drivable.

I was just looking for input in case I was doing something that was going to alter my spring rate by 50% or something.

If I need to seriously modify my design to get the ride height I want, I'd rather know sooner than later.

Leave the extra length in the center pin bolt and u-bolts and keep the springs you've removed.

Eventually, you may decide on more rate at the same height, which means more leafs which will raise the car even if only added to the top and a thicker spacer to bring it back down.

I would not worry about maintaining a curve in the top of the frame to match the leaf arc for contact in droop. Once it is on the road and you have determined exactly how high the center of the frame should be, you might section and raise the 6 or so inch wide middle section or just fabricate a spacer from 1/8" plates and 1/2" nuts, or similar, sandwiched and welded together as a single piece.

If it sits at the desired height, but is bottoming out and/or dives really bad during hard braking, try circle track shocks with heavy damping or add a single leaf and shim it back down.

I think when you have the spindles and wheels installed, you'll have a greater leverage effect on the spring. I'll bet you end up adding leafs back in.
Looking forward to seeing what you post from this weekend.
Mike

Nothing this weeknd. I stayed home. .....maybe next weekend.