Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

Has anyone had to straighten these before? I would think you could to it with a floor jack and a cradle made from wood maybe? Any tips would be appreciated...Thanks

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

It would be a good idea to fabricate some pressing blocks from some hard wood that will fit the contour of the radius rods well in key locations then apply pressure with a press. The indentations should go across the grain to keep the blocks from splitting under pressure. I've straitened shafts like this before but they were simple round tube. The oblong shape is a bit different but it looks like it can still be done.

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

The tubing has a split line. It might be worth holding it together with something like hose clips to prevent it splaying apart. Some strategically placed small tack welds could also be used. One of the best things I bought in the last few years was a press. It makes jobs like this very simple. You ought to be able to rig something up using a large regular vice and some wooden blocks to support the tube.

Mart.

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

yup, every growing boy needs a press! wonderful tool to have

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

Their nice bend-symmetrically looks designed to be that way. 8^) Jack E/NJ

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

Now you've done it! This has been in the back of my mind for several years, but I thought I was done buying major tools at 75. You had to say something didn't you.:D

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

My experance has been that the factory welds are not that great. They seem to work fine for their original intent, but the welds can give way if you do much in the way of modifying. So check the welds over.

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

I've straightened 32 fronts that had a slight arch in a press and some 36 rears with a slight arch but never rears with that much bend.

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

32-34's are pretty wimpy compared to the later years, i dont think they will put up much of a fight

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

The only thing i could guess is this was @ one point on a trailer and these rods were supporting it and it bounced over some train tracks. They are bent perfectly the same. I cant imagine any reason for the this to be done on purpose...I guess regardless of what i use to press it in need to build a cradle to its width with a radius @ the bottom and try not to distort them. If this was done on purpose then they would have welded up the seam i would think...

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

if you just straigten them they will get longer, the stretched metal needs to be shrunk

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

You might try packing them with sand before you try to straighten them.

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

If I was going to use them I would cut them open and reinforce them with some metal stock on the inside and reweld them up. I believe if straightedge as is the weak point would be the area where it was bent and stretched a bit and weaked. Especially if your hot Rodding it some..

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

My biggest worry in straitening them would be if they try to pucker where the metal joins together. It would be difficult to dress that out. If the seam were welded, it would be a non issue.

If they end up too long due to stretch, a person can try heating the stretched areas with a torch and let them cool. I'm not a fan of quenching with water on old steel unless it is stress relieved by at least some grit blast which will also remove the corrosion. I don't use sand for blasting but glass bead would be OK. Even then I'd likely just cool them with compressed air. If that doesn't work, a person would have to cut them and shorten to reweld in the most convenient place using the axle & torque tube as a jig.

There may be some decent used ones out there since they were used for a few years.

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

The 32 radius rods are real flimsy. They are just flattened tube at the end. (not even tube, just rolled steel) if the length is out, I would just carefully file the hole until it fits. There will be enough give in them that they will probably just fit anyway. It's one of those jobs that needs just doing and not overthinking.

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

I'd probably just fabricate a pair using galvanised 1-3/8 fencepost or 1-1/4 EMT from Home Depot. That wouldn't take too much thought to do either. 8^) Jack E/NJ

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

Here is my unprofessional opinion. Make a cradle to hold them and exert force 12 inches either side of the peak. Ratchet straps might do the job. Now heat the peak of the bend with force maintained on the straps. as it cools the top will shrink and the straps will stretch the bottom. This may require a few applications. I do not think you would need much tension on the straps. Anyone feel free to correct this. Sometimes just the shrinking can straighten it but I think the deflection s a bit much.
This guy does it to match the shrink on the bottom. At least familiarize yourself with the process.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koMmqxeVCOM

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

Be sure to look for another pair before you go too far. At least you will have a price to base your decision to repair.

Charlie Stephens

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

they are the early versions, If all else fails, I have an extra pair.

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

Probably out of my budget to buy a pair right now. Im going to try to straighten them and it they are then to long, ill cut the end off and weld it back together. Thanks for being a resource. Can you PM me what i might expect to pay if it doesn't work? Thanks. And thanks to everyone else trying to help!

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

Just throwing out another thought. Could you bolt both of those back onto the axle and use some heat at the bend to gently massage them back into alignment? It seems that having them bolted up would be a good way to restrain these from rolling around and would also help with any length issues?

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

Sounds good. What kind of a gentle massage do you have in mind? Jack E/NJ

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

If I'm looking at things right, it looks like they're both bent upward when mounted correctly. Some heat, a 2x4 block and a hammer...work it back straight slowly keeping an eye on things to make sure you're not causing other problems with the tube. May be a good way to start...if it doesn't work then move on to plan B

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

I imagine that those radius rods would be difficult to get alignment on now where the single bolt holds them to the torque tube. When they were removed, someone likely had to either beat the bolt out or cut it just to get it apart. The bow in those would have put a lot of tension on both sides of the axle. Another way would have been to remove the bolts from the axle bells first, then remove the radius rods. That would have relieved some of the tension. I've not seen any previously that were bowed that bad. I figure some kind of an accident likely caused that. Maybe someone ran into something with the back tires while in reverse gear.

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

When I bought my 32 I was assured by the people arranging the shipping that the car would not be picked up with a fork lift. Guess what? The shippers picked it up with a fork lift. Both of mine were bent like that. I straightened them out in a big vice using pieces of wood to cushion the force. It took about 5 minutes.

Mart.

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

BoxCarTom has a pair of 32s (bent at back end) and a pair of 33-34, which are straight at the back end.

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

oops

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

i agree with mart, looks like no big deal to me. they are not kinked

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

A fork lift can really do some damage if folks don't have a grip on what they are doing. My nephew picked up my Pop's old 51 Merc with a Bobcat Loader with the forklift rails on. It collapsed one of the inner rockers. I had to buy one of Mike Dundon's repros to fix that. Not a fun job in any way shape or form. I've seen several lathes destroyed when folks were trying to move them with a fork lift.

Playing 4-wheel drive in rough terrain can also bow thing when the car comes down hard on a dirt bank or rocks or something of that nature. Folks used these old Fords pretty hard sometimes.

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

good idea...I can get close and go slow with the vise and make sure nothing wierd is happening....

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

But to get back to the reason for the symmetrical bending in the first place. In my case,
it was due to ....ummmm.......Torque!

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

That would be hard to do with a torque tube attached. Think the gears or axles would let go long before the torque tube and radius rods would bend.

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

Think Open driveline.....

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

Well, that would be interesting! The radius rods will not work with an open drive without a lot of modification, but guess you figured that out.:)

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

It's been done

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

This doesn't look strong enough to me, even without the lightening holes. Was it ever run and behind what size engine?

Charlie Stephens

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

The 1935/36 bones have been used with some success due to their strength factor but the earlier ones aren't strong enough to take extended abuse. They are already 80 + years old so fatigue will do the rest towards destruction. There is also a lack of a torque member and that is the most important part of all with the buggy spring.

You can make it out of cardboard and paint it all up but that doesn't mean it's going to work well. I sure wouldn't use those flimsy old radius rods without a lot more reinforcement. It would be better to just make some from chrome molly tubing or something of that nature. I consider the open drive conversion set up for 35 to 40 Fords with the torque member from the Hot Rod Works a minimal requirement. Anyone doing any less should inspect there components regularly for cracks or other defects.

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

many moons ago i built what i called "the free car". someone gave me a rolled over datsun, and i found a model t in the neighbors woods. i put it together like the photo above, with the datsun drive line, and in only a few hundred miles both radius rods cracked in a straight line thru the u joint location, where the twist would want to be. now model T rods are very weak, however, still a bad idea

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

I just grabbed a pic off the internet to show it's been done. No idea what we are actually looking at. Those may be reinforced thus the lightening holes.

Re: Straighten Radius Rods ??? 32'
 

The bent radius rods probably resulted from allowing a '32 to roll back off a trailer after the ramps have been removed. The bend is about at the balance point of the car. Do not ask me how I know this.

P. S. they can be straightened, but it takes some effort and a torch.