1936 suspension lowering question

[lodown2003]

Have the body off the frame, so i figure this would be a good time to work on the suspension. I like the lowered look on the 36. Anyone out there that has done this.? Seems like a lot of different options to go with, depending on how much a person wants to spend. I thought about going with a 4 inch dropped axle up front, like the old school look. Bob drake carries a rear leaf set up with lowering blocks. That way i can use a later model rear end for around 550 buckks. Or is their a way to lower the stock rear suspension. Leaning towards the leaf set up. Any info would help, thanks, ken

[TJ]

You have a lot to consider with this project. The dropped axle is the best way to go on the front. You will have to bend the steering arms to get the correct turning radius when using the axle. The alternative is to cut off the arms and use some bolt on steeriing arms.
The parallel leaf kit in the rear will lower the car and gives more rear stability. The later Ford rear is easy to work on and you have less chance of breaking an axle. If you use the late rear you will have to use an open drive transmission with the flathead. You can use the trans from a 42-50 Ford pickup. An alternative is to put a C-4 automatic behind the flathead.
If you stick with the stock rear end you can de-arch the rear spring to get it lower or buy a lower spring from one of the rod shops. Whatever you do set your plan and stick with it. Changing ideas in midstream usually costs a lot more money.
If you go the route of a later rear end you can use the 67-70 Mustang or the Maverick rear. The Maverick is narrower than the Mustang, so you will have to be careful of the offset of the rear wheels. Either rear will work with the spring kit without moving the spring pads. You will have to slightly egg shape the hole in the pad to get it to snap over the spring center bolt. I've done several of these conversions and prefer the 67-70 Mustang rear.

[Brian]

I made lowering blocks that install between the axle housings and radius rods in my 35. The lowering blocks comprise of spacers with a tongue one side, a slot on the other side, with the appropriate holes and are a bolt in. I made them in a milling machine and mine drop the rear 1 5/8", but could be made to suit any amount of drop. I initially also fitted a reversed eye spring to gain another inch of drop, but found it was too low; the suspension bottomed out onto the bump rubbers on rough terrain. Brian

[Bassman/NZ]

Originally Posted by Brian

I made lowering blocks that install between the axle housings and radius rods in my 35. The lowering blocks comprise of spacers with a tongue one side, a slot on the other side, with the appropriate holes and are a bolt in. I made them in a milling machine and mine drop the rear 1 5/8", but could be made to suit any amount of drop. I initially also fitted a reversed eye spring to gain another inch of drop, but found it was too low; the suspension bottomed out onto the bump rubbers on rough terrain. Brian

Now that's pretty nifty!

[PeterC]

For my 35 3 Window Coupe - I have a 31/2 inch total drop in front and a 2 inch total drop in back - accomplised by

F 1 1/2 inch dropped stock axle
2 inch drop by reverse eye stock spring

R 2 inch drop by reverse eye rear spring

Retained stock shocks and added 40 front sway bar

[richard crow]

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you have the body off. you can mod. the rear crossmember cut where spring touches install spacer the drop you want reweld.

[42guy]

I lowed my 42 using a reverse eye main leaf. Drops it around 2 -2 1/2" and had new main reverse eye main leafs made at truck spring shop for $60 each.

[Ol' Ron]

A real inexpensive way to drop your car is with longer shackles you can use 3,4,5" drops. Unfortunately, the care doesn't drive very well. From the works of the devil.

[blucar]

I like to keep things simple so I used a 2" dropped axle for a '41 Ford, '41 front spring, '40 spindles, tube shocks, 42-48 brakes and a '40 steering gear box with a '40 column... Everything bolted together, no bending, welding, etc.
On the rear I upgraded my Columbia to a '42-48 unit using the stock '36 banjo and '37 radius bars. The rear brakes are '42-48, '42-48 spring.. My rear end is actually a '48 so it has tube shock mounts and the '48 sway bar.
The car sits very nicely in my opinion, low enough so everyone knows it is not stock. The wider axles fill the fender wells very nicely with 600x16 tires. The car is very stable on the highway... I have no trouble cruising at 65 mph +...

[296 V8]

Front

The so called 4” drop aftermarket axle lowers the car 2” … so if you want more a reversed main leaf and remove a leaf or 2 or gets it down more.

Rear
What I did (w open drive late axle & stock spring)

Weld on spring hanger brackets( speedway )
Installed 2” further apart than stock
Reversed main leaf and de arched entire spring pack (10 leafs)
Pete & Jake’s long ladder bars

[shuffster]

Ol' Ron--how much ill effect would lengthening the shackles by 1" to a stock axle? I plan on adding panhard and sway bar. I figure the 1 inch would get a net lowering of 3/4" since the shackle lays at about 45 degees. I am going to make new shackles anyway to pick up the lower shock mount.

[Mart]

If you add a panhard rod, the shackles are relieved of any sideways location duty, and can be as long as you like, within practical limits.

I have long shackles and a panhard rod on the back of my 40 coupe. The shackles are about 6" long.

Not sure if a sway bar can be trusted to the same degree as a panhard rod, but The original fit 40 style bar does offer some degree of sideways resistance.

Mart.

[Ol' Ron]

Yes the panhard rod/ sway bar does work, providing it 's installed right. Actually a Watts linkage would be perfect..

[Topsterguy]

Does anyone make lower rear shock mounts to fit a '36 Ford to put on tube shocks? A guy on here makes them to fit a 35 but apparently they won't fit a 36 for some reason.

[Topsterguy]

Originally Posted by Topsterguy

Does anyone make lower rear shock mounts to fit a '36 Ford to put on tube shocks? A guy on here makes them to fit a 35 but apparently they won't fit a 36 for some reason.

Forgot to mention that my brakes are '40 Ford juice. Does the kit here work on these?

[okiedokie]

"I've done several of these conversions and prefer the 67-70 Mustang rear. "

Are you sure you don't mean 65-66 Mustang rears? I would think the 67-70 are too wide. I had a 70 under my 46 coupe that fit well, but seems too wide for a 36. A Maverick is perfect.

[TJ]

Originally Posted by okiedokie

"I've done several of these conversions and prefer the 67-70 Mustang rear. "

Are you sure you don't mean 65-66 Mustang rears? I would think the 67-70 are too wide. I had a 70 under my 46 coupe that fit well, but seems too wide for a 36. A Maverick is perfect.

I have used the 67-70 Mustang rear. They are 59 1/2" axle flange to axle flange. I used the 7" wide wheel (solids) from Wheel Vintiques with the standard offset and they fit under the fenders just perfect with a 235X75 tire. Built 4 cars using the same rear end. The 65-66 rear is narrow like the Maverick at 57 1/2". You can use an 8" wheel with the correct offset with that rear end. Also the 67-70 rear will fall onto the Chassis Engineering spring kit without replacing the spring pads.

[okiedokie]

Originally Posted by TJ

I have used the 67-70 Mustang rear. They are 59 1/2" axle flange to axle flange. I used the 7" wide wheel (solids) from Wheel Vintiques with the standard offset and they fit under the fenders just perfect with a 235X75 tire. Built 4 cars using the same rear end. The 65-66 rear is narrow like the Maverick at 57 1/2". You can use an 8" wheel with the correct offset with that rear end. Also the 67-70 rear will fall onto the Chassis Engineering spring kit without replacing the spring pads.

Good to know. Thanks for the education.

[36tudordeluxe]

Got a Granada in mine, works great with the CE parallel leaf spring kit; did have to reverse the rims in the rear.